Page "British Museum" Paragraph 7

On 7 June 1753, King George II gave his formal assent to the Act of Parliament which established the British Museum.

The Foundation Act, added two other libraries to the Sloane collection.

The Cottonian Library, assembled by Sir Robert Cotton, dated back to Elizabethan times and the Harleian library, the collection of the Earls of Oxford.

They were joined in 1757 by the Royal Library, assembled by various British monarchs.

Together these four " foundation collections " included many of the most treasured books now in the British Library including the Lindisfarne Gospels and the sole surviving copy of Beowulf.