John Bosworth 1722-1785

John BOSWORTH 1722-1785

Bosworth's bookplate (British Museum Franks Collection 3141)

Biographical Note

Son of SirJohn Bosworth, Chamberlain of the City of London. BA Oriel College, Oxford 1745, MA 1748, BD and DD 1768, fellow 1747. Rector of Tortworth, Gloucestershire 1768; trustee of the British Museum 1768-70. He had a house in London and retained rooms at Oriel until the time of his death.

Books

Bosworth used an engraved armorial bookplate (Franks 3141). Many (or all?) his books were given to Tortworth Parish Library, to augment the initial gift of Henry Brooke in 1757. It is not clear whether these were given before or after his death; his will has no mention of books, but includes references to his coin and medal collection (bequeathed to Oriel) and his prints, drawings, busts and vases given to Rice Charleton of Bath. Around 200 books with his bookplate were moved from Tortworth to Oriel College in 1921; other books from the parish library were dispersed through various sales in the 20th century and books with Bosworth's bookplate will usually be found to have the "Tortworth Rectory" stencil also.

Sources

• Will of John Bosworth, The National Archives PROB 11/1136/304.
• Epsom and Ewell History Explorer.
• Foster, J., Alumni Oxonienses, Oxford, 1891.
• Gambier Howe, E. R. J. Franks bequest: catalogue of British and American book plates bequeathed to the ... British Museum. London, 1903-4.
• Perkin, M. R. A directory of the parochial libraries of the Church of England and the Church in Wales. London, 2004.