[John Belfield Gadd, librarian, The John Rylands Library, Manchester.] Bound collection (by his family?) of 18 original compositions, titled 'Some Of His Published and Unpublished Articles', including 14 Typescripts and 2 Autograph Manuscripts.

Folio volume of 127pp. (paginated in red pencil) of typescripts and manuscripts, with three printed items extracted from magazines, bound in black cloth, with the front cover stamped in gilt with the title 'John Belfield Gadd | 1895-1918. | Some Of His Published and Unpublished Articles'. A good-natured and entertaining collection of seventeen essays and two plays, strongly hinting at unfulfilled promise. Comprising: 14 Typescripts (99pp.), 2 Autograph Manuscripts of plays (28pp., the second with autograph corrections), and 3 essays extracted from publications: one titled 'The Fertiliser' (5-pp., 12mo), from the 'Weekly Tale Teller', at the front of the volume, one titled 'The Librarian who Reads is Lost' (1p., 8vo), from the 'Guild Journal', at the end (both pieces by 'J. Belfield Gadd'), and the rear pastedown carrying a newspaper cutting of an unattributed article beginning 'One of the minor consequences of the war is the almost complete disappearance during recent months of the cheap sweet.', with typed note stating that it is from the 'Manchester Guardian Miscellany by Jack'. At the front of the volume is a typed 'Index' (i.e. table of contents) grouping the first five contributions under the heading 'Tales of the Abnormal' (The Fertiliser (Weekly Tale Teller); Scholarship; The Transfer; The Man who sat still; Nemesis), the next four classed as 'Humorous Tales' (Humour at the front; The Public Voice; Programmes parodied [with short musical phrases in autograph]; Intrigue in High Life), and the last nine (including the two autograph plays) under 'Miscellaneous' (The Twins; Children's Books; The Outlaws; The Tower; Rhoda and the Rabbits; The Boy who had no shoes; The point of view. (Play); Mirage. (Play); The Librarian who reads is lost (Guild Journal). The newspaper cutting from the Manchester Guardian is not included in index, at the foot of which is the note 'Dates and particulars of articles in Manchester Guardian not available.' A few of the articles are initialled and dated by Gadd, and a couple give Gadd's address. Gadd's obituary, in Ulula, The Manchester Grammar School Magazine, December 1918, gives a glimpse of a modest and well-liked Manchester character: 'JOHN BELFIELD GADD. | Jack Gadd passed away at the age of 23 on November 2nd, a victim of the influenza epidemic in Manchester. Never of very robust health, and rejected as unfit for the Army, he tried his strength by efforts to do his share in war work, acting as a hospital orderly after his day's work was over. He was the elder son of Mr. Arthur Gadd, F.R.M.S., of Didsbury, and comes of a family of Old Mancunians. He came to the School in 1907 with a scholarship, and was on the Modern side. After leaving in 1911, he was on the staff of the John Rylands Library. His life had been one of quiet kindness and earnest study, and he never knew what it was to have an enemy. His end was patient and brave, as his life had been.'