Letter to Fr Fergal McGrath SJ (Irish Province Archivist 1975 to 1986) from Fr Anthony Bischoff SJ (Jesuit Community, Georgetown University, Washington), concerning books used by or belonging to Fr Gerard Hopkins SJ, found in St Ignatius’ House of Writers, 35 Lower Leeson Street. ‘I confess I am appalled at the idea that these books have been carelessly assimilated into the house library. In 1947, I spent hours examining every book in the Leeson Street house Library. The result was that I segregated some fifteen or twenty books that had definitely belonged to or been used by Hopkins. All of these I turned over to Father Aubrey Gwynn, then librarian. I made clear to him what the books were, their value as having been associated with Hopkins, and suggested that they be kept as a separate collection. I do not have a detailed listing of the books…I have only two definite titles that I recall…There are also several books by Richard Watson Dixon that belonged to Hopkins…You ought to also have the autograph manuscript of Hopkins’s poem ‘St. Thecla’, as well as manuscripts of one or two of his letters.’

Books used by or belonging to Fr Gerard Hopkins SJ
Annotated books, 1876 - 1884
IE IJA J/11/18 - 'The History of Tacitus According to the Text of Drelli. Books III, IV, V.'
IE IJA J/11/19 - 'Corpus Poetarum Latinorum'
IE IJA J/11/20 - 'The Acharnians of Aristophanes'
IE IJA J/11/21 - 'Aeschylus – Choephoroi'

Non-annotated books, 1884 - 1918
IE IJA J/11/22 - ‘Poems’ by Richard Watson Dixon
IE IJA J/11/23 - 'Poems' by Henry Patmore
IE IJA J/11/24 - 'Prometheus. The Firegiver' by Robert Bridges
IE IJA J/11/25 - 'Eros and Psyche. A Poem in Twelve Measures' by Robert Bridges

Notes made by Fr Fergal McGrath SJ concerning Fr Gerard Hopkins's books. Includes:
– memorandum recording an inquiry into ‘the annotated books of Hopkins’ from a Dr. James Cotter, New York, in summer 1976, ‘I wrote to him (Fr Anthony Bischoff SJ) June 21st 1977…I received no acknowledgement. He was on a visit to…Inishannon, Co. Cork’ (n.d., 1p.);
– ‘1st Memorandum re Hopkins’ Books. Sept. 8th…1976’ noting how Fr Anthony Bischoff SJ spent a summer examining all the books in the library in 1947; how Fr Fergal McGrath SJ, on becoming Province Archivist in 1975 ‘received a few enquiries about these books. Nobody in the community knew anything about them’, how he wrote to Fr Bischoff about the matter. ‘In August 1976, I found ten of these books in the lower shelf of the press immediately outside my room. I have identified them and list is herewith. There was a typed note…(by)… Fr Gwynn in the press (See J11/17) stating that the books belonged to or were used by Hopkins. I made a card index of all the books…I have marked H those certainly connected with Hopkins.’ (8 September 1976, 1p.);
– ‘2nd Memo’: ‘At present certainly identified with Hopkins 5, probably 2’ and lists them (8 September 1976, 1p.)

Peter Kenney, SJ, 1779-1841: the restoration of the Jesuits in Ireland, England, Sicily, and North America. Catholic University of America Press, Washington, DC, 2014