BW General Characteristics

There are some observations that ought to be made on Brethren literature in general. First of all is the fact that the earliest publications came out anonymously or signed only with initials. For that reason we have many title-as-main-entry items, some of which will probably never be identified. This is true also of some of the literature attacking them. In Europe the reticence regarding signing even an initial to a work persists more strongly than in Britain or America. Most of the German works still come out anonymously. I have a list of a dozen or so of the French and Swiss Brethren writers. This list was compiled by Dr. Homer L. Payne, formerly of Institute Emmaus near Lausanne, Switzerland. He tells of having considerable difficulty in prying loose even this modest list of names and dates. Erich Sauer is the notable exception among the Germans, as his books bear his name.

Another interesting thing about this body of literature is that very little of it has ever been copyrighted, until recently. The British have not copyrighted like the American presses, but registry with the British Museum Library is somewhat equivalent, at least in that the listing is picked up. The British National Bibliography listings are more extensive particularly in the small pamphlets than the American national lists. Loizeaux Brothers copyrighted their newer materials, but there is much of the older material that is merely kept in print without any copyright. Many other publishers do not copyright anything, and many publications are privately printed or reprinted with no thought of copyright.

The result of all this is that only a small proportion of Brethren writings can be found in the standard bibliographies, especially the American. It would be well to check more extensively than I have done, but my efforts so far indicate that the results would be largely negative. One would, on the other hand, likely turn up many titles of authors listed, especially in the British sources, which list pamphlets and small works much more frequently than either Cumulative Book Index or the L.C. Catalog, for instance.

A very small percentage of Brethren literature is covered by Library of Congress printed cards. This is not surprising in light of the failure to copyright. Recently a number of Ironside, Ridout, and other writers have been showing up in the L.C. proofsheets, and there is evidence of some name authority work.

The Library of Congress catalogers, like the rest of us, sometimes make mistakes. They showed J.G. Bellett as John George, but have since changed to John Gifford. His headstone inscription as reproduced in his Recollections has Gifford. When Loizeaux issued F.C. Grant's Browsing in Ephesians the Library of Congress cataloger assumed it was the Frederick Clifton Grant of New Testament fame who was born in 1891. The Loizeaux author, however is another F.C. Grant and his dates are 1871-1931. I called this to the attention of the Library of Congress and they said they would reprint the card.

There are some real problems in Brethren names and I am sure that I shall be embarrassed more than once in connection with the list that is issued herewith. J.B.S. is one of the most familiar sets of initials in the early Brethren literature, and anyone at all familiar with the movement will immediately identify him as J.B. Stoney. Both George Morrish, one of his publishers, and another publisher, say his name is John Butler, while Chief Men Among the Brethren and Noel's History both give him as James Butler. Remarks by Mr. Stoney in Early Days is signed James Butler Stoney. The British Museum first listed John, but has changed to James.

I checked a few authors in the L.C. Catalog of Printed Cards and found that it lists three titles of William Kelly, while I have recorded well over 200, including pamphlets. L.C. has cards for ten of Sir Robert Anderson's thirty-five titles that I have recorded. I could find only two cards for Darby, and I have listed well over 100 titles for him. Only one card appears to have been printed for B.W. Newton, and I have 125 titles of his listed, including different editions.

Recently (1969) they have printed cards for seven of Ridout's titles. There are no cards at all for G.V. Wigram or for James Taylor (1870-1953). Taylor is probably the most voluminous writer of the movement if we consider clothbound books. His works are elusive and circulate largely in only one of the divisions of the movement. His works have been published in 212 volumes, and many of them republished in a new series running to 69 volumes. James Taylor, Jr., has issued 36 volumes.

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