Narcissus Luttrell facts for kids

Narcissus Luttrell (born 1657, died 1732) was an English historian, diarist, and expert on books. He briefly served as a Member of Parliament for two towns in Cornwall. His most famous work is a detailed record of events from 1678 to 1714. This important book was published in 1857, based on his personal diary.

Who Was Narcissus Luttrell?

Even though Luttrell was mostly a private person, his writings are a super important source. They help us understand the laws and politics of his time. Official records cover the laws themselves. But Luttrell's diary often gives us the only look at the actual discussions and debates. These happened inside the Parliament building.

This means he recorded crucial political information. We can't find this information anywhere else. For example, he noted that a debate about taxes in 1691 was split by geography. People from Norfolk and Suffolk disagreed with others. They argued about how to collect taxes. Since individual votes were not recorded, Luttrell's notes help us understand why laws were important.

His Important Diary

Luttrell's diary also covers major events in diplomacy. This means how countries talked to each other. It also includes literature and the arts. He added notes from his huge library to these areas. He also created a list of books about the "Popish Plot." This was a made-up plan about Catholics trying to harm the King. His list was called The Compleat Catalogue of Stitch’d Books and Single Sheets, &c.

Luttrell had one of the most impressive book collections of his time. He really wanted his library to stay together. He hoped it would be kept in a place like Gray's Inn. He had studied law there in 1680. After his only son, Francis, died in 1749, the library went to Luttrell's sister, Dorothy Wynne. Her grandson, Luttrell Wynne, gave some of Luttrell's original papers to All Souls College, Oxford. However, other parts of the collection were sold off.

Recording History: Queen Anne

Luttrell's diary also recorded important personal events. For example, on January 21, 1694, the future Queen Anne lost another child. She had already lost several babies. Luttrell wrote that Anne "miscarried of a dead child." He did not say if it was a boy or a girl. Anne would have more pregnancies, but they also ended sadly. Her only surviving son, William, died in 1700 at age 11.

Where Are His Books Now?

Many items from Luttrell's collection were later bought by the British Library. But many others were not. Some materials were bought by Professor James Osborn. He later gave them to the Beinecke Library at Yale University in the United States. Today, parts of Luttrell's collection are in several libraries. These include the British Library, Beinecke Library, Newberry Library, and Huntington Library. The location of other materials is still unknown.

Major Published Works

• The Compleat Catalogue of Stitch’d Books and Single Sheets, &c. Printed Since the First Discovery of the Popish Plot (London, 1680).
• The Parliamentary Diary of Narcissus Luttrell, 1691–1693; edited by Henry Horwitz (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1972, ISBN: 0-19-822367-6).
• Narcissus Luttrell's Popish Plot Catalogues (Oxford: Blackwell for the Luttrell Society, 1956).