Thomas Allen -1684

Thomas ALLEN -1684

Biographical Note

Son of Francis Allen of Braughing, Hertfordshire, gentleman. BA Trinity, Cambridge 1651, fellow of Gonville & Caius 1651-60, MB 1654, MD 1659. Physician in ordinary to Charles II; Physician to Bethlem Hospital 1667-84. Admitted a candidate at the Royal College of Physicians 1669, fellow 1671. Fellow of the Royal Society 1667. He published [Cheirexoke]: the excellency … of the royal hand (1665), on cure by royal touch.

Books

Allen’s medical library, together with that of the contemporary London physicians Christopher Terne and Sir Robert Talbor, were sold by auction in London by Edward Millington, 12 April 1686. The sale catalogue, which specifies the contents as being “the medicinal parts of the libraries”, does not make it possible to identify which books came from which source, beyond the likelihood that Talbor’s books are contained in a separate final section. The main section (Allen/Terne?) contains 838 lots, mostly medical books with some more general scientific or mathematical works included, of which 61 are in English, a small handful in French, and the bulk (over 90%) in Latin. Ca.25% of the books are 16th-century imprints or earlier, 75% 17th-century.

Characteristic Markings

None of Allen’s books have been identified.

Sources

• Bibliothecae medicae … D. Christ. Terne D. Thomae Allen, 1686 (ESTC R26289).
• Alston, R. C. Inventory of sale catalogues 1676-1800. St Philip, 2010.
• Andrews, J. et al, The history of Bethlem, 1997.
• Munk, W. The roll of the Royal College of Physicians of London. 2nd edn. London, 1878.