On August 4, 1850, Queen Victoria gave her assent to the first Public Libraries Act, empowering municipal authorties for the first time to levy money from the rates and support a library.

The passing of the act was not greeted with any noticeable enthusiasm by the minority of the population in Salisbury that constituted the “ratepayers”.

In 1851 the City of Westminster adopted the Act while in 1877 it was firmly rejected in Salisbury.

However, in 1890, Mr JB Gullett of the Salisbury Preliminary Debating Society began to rally support for a rate-supported library and managed to gain a modest victory in a poll which led to the establishment of the first public library above a Congregational Church in Endless Street.

This library was opened by Sir Mountstuart Elphinstone Grant Duff in December 1890.

In its first year the librarian, Mr GW Atkinson, reported a daily use of the library by 180 and the loan of 10,000 books.

In 1894 he was succeeded by Oliver Langmead who remained until 1902, by which time the number of books lent each year had risen to just over 35,000.

Joseph Jones was the librarian when, in 1903, the Carnegie United Kingdom Trust offered to pay for a permanent library if the citizens of Salisbury would raise £1,000 by public subscription to buy the land.

This was quickly done and the CUKT provided £4,000 enabling Lord Avebury to open in October 1905 the first purpose-built library in Chipper Lane.

Albert Butcher became the librarian in 1907 and during his term of office The Edwin Young Art Gallery opened on two floors in an adjacent building and provided the city with its only “public” art gallery.

* Come and meet Frogg Moody and Ruby Vitorino (author of the Haunch of Venison) this Saturday at 10.30am outside Salisbury Public Library. There will be local books on offer!