John Bowle 1725-1788

John BOWLE 1725-1788

One of Bowle's crest stamps, and his monogram stamp (British Armorial Bindings)

Biographical Note

Born at Idmiston, near Salisbury, son of John Bowle, gentleman; he was a descendent of John Bowle (d.1637), Bishop of Rochester. BA Oriel College, Oxford 1745, MA 1750 after which he became vicar of Idmiston. He developed extensive literary interests and published numerous editions of English poems and plays, while also being a contributor to the Gentleman's Magazine. He worked particularly on Cervantes, and published a six-volume annotated edition of Don Quixote in 1781; he was criticised, at the time, for pedantry but his scholarship has earned more respect over the longer term. He was elected a fellow of the Society of Antiquaries in 1776.

Books

Bowle assembled an extensive library in excess of 12,000 books, which was sold by retail sale in London, beginning 19 January 1790.

Characteristic Markings

Bowle used two different armorial binding stamps, based on his crest of a lapwing standing on a roundel, and a monogram stamp incorporating his initials JB.

Sources

• British Armorial Bindings.
• Alston, R. C., Inventory of sale catalogues ... 1676-1800, St Philip, 2010.
• A catalogue of the library of the Rev. John Bowle, [London, 1790].
• Truman, R. W."Bowle, John (1725–1788), literary editor." Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.