James Bertie 1673-1735

James BERTIE 1673-1735

The smaller of Bertie's bookplates (British Museum Franks Collection *213)

Biographical Note

Second son of James Bertie, 1st Earl of Abingdon. Through marriage to the wealthy heiress Elizabeth Willoughby in 1692 he came to share her life interest in an estate at Stanwell, Middlesex, though her legacy was subject to legal disputes. He was MP for New Woodstock, 1695-1705, and for Middlesex 1710-34.

Books

The extent of Bertie's library is not known; his will has no mention of books, which would have been inherited, as part of the "residue and remainder" of his estate, by his eldest son Willoughby (later 3rd Earl of Abingdon).

At least one of Bertie's books has been identified in the Foyle Special Collections Library at King’s College London: The antiquities of Constantinople (1729) FOL. DS708 SEM.

Characteristic Markings

Bertie used two engraved armorial bookplates, of different sizes, dated 1702 (Franks 2378/*290, 2379/*213).

Sources

• Will of James Bertie, The National Archives PROB 11/676/132.
• James Bertie, Wikipedia.
• History of Parliament.
• Gambier Howe, E. R. J. Franks bequest: catalogue of British and American book plates bequeathed to the ... British Museum. London, 1903-4.
• Information from King’s College London, Foyle Special Collections Library.