Thomas Brathwait 1662-1720

Thomas BRATHWAIT or BRATHWAITE 1662-1720

Biographical Note

Son of Thomas Brathwait of Enham, Hampshire, clergyman. BCL New College, Oxford 1687, DCL 1704; Warden of New College 1703-12, Vice-Chancellor of the University 1709-11. Warden of Winchester College 1712-20, rector of Inkpen, Berkshire 1715.

His nephew of the same name (1698-1730) was a surgeon in London; in 1726 he published Remarks on a short narrative of an extraordinary delivery of rabbets [relating to the case of Mary Toft, whose hoax about giving birth to rabbits was a cause celebre of the time].

Books

Neither man mentions books in their wills; those of the elder Brathwait would have been bequeathed, as part of the residue of his estate, to his sister Frances Dobson. His nephew Thomas is also mentioned in the will, to receive £100. The younger man divided his estate between his widow and son, a minor at the time of his death. The libraries of both Thomases were auctioned in London, after the death of the younger man, beginning 21 June 1731.

Sources

• Will of Thomas Brathwait, 1720, The National Archives PROB 11/575/455.
• Will of Thomas Brathwait, 1730, The National Archives PROB 11/640/275.
• Thomas Brathwait, Wikipedia.
• Alston, R. C., Inventory of sale catalogues ... 1676-1800, St Philip, 2010.
• A catalogue of the libraries of ... Thomas Brathwait, D.D. ... and his late nephew, Tho. Brathwaite, surgeon ... consisting of a very large collection of books and manuscripts, [London, 1731].
• Foster, J. Alumni Oxonienses, Oxford, 1891.