Benjamin Furly 1636-1714

Benjamin FURLY 1636-1714

The larger of Benjamin Furly's bookplates (British Museum Franks Collection *415)

Biographical Note

Born at Colchester, son of John Furly, linen draper. In 1655 he became a Quaker, and moved to Amsterdam soon afterwards; although he was briefly in London thereafter, in 1659 he settled in Rotterdam where he spent the rest of his life, developing a successful business as a merchant there. He was also much involved with the developing Quaker and nonconformist movement, publishing numerous doctrinal works and translations disseminating Quaker views, and associated with other leading figures like George Fox and George Keith. He was also close to William Penn, and helped to recruit nonconformist settlers for Pennsylvania.

Books

Furly used two bookplates, in different sizes, dated 1705 (Franks *415, *464), describing himself as "of Roterdam, merchant". His library was auctioned in Rotterdam in 1714, running to over 4400 lots.

Sources

• Bibliotheca Furliana, Rotterdam, 1714
• Gambier Howe, E. R. J. Franks bequest: catalogue of British and American book plates bequeathed to the ... British Museum. London, 1903.
• Greaves, Richard L. "Furly, Benjamin (1636–1714), merchant and religious writer." Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.