George Ent ca.1644-1679

George ENT ca.1644-1679

Biographical Note

Born at Sandwich, Kent, son of Sir George Ent, physician. Matriculated Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge, 1661, but did not graduate; admitted at Gray’s Inn, 1663, called to the Bar 1670, admitted to the Middle Temple 1671. Fellow of the Royal Society, 1677/8.

Books

In his will, Ent bequeathed his manuscripts and loose papers to his brother Josias, and a copy of Hobbes's edition of Thucydides to the astrologer John Gadbury. He also left a portrait of his father, engraved by David Loggan, to William Everard. All the rest of his books were left to the Royal Society, where they were received and listed as an appendix to the 1681 printed catalogue of the library given to the the Society by Thomas Howard, Duke of Norfolk. 358 bound titles are listed, subdivided by format, together with 144 unbound tracts. The contents include theology, history, philosophy, law, travel and science, typical of the mix to be expected in a gentleman’s library of the time. A high proportion of the books were English imprints, published during Ent’s lifetime, with a high proportion of English language material.

Sources

• Will of George Ent, The National Archives PROB 11/360/524.
• Bibliotheca Norfolciana, sive catalogus, London, 1681, ESTC R14407.
• Buchanan-Brown, J. ‘The books presented to the Royal Society by John Aubrey’, Notes and Records of the Royal Society 28 (1973-4), 167-193.
• Venn, J. & J. A. Alumni Cantabrigienses. Cambridge, 1922.