John Shower 1657-1715

John SHOWER 1657-1715

Biographical Note

Born in Exeter, son of William Shower, a wealthy merchant. He was educated in the dissenting tradition and trained as a minister; he began preaching in London in 1677. In 1683 he travelled in Europe as a tutor to Samuel Barnardiston; he spent much of the later 1680s as a minister in Holland before returning to London and becoming a minister to various nonconformist congregations. He published numerous popular doctrinal and devotional works from the 1680s onwards.

Books

Shower's library was auctioned in London, 2.5.1716. The catalogue contains 1300 lots, divided only as Latin and English books (1129 lots) and French [and other European languages] (171). The contents were heavily, but not wholly, theological.

Characteristic Markings

None of Shower's books have been identified.

A bookplate dated 1701 for 'Mr. John Shower' is in the Franks Collection (*539).

Sources

• Alston, R. C., Inventory of sale catalogues ... 1676-1800, St Philip, 2010.
• Bibliotheca Showereana, [London, 1716], ESTC t21622.
• Gambier Howe, E. R. J. Franks bequest: catalogue of British and American book plates bequeathed to the ... British Museum. London, 1903-4.
• Mercer, M. J. "Shower, John (bap. 1657, d. 1715), Presbyterian minister." Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.