Samuel Fancourt facts for kids

Samuel Fancourt (1678–1768) was an English minister who didn't follow the main church. He is famous for starting one of the very first libraries where people could pay a fee to borrow books. He was born in Hungerford, Berkshire, England.

A Different Kind of Minister

Fancourt was trained to be a minister by important teachers in London. He likely started his work in Andover before moving to Salisbury. From 1718 to 1730, Fancourt worked as a minister and teacher in Salisbury.

He was involved in some big discussions among ministers. One of these was about a meeting in London in 1719, where ministers debated religious ideas. Fancourt wrote some papers supporting his views. Later, he got into another debate about free will (the idea that people can make their own choices) and predestination (the idea that some things are already decided).

He left Salisbury and moved to London. While some thought he left because of these religious debates, Fancourt himself said it was because he needed more money.

Starting the First Circulating Library

After moving to London, Samuel Fancourt started what many believed was the very first circulating library. This was a new idea: a library where people paid a fee to borrow books, instead of just reading them there.

His first library closed in 1745. Then, he came up with a new plan for "The Gentlemen and Ladies' Growing and Circulating Library." This library was located in Crane Court, a street in Fleet Street, London.

Here's how his new library worked:

• Anyone could join by paying a first fee of one guinea (an old type of British coin).
• They also paid a small fee of one shilling every three months.
• Members were called "proprietors" and could help choose people to manage the library.
• Fancourt himself was the librarian.
• Members could borrow one book and one pamphlet (a small booklet) at a time.
• They could keep the books for a "reasonable time." If no one else wanted them, they could keep them for as long as they liked!

The library had about 2,000 to 3,000 books and a similar number of pamphlets. Many of the books were about religion and church history. But there were also some "light" books, which means fun or entertaining stories.

The library was near the Royal Society, a famous group of scientists. Fancourt later moved his library several times. Eventually, his plans for the library didn't work out. His creditors (people he owed money to) took the library. Fancourt then moved to Hoxton Square, where other ministers helped support him. He passed away on June 8, 1768, when he was 90 years old.

Fancourt also offered to teach people Latin. He said he could teach anyone to read, write, and speak Latin well in just one year, if they studied with him five or six hours a week. The cost was twelve guineas.

Writings

Samuel Fancourt wrote many books and pamphlets during his life. Most of his writings were about religious topics and debates. Some examples of his works include:

• 'Sermon at the Funeral of Mr. John Terry’ (1720)
• 'Essay concerning Certainty and Infallibility’ (1720)
• 'Greatness of the Divine Love’ (a sermon)
• 'Essay concerning Liberty, Grace, and Prescience’ (1729)
• 'Free Agency of Accountable Creatures’ (1733)
• 'Nature and Advantage of a Good Education, a Sermon’ (1746)

Other source

 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain:  "Fancourt, Samuel". Dictionary of National Biography. (1885–1900). London: Smith, Elder & Co.