That existing museum and library had originated on Guildhall Street in 1825 as the Canterbury Philosophical and Literary Institution, been bought by the City in 1846 and was established as the Canterbury Museum and Public Library in 1858; the Guildhall Street building in Sun Yard now contains the local branch of Debenhams and bears a blue plaque.

[4] His bequest was left for "the erection and endowment of an institute for working men" in which his own portraits were to be hung in the main hall.

The mahogany cases came from the British Museum, paid for by W. Oxenden Hammond and a Miss Lawrence, and adapted by Cubitts.

[3] Between 1913 and 2008, the library stock increased from 12,000 volumes to two million including 17th- and 18th-century texts, maps, local Media and directories.

[9] Together with the associated project to redevelop the Marlowe Theatre site, the Beaney's 2009–2012 refurbishment was intended to "transform that part of the city centre into a vibrant cultural quarter".

[6][12] Planners were John Miller & Partners; architects were Sidell Gibson who oversaw restoration of Windsor Castle after the fire;[14] interior designers are Casson Mann, who have devised a theme of "explorer points".

[16] By 8 June 2009 the two councils had cleared out all exhibits, partitions and office material from the building, exposing the colours of early decorations in the process.

[22][23] The museum originally had a Van Dyck painting of James I's daughter and a Burne-Jones Wheel of Fortune in oils.

[21] One of the last important acquisitions was Sir Basil Dixwell by Van Dyck bought for £1 million by Canterbury on behalf of the museum in 2004.

[24][25] During the refurbishment, these exhibits were either in storage, with specialist conservators for remedial work, or on short term display at the Museum of Canterbury until 2012, where the Van Dyck could be seen.

[26] The original collections included English and European ceramics with oriental porcelain as well as Anglo-Saxon grave jewellery from Kent.

[26] It had two fourth or fifth-century runestones from Sandwich, one of which had Raehaebul engraved on it, possibly as a headstone; in which case these might be the oldest Jutish tombstones yet found.

The chair remains part of the collection but was lent to Stanford Bishop church in 1943, and latest research suggests an 18th-century origin.

One of the museum's prized possessions was the Burghmote Horn, said to have called the corporation to assembly from the time of Henry III until 1835.

It also had the municipal maces of the extinct corporation of Fordwich, as well as pilgrims' tokens used as souvenirs of the shrine of Thomas Becket.