Griffith Powell 1560/1-1620

Griffith POWELL 1560/61-1620

Biographical Note

Born in Llansawel, Carmarthenshire, son of John ap Hywel. BA Jesus College, Oxford 1584, MA and fellow 1589, BCL 1593, DCL 1599. He spent the rest of his life in Oxford, becoming Principal of Jesus in 1613. He was an effective administrator and fundraiser for the College, successfully appealing to the Welsh clergy and gentry for money to build the hall, chapel, outer quadrangle and other buildings. During the 1590s he published two commentaries on Aristotle.

Books

Powell’s estate was bequeathed to Jesus College and his books constituted an important element in the foundation of the College Library. Ca. 100 books survive today, from a gift which may originally have been larger; these are mostly 16th-century imprints, with a significant proportion (ca. 80%) relating to law.

Characteristic Markings

Powell typically wrote his name on titlepages, together with the two line motto O Jesu este mihi Jesus/Dominis mea portio.

Sources

• C. Fordyce & T. Knox, The library of Jesus College, Oxford, OBS Proceedings & Papers, 1937.
• Williams, Barrie. "Powell, Griffith (1560/61–1620), college head." Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.