Elisha Biscoe 1705-1776

Elisha BISCOE 1705-1776

Biographical Note

Biscoe, who probably had a nonconformist background, is known to have been admitted at Lincoln's Inn, and at the time of his death was "of the Fine Office, Inner Temple". His will reveals that he had extensive property in London and elsewhere; in 1754 he built Spring Grove House, at Isleworth, which was subsequently lived in by Sir Joseph Banks.

Books

Biscoe used an engraved armorial bookplate, describing himself as "of the Inner Temple" (Franks 2623). The extent of his library is not known, but in his will he directed that "what books upon the principles and duties of the Christian religion [as] shall not be disposed of in my lifetime" be distributed among dissenting ministers of Uxbridge, poor people, and some named ministers. The rest of his books would have passed, with the residue of his estate, to his son Elisha.

Sources

• Will of Elisha Biscoe, the National Archives PROB 11/1016/245.
• Blatchly, J. Some Suffolk and Norfolk ex-libris, 2000.
• Gambier Howe, E. R. J. Franks bequest: catalogue of British and American book plates bequeathed to the ... British Museum. London, 1903-4.