John Spelman 1594-1643

Sir John SPELMAN 1594-1643

Biographical Note

Born in Hunstanton, Norfolk, and son of Sir Henry Spelman, John was admitted at Gray's Inn in 1608 and entered Trinity College, Cambridge in 1609. He served as MP for Worcester and is the author of four tracts, each conveying a royalist political and religious standpoint.

Books

Various manuscript lists of Henry Spelman’s books and manuscripts survive, made at various points in the 17th century. Many of his books, together with those of later members of the family, went to Swaffham parish library via the bequest of John's brother, Clement (judge, baron of the exchequer); others were auctioned in London, 28.11.1709, 23.1.1710 (joint sale, with one other).

Sources

• Alston, R. C. Inventory of sale catalogues 1676-1800. St Philip, 2010.
• Collins, A. J. The Blackborough chartulary and the library of Sir Henry Spelman, Brit Mus Q 11 (1937), 63-5.
• Cronne, H. The study and use of charters in the seventeenth century: Sir Henry Spelman and Sir William Dugdale, in L. Fox (ed), English historical scholarship, 1956, 73-91.
• Jayne, S. Library catalogues of the English renaissance. Godalming, 1983, 156, 171-2.
• Lyons, M. C. A catalogue, history and analysis of Swaffham Parish Library, Loughborough MA thesis, 1986.
• Perkin, M. A directory of the parochial libraries of the Church of England. London, 2004, 364-6.
• Rix, W. The pride of Swaffham (1950).
• Smith, David L. "Spelman, Sir John (1594–1643), royalist author." Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.