Bartholomew Shower 1658-1701

Sir Bartholomew SHOWER or SHORE 1658-1701

Sir Bartholomew Shower's bookplate (British Museum Franks Collection *286)

Biographical Note

Born at Exeter, son of William Shower, merchant; the family had a nonconformist background. Admitted at the Middle Temple 1676 (barrister 1680). He developed a successful legal practice, becoming King's Counsel in 1688, although his support for James II hampered his chances of advancement after 1688. He was knighted in 1687 and was briefly recorder of London in 1688 and published numerous legal and polemical works; some of his law reports were published posthumously. He was MP for Exeter 1698-1701.

Books

Shower used an engraved armorial bookplate (with his name as Shore; Franks *286). The extent and disposition of his library are not known; his will has no mention of books, but bequeathed most of his estate (including several houses in and around London) to his wife, and thereafter to a niece and nephew. He gave ca.20 books to the Middle Temple in 1698.

Sources

• British Armorial Bindings.
• Will of Sir Bartholomew Shower, The National Archives PROB 11/463/56.
• Middle Temple Library Liber benefactorum, MS 137.
• Frankle, Robert J. "Shower, Sir Bartholomew (1658–1701), lawyer." Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.
• Gambier Howe, E. R. J. Franks bequest: catalogue of British and American book plates bequeathed to the ... British Museum. London, 1903.