William (Bill) Sutton

Bookplate of William Sutton

William (Bill) Sutton was a committed supportor of the library by means of  gift or assisting in purchasing of material. The excerpts below give an indication of his commitement in ensuring the students and staff, espically those in Fine Arts, had adequate resources on hand.

Bill Sutton, who so generously made it possible for the Library to purchase Bank's florilegium back in the 1980s, left all his books to the university library. The collection is impressive, and reflects his particular interest in the art of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, as well as New Zealand Painting of the twentieth century. Of special interest are the works on early illuminated manuscripts, psalters and books of hours, along with some superb modern facsimile editions of particularly impressive examples of this religious art. Also of note are a 1613 copy of the King James Bible (first published in 1611) and a fine edition of the Book of common prayer published by Robert Barker in London in 1636. An early Italian work on medicine published at Ferrara in 1591, is now the oldest book we hold on the subject, as well as being an impressive example of Italian late-Renaissance printing....Robin Stevens, Collections Librarian. UC Library News.

Sutton's Last Will and Testament (19th March 1997) states

"To the UNIVERSITY OF CANTERBURY at Christchurch, my library of books excepting any books otherwise specifically disposed of in this my Will but including one copy of my monograph "The Scott Memorial Windows. Christchurch Cathedral" printed at the Templar Press..."

A list of items left to the University of Canterbury received from the  Bill Sutton bequest was completed in March of 2000 and can be viewed here. Some items of note from this list are shown below:

• The whole genuine works of Flavius Josephus ... (1819)
• The booke of common prayer, and administration of the sacraments: and other rites and ceremonies of the Church of England. (1636)
• The holy Bible, conteyning the Old Testament, and the New : newly translated out of the originall tongues, and with the former translations diligently compared and reuised by his Maiesties speciall commandement (King James Bible, 1613)
• The Book of Kells (1990 facsimile)
• Pii Aeneae Caprilii ferrariensis ... Libri duo : quorum primus est De febribus putridis in genere, alter in spetie : in quibus praeter exactissimam harum febrium doctrinam, quamplures etiam Hippocratis, Galeni, & aliorum auctorum controversiae, lociq; difficiles explicantur ... (1591)
• Queen Mary's Psalter : miniatures and drawings by an English artist of the 14th century, reproduced from Royal ms. 2 B. VII in the British Museum. (1912 facsimile)
• The Psalter of Robert de Lisle in the British Library (c1983)
• The Ashkenazi Haggadah : a Hebrew manuscript of the mid-15th century from the collections of the British Library (c.1985 facsimile)
• English illuminated manuscripts from the Xth to the XIIIth century (1926)
• Reproductions from illuminated manuscripts. (1923-)

Related items

British Museum. Reproductions

The booke of common prayer