Difference between revisions of "Charles Blount 1654-1693"

Latest revision as of 08:42, 23 June 2022

Charles BLOUNT 1654-1693

Biographical Note

Son of Sir Henry Blount (1602-1682) and brother of Sir Thomas Pope Blount, 1st baronet (1649-1697), was home-educated and from the early 1670s was settled at a family estate at Blount’s Hall, Staffordshire. Well connected in literary circles in London (his first publication was a defence of John Dryden), he established a reputation as an anti-establishment freethinker. His Anima mundi (1678) questions the immortality of the soul, and was publicly burnt in London; in 1679 his Just vindication of learning argued for the freedom of the press, and for not renewing the licensing act. He continued to publish tracts through the 1680s, questioning religion, miracles, and received wisdom. His death followed an attempted suicide, prompted by his frustrated wish to marry his deceased wife's sister.

Books

We do not know the size or contents of any of the Blount family libraries, but it is clear both from the family's literary activities and from testamentary evidence that books were important to them. In his will, Sir Henry left all his books, then in London, to Charles; the Tittenhanger estate (with, presumably, some family library there) had already been settled on Thomas Blount, in 1678.

Sir Thomas, in his will, left all his books to his eldest son. Charles likewise left his books to his eldest son, to be inherited at the age of 30, or when he married (whichever happened first), or (should that son die too soon) to the next in line on the same terms, "hoping that if they have any value for my memory they will never sell or dispose of that study and choice collection which I have with so much charge and trouble gathered together". If all his sons died too young to inherit the books, they were to go to "such of my daughters as shall be married and have the first son then living", or failing that, to the eldest son of his brother Thomas.

Characteristic Markings

None of the Blounts' books have been identified.

Sources

Dick, O. L. (ed), Aubrey's brief lives, 1949, 25-7.
Pfanner, Dario. "Blount, Charles (1654–1693), freethinker and author." Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 __NOTITLE__
-===[[name::Charles]] [[name::BLOUNT]] [[date of Birth::1654]]-[[date of Death::1693]]===
+===[[name::Charles]] [[name::BLOUNT]] [[date of birth::1654]]-[[date of death::1693]]===
 ====Biographical Note====
-Son of [[family::Sir Henry Blount]] ([[date of Birth::1602]]-[[date of Death::1682]]) and brother of [[family::Sir Thomas Pope Blount]], [[personal Title::1st baronet]] ([[date of Birth::1649]]-[[date of Death::1697]]), was home-educated and from the early 1670s was settled at a family estate at [[location::Blount’s Hall, Staffordshire]].  Well connected in literary circles in [[location::London]] (his first [[author::publication]] was a defence of [[associates::John Dryden]]), he established a reputation as an anti-establishment freethinker. His [[book Title::''Anima mundi'']] ([[date of Publication::1678]]) questions the immortality of the soul, and was publicly burnt in [[location::London]]; in 1679 his [[book Title::''Just vindication of learning'']] argued for the freedom of the press, and for not renewing the licensing act.  He continued to publish tracts through the 1680s, questioning religion, miracles, and received wisdom.  His death followed an attempted suicide, prompted by his frustrated wish to marry his deceased wife's sister.
+Son of [[crossreference::Henry Blount 1602-1682|Sir Henry Blount]] (1602-1682) and brother of [[family::Sir Thomas Pope Blount]], 1st baronet (1649-1697), was home-educated and from the early 1670s was settled at a family estate at [[location::Blount’s Hall, Staffordshire]].  Well connected in literary circles in [[location::London]] (his first [[author::publication]] was a defence of [[crossreference::John Dryden]]), he established a reputation as an anti-establishment freethinker. His [[book title::''Anima mundi'']] ([[date of publication::1678]]) questions the immortality of the soul, and was publicly burnt in [[location::London]]; in 1679 his [[book title::''Just vindication of learning'']] argued for the freedom of the press, and for not renewing the licensing act.  He continued to publish tracts through the 1680s, questioning religion, miracles, and received wisdom.  His death followed an attempted suicide, prompted by his frustrated wish to marry his deceased wife's sister.
 ====Books====
-We do not know the size of contents of any of the Blount family libraries, but it is clear both from the family's literary activities and from testamentary evidence that books were important to them. In his will, Sir Henry left all his [[bequest::books]], then in [[location::London]], to [[beneficiary::Charles Blount|Charles]]; the [[location::Tittenhanger]] [[bequest::estate]] (with, presumably, some family library there) had already been settled on [[beneficiary::Sir Thomas Pope Blount|Thomas Blount]], in [[date of Bequest::1678]].
+We do not know the size or contents of any of the Blount family libraries, but it is clear both from the family's literary activities and from testamentary evidence that books were important to them. In his will, Sir Henry left all his [[bequest::books]], then in [[location::London]], to [[beneficiary::Charles Blount|Charles]]; the [[location::Tittenhanger]] [[bequest::estate]] (with, presumably, some family library there) had already been settled on [[beneficiary::Sir Thomas Pope Blount|Thomas Blount]], in [[date of bequest::1678]].
 Sir Thomas, in his will, left all his [[bequest::books]] to his eldest [[beneficiary::son]].  Charles likewise left his [[bequest::books]] to his eldest [[beneficiary::son]], to be inherited at the age of 30, or when he married (whichever happened first), or (should that son die too soon) to the next in line on the same terms, "hoping that if they have any value for my memory they will never sell or dispose of that study and choice collection which I have with so much charge and trouble gathered together".  If all his sons died too young to inherit the books, they were to go to "such of my daughters as shall be married and have the first son then living", or failing that, to the eldest son of his brother [[family::Sir Thomas Pope Blount|Thomas]].
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 [[Category:Gentry]]
+[[Category:All Owners]]