Edmund Poley 1655-1714

Edmund POLEY 1655-1714

One of Edmund Poley's bookplates, British Museum Franks Collection *190

Biographical Note

Born at St James’s, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, son of Sir Edmund Poley (1619-1671) and brother of Henry Poley, (1654-1707). Matriculated at Jesus College, Cambridge in 1671, BA and fellow 1675, MA 1678. He was appointed to numerous diplomatic posts in Europe between 1679 and 1705, including envoy-extraordinary to Sweden in 1686, to Brunswick-Lüneburg in 1703, and Wolfenbüttel in 1704. Following his brother’s death in 1707, Poley was admitted to Lincoln’s Inn and made a bencher.

Characteristic Markings

Both Edmund and his elder brother Henry used engraved armorial bookplates, dated 1703 and 1707 (Franks 23761-2/23764/*190/*243/*254; some of Edmund’s may be Henry’s reworked).

Sources

• Will of Edmund Poley, The National Archives PROB 11/541/53.
• Gambier Howe, E. R. J. Franks bequest: catalogue of British and American book plates bequeathed to the ... British Museum. London, 1903.
• Handley, Stuart. '"Poley, Edmund (1655–1714), diplomat."' Oxford Dictionary of National Biography