John Powell 1645-1713

Sir John POWELL 1645-1713

Sir John Powell's bookplate (British Museum Franks Collection)

Biographical Note

Born at Gloucester, son of John Powell of Dewsall, Herefordshire. Possibly matriculated at Brasenose College, Oxford 1664; entered the Inner Temple 1664, became a barrister 1671. Town Clerk of Gloucester 1674-85, MP for Gloucester 1685, serjeant at law 1689, Baron of the Exchequer, and knighted, 1691. He transferred to the Court of Common Pleas in 1695, and to Queen's Bench in 1702.

Books

Powell used an engraved armorial bookplate dated 1702, Franks *262; the extent and disposition of his library are not known. His lengthy will has no explicit mention of books; the residue of his estate was bequeathed to his nephew John Snell.

Sources

• Will of Sir John Powell, The National Archives PROB 11/534/205.
• Gambier Howe, E. R. J. Franks bequest: catalogue of British and American book plates bequeathed to the ... British Museum. London, 1903.
• Handley, Stuart. "Powell, Sir John (1645–1713), judge and politician." Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.