Edward Palmer d.ca.1681?

Edward PALMER d.ca.1681?

Biographical Note

An untraced individual, of Kirby Street, Hatton Garden, London.

Books

Part of Palmer's library was auctioned at Hatton Garden after his death, beginning 14 February 1681. The preface to the sale catalogue describes the books as having been ‘collected for the private use and study of a worthy gentleman, of great learning and eminency, lately deceased’, being sold for the benefit of his widow. There were 357 lots, divided into Miscellaneous Latin/Greek folio (77 lots), quarto (55), octavo (110), duodecimo/sixteenmo (27), and twenty-fourmo (23), together with 20 bundles of stitched acts of Parliament, 14 bundles of pamphlets in quarto, 4 sets of acts and proclamations, and 27 lots of ‘divinity English books in quarto, stitcht’. There is a noticeably high proportion of classical texts among the books, alongside the more usual mix of theological and other works. It seems unlikely that such a library would not originally have had a complementary section of English books, of which there is no mention – kept by the widow, or disposed of separately?

Sources

• Catalogus librorum ... Edoardi Palmer armigeri, London, 1681, (ESTC r221392).
• Alston, R. C. Inventory of sale catalogues 1676-1800. St Philip, 2010.