The 300-year-old bookcases in a Devon castle that's been in the same family for 600 years
John Goodall talks to the 19th Earl of Devon, Charlie Courtenay, about one of the greatest treasures at Powderham Castle.
Charles Courtenay, 19th Earl of Devon, holds open a volume titled A catalogue of the honorable Sir William Courtenay’s library at Powderham-Castle Devon. It lists Classical texts, as well as books on topography, history, travel, medicine, law and antiquities.
Sir William, 3rd Baronet (and later 1st Viscount), who inherited Powderham in 1735, was a Jacobite and undertook major changes to the castle. As part of that work in 1740, two bookcases made of rosewood with inlaid brass were delivered to store some of his collection. They are now owned by the V&A Museum.
An engraved-brass plaque records that they were made by John Channon, a virtuoso London cabinetmaker who began his career in Exeter. Each bookcase is identified by a numeral and every shelf within it by a letter, allowing for the catalogue to record the precise location of particular books.
‘The recently rediscovered catalogue was probably compiled by the 1st Viscount himself,’ says the Earl, ‘and it offers an insight into his interests and enthusiasms.
'A country-house library of the early 18th century is a rarity and our new Powderham Unbound project, seed-funded by Historic Houses and supported by Exeter’s UNESCO City of Literature, aims to inform our understanding of it.
'The catalogue is not simply a record of our library’s past; it is a contemporary tool to understand its present significance and to inform its future.’
Courtesy Victoria and Albert Museum, London.
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This feature originally appeared in the July 22, 2026, print edition of Country Life. Click here for more information on how to subscribe.
