MA of the University of Cambridge

Linley Wood, Talke, Staffordshire

Niti Facere Experiri (Trusted to act with experience)

Books with this bookplate all originated from the Linley Wood library.  Some of these books were distributed among family members in 1913 but the majority were dispersed in 1949 when Capt CH Heath-Caldwell sold the Linley Wood estate.  At this time some of the more valuable books were sent for auction at Sothebys however the majority were sold at the auction of the contents of the house which was held at Linley Wood.  I have over the years been able to buy back a number of these books which have come up for sale on the internet.  If you have any books with this bookplate I would be very pleased to hear from you (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).

Two other bookplates belonging to James Stamford Caldwell are know however these have to date never been found inside any of his books.  All his books from the Linley Wood library have the bookplate above or a very similar version.

The coat of arms has a row of three cold wells over a stage head for Caldwell.  A guantlet holding a sword hilt is for Stamford.  At the top is a Caldwell lion with a cold well between its front paws.

Quarterly: 1^st and 4^th, per pale sable and very, a stag’s head couped argent, in chief three cold wells proper, for Caldwell; 2^nd and 3^rd, argent, two bars azure on a canton gules, a gauntlet grasping a broken sword proper hilt and pommel gold, for Stamford. A lion couchant argent holding between the paws a cold well proper.

(bookplate list Caldwell)  (James Stamford Caldwell)  (List of Books in the Linley Wood library)