William Bayntun 1717-1785

William BAYNTUN 1717-1785

The larger of Bayntun's armorial stamps (British Armorial Bindings)

Biographical Note

Younger son of Henry Bayntun, of Wiltshire. After being admitted at Gray's Innhe became a barrister in 1760. Through his wife, Catherine Sandys, he acquired appreciable estates. He was a fellow of the Society of Antiquaries.

Books

Bayntun assembled a significant library, auctioned in London beginning 5 June 1787. His extensive will has no mention of books; much of his estate was inherited by his wife's relatives Edwin and Windsor Sandys. A two-volume manuscript catalogue of black-letter and other pre-1600 books in his library survives in the Bodleian Library (MSS Eng.Misc.e.80-1).

Bayntun's inscription, from a copy of G. Lockhart, Memoirs concerning ... Scotland, 1714, private collection

Charecteristic Markings

Bayntun commonly marked his books with armorial binding stamps (including one of his main arms, and a crest tool used on spines), and inscribed his name on titlepages.

Sources

• British Armorial Bindings.
• Will of William Bayntun, the National Archives PROB 11/1126/382.
• Alston, R. C., Inventory of sale catalogues ... 1676-1800, St Philip, 2010.
• A catalogue of the valuable and extensive library of books, the property of William Bayntun, Esq;, London, [1787], ESTC n27196.
• Bodleian Library MS Eng.Misc.e.80-1.