Our little venture in the field of Irish Bibliography cannot claim to be a pioneer. That honour must be accorded to a small publication entitled The Irish Literary Inquirer, issued in London by John Power, ‘formerly of Belle-Vue, Youghal’, as he states on his titlepage. Of this only four numbers saw the light, and as it has now become a desideratum amongst book-lovers, and as little or nothing is now known of its editor and main contributor, a few notes regarding it; and him, may prove interesting to our readers. Of Power himself, little save the dates of his birth and death (1820-1872), can be ascertained, as all his contemporaries have disappeared from the scene, and none of the usual biographical works even mention his name. Admiration for his work induced me many years ago to make some inquiries regarding him, which came to nought, and later when I took up the subject again, the difficulties had by no means lessened. The older officials of the Reading-Room of the British Museum remembered, and described him to me as ‘a tall, thin, grey man with a bad cough.’ But it is possible to trace his movements during the last seven years of his life from his printed works. Thus, we know that from Monday, July 17th, 1865, until Monday, April, 16th, 1866, he lived at No. 3, Grove Terrace, St. John’s Wood. In July, 1866, he dates a preface from 3, Cambridge Road, London, W., whilst that of his last work, issued in 1870, is dated from 3, College Terrace, Cambridge Road, Hammersmith, the same house. The only reference to him I have come across is contained in a letter from Bishop Reeves to Sir John T. Gilbert, which says: ‘Mr. Power writes to me that he is busy compiling his Bibliotheca Hibernica, and that his materials have grown to great dimensions.’ This was previous to October, 1865.

An incidental reference in Notes and Queries, 1st August, 1908, from the pen of Ralph Thomas (Olphar Hamst), the well-known bibliographer - to the ‘Handy Book’, states: ‘For years before, and while this book was going through the press, Power was ill, and quite unfit to do the work he had undertaken.’ This induced me to ask Mr. Thomas if he knew anything regarding Power and his MSS to which he replied as follows, under date 11th August, 1908: ‘I am sorry I know nothing more about John Power. If anybody offered me any of his MSS. I should refuse them! They were absolutely unreadable, and (the) material collected required so much verification as to be more trouble than they were worth.’ Such a pronouncement from such an authority partly reconciles one to the loss.

Power has left only three works to his credit, but each is of value in its way. The Irish Literary Inquirer, or Notes on Authors, Books and Printing in Ireland, Biographical and Bibliographical, Notices of Rare Books, Memorandum of Printing in Ireland, Biographical Notes of Irish Writers, &c., conducted by John Power, to give its full and comprehensive title, is an octavo of 12 pages, the first number, price 2d., bearing date 17th July, 1865. It contains a long introduction foreshadowing the scope of the work, followed by a reprint of a unique copy of a prospectus of a Bibliotheca Hibernicana, by Rev. Edward Groves, author of The Warden of Galway, an article on Ware’s Irish Writers and Antiquities and an able sketch of the History of Printing in Ireland. Then follow “Queries and Miscellaneous Notes of an interesting character”, and a few advertisements, the most interesting of which is an abridged prospectus of Power’s own Bibliotheca Hibernica to be published at one guinea by subscription, a work which unfortunately the author never lived to complete. The second number appeared ‘semi-occasionally’, as Power puts it on the 23rd September, 1865. It contains a scholarly article on De Burgo’s Hibernica Dominicana ‘from the pen of a gentleman at Cambridge, well-known for his intimate knowledge of Irish Books’, whom we venture to name as the late lamented Henry Bradshaw, ever helpful in matters pertaining to bibliography; who also contributes over his initials an interesting notice of a rare volume recounting a bogus ‘gunpowder plot’ in Ireland. It concludes with some literary notes, and a reference to recent Sales. No. 3 did not appear until 16th December. It contains a review of Gilbert’s “Irish Archivist’s Letters”, an article by Rev. T. Gimlette on “Waterford Clerical Authors”, an amusing account of John Dunton and his early Dublin Book Auctions, a continuation of the History of Printing and another letter from Henry Bradshaw on McBrudine’s works and early printing in Kilkenny. A short list of subscribers given here is interesting, containing as it does several well-known names, such as Father Meehan, John D’Alton, George Benn, and Classon Porter, the only survivor of whom is the present Sir Charles Brett, of Belfast. The 4th and last number which was increased in size and price, made its appearance on 16th April, 1866. Amongst its more notable contents are a list of privately printed Irish books from Martin’s Catalogue, with promised additions by Power. This is interesting, as it contains a reference to an edition of “What passed at Killala” (Bath 1799). A verbatim reprint of The Irish Mercury, No. 1 (Corke, 1649) follows, and the number concludes with the first issue of the list of Irish periodicals, which afterwards grew into Power’s second work. It was Power’s intention to issue eight numbers of the Inquirer, but owing to the poor reception accorded it, his subscribers never reached a hundred, and he said it required at least £350 to defray expense, he stopped short at the 4th, bound up the unsold copies in a green paper wrapper, which were sold at 10d. each, by, amongst others, John Camden Hotten, Piccadilly, and John O’Daly, of Dublin.

His second compilation [was] “List of Irish Periodical Publications (chiefly literary) from 1729 to the present time, reprinted from Notes and Queries (March & April, 1866)” in The Irish Literary Inquirer, No. 4, with additions and corrections, by John Power, formerly of Belle-Vue. Youghal, printed for private distribution only (London, A.D. 2000-14)’ [sic]. Of this the printer, James Martin, Lisson Grove, certifies that ‘250 copies were printed, of which 20 were on tinted paper.’ It is small quarto printed in single column, on one side of paper only, thus leaving ample margin for additions, and printed from type ‘listed’ from Notes and Queries. It was dedicated to the Rev. Samuel Hayman, the well-known Cork. Antiquarian, and contains interesting details of nearly 300 ventures in Irish periodical literature, not more than two or three of which survive to-day.

The work by which Power is most generally known is his Handy Book about Books London (1870), 8vo., pp.xviii, 218, 18pp. It is a beautiful specimen of typography, the covers being facsimile reproductions of two ancient bindings, one French the other Italian, and altogether is a complete vade mecum for bibliophiles. In it the author has by his researches advanced the history of Irish printing beyond the point reached by Archdeacon Cotton, and his chronology is the connecting link between that divine’s and the most accomplished Irish bibliographer of the present day, Mr. E. R. Mc. C. Dix.

In the issue of Notes and Queries for May 18th, 1872, the one following his death, we find this allusion from the pen of W. J. Thorns, the then editor. ‘A valuable contributor to this journal from its commencement, Mr. John Power, the well-known bibliographer, died at St. Leonard’s-on-Sea, on the 13th inst., in the fifty-second year of his age. Mr. Power fulfilled his articles in the office of Sir John Rennie, but forsaking his profession of civil engineer for the more congenial pursuit of literature he has done good service by his Irish Literary Inquirer, the Bibliotheca Hibernica, and more recently by his Handy Book about Books, which he dedicated to readers of Notes and Queries. Mr. Power for some years resided in Panama, where he projected the successful paper, ‘The Panama Star and Herald’, but an attack of paralysis obliged him to relinquish the editorship and return to England, where he lingered in a more or less enfeebled state till his death.’