Editing Cotton library (section)

===Gift to the nation===
{{Infobox UK legislation
| short_title           = British Museum Act 1700
| type                  = Act
| parliament            = Parliament of England
| long_title            = An Act for the better Settling and Preserving the Library kept in the House at Westminster, called Cotton-house, in the Name and Family of the Cottons, for the Benefit of the Publick.
| year                  = 1700
| citation              = [[13 & 14 Will. 3]]. c. 7
| territorial_extent    = [[England and Wales]]
| royal_assent          = 12 June 1701
| commencement          = 30 December 1701{{efn|name="start"|Start of session.}}
| repeal_date           = 30 July 1948
| amendments            = 
| repealing_legislation = [[Statute Law Revision Act 1948]] 
| related_legislation   = {{ubli|[[British Museum Act 1706]]}}
| status                = Repealed
| original_text         = https://www.british-history.ac.uk/statutes-realm/vol7/pp642-643
| collapsed             = yes
}}
{{Infobox UK legislation
| short_title           = British Museum Act 1706 
| type                  = Act
| parliament            = Parliament of England
| long_title            = An Act for the better securing her Majesty's Purchase of Cotton House in Westminster.
| year                  = 1706
| citation              = {{ubli|[[6 Ann.]] c. 30{{efn|This is the citation in ''[[The Statutes of the Realm]]''.}}|[[5 Ann.]] c. 30{{efn|This is the citation in ''[[The Statutes at Large]]''.}}}}
| territorial_extent    = [[England and Wales]]
| royal_assent          = 8 April 1707
| commencement          = 3 December 1706{{efn|name="start"}}
| repeal_date           = 30 July 1948
| repealing_legislation = [[Statute Law Revision Act 1948]]
| related_legislation   = {{ubli|[[British Museum Act 1700]]}}
| status                = Repealed
| original_text         = https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=pst.000033905846&seq=683
| collapsed             = yes
}}
Sir Robert's grandson, Sir John Cotton, donated the Cotton library to [[Great Britain]] upon his death in 1702. At this time, Great Britain did not have a national library, and the transfer of the Cotton library to the nation became the basis of what is now the [[British Library]].<ref name=":0" /> The early history of the collection is laid out in the introductory recitals to the British Museum Act 1700 ([[13 & 14 Will. 3]]. c. 7) that established statutory trusts for the Cotton library:

<blockquote>Sir Robert Cotton late of Connington in the County of Huntingdon Baronett did at his own great Charge and Expense and by the Assistance of the most learned Antiquaries of his Time collect and purchase the most useful Manuscripts Written Books Papers Parchments [Records] and other Memorialls in most Languages of great Use and Service for the Knowledge and Preservation of our Constitution both in Church and State which Manuscripts and other Writings were procured as well from Parts beyond the Seas as from severall Private Collectors of such Antiquities within this Realm [and] are generally esteemed the best Collection of its Kind now any where extant And whereas the said Library has been preserved with the utmost Care and Diligence by the late Sir Thomas Cotton Son of the said Sir Robert and by Sir John Cotton of Westminster now living Grandson of the said Sir Robert and has been very much augmented and enlarged by them and lodged in a very proper Place in the said Sir Johns ancient Mansion House at Westminster which is very convenient for that Purpose And whereas the said Sir John Cotton in pursuance of the Desire and Intentions of his said Father and Grandfather is content and willing that the said Mansion House and Library should continue in his Family and Name and not be sold or otherwise disposed or imbezled and that the said Library should be kept and preserved by the Name of the Cottonian Library for Publick Use & Advantage....<ref>{{Cite book|url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/statutes-realm/vol7|title=Statutes of the Realm |publisher=Great Britain Record Commission|year=1820|editor-last=Raithby|editor-first=John|volume=7: 1695–1701|pages=642–643|chapter=An Act for the better settling and preserving the Library kept in the House at Westminster called Cotton House in the Name and Family of the Cottons for the Benefit of the Publick |type=Rot. Parl. 12 § 13 Gul. III. p. 1. n. 7|chapter-url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=46991}}</ref></blockquote>

The acquisition of the collection was better secured and managed by the British Museum Act 1706 ([[6 Ann.]] c. 30),<ref>[https://archive.org/stream/pp63095177#page/n679/mode/2up An Act for the better securing Her Majesties Purchase of Cotton House in Westminster.]</ref> under which the trustees removed the collections from the ruinous Cotton House, whose site is now covered by the [[Houses of Parliament]]. It went first to [[Essex House (London)|Essex House]], [[Strand, London|The Strand]], which, however, was regarded as a fire risk; and then to [[Ashburnham House]], a little west of the Palace of Westminster. From 1707 the library also housed the [[Old Royal Library]] (now "Royal" manuscripts at the British Library). Ashburnham House also became the residence of the keeper of the king's libraries, [[Richard Bentley]] (1662–1742), a renowned theologian and classical scholar.