William Burrell 1732-1796

Sir William BURRELL, 2nd baronet 1732-1796

Biographical Note

Born in London, son of Peter Burrell, merchant and MP. LL.B St John's College, Cambridge 1755, LL.D 1760, after which he became a fellow of Doctors Commons and an advocate in the Canterbury Court of Arches. He was chancellor of the diocese of Worcester from 1764 and MP for Haslemere 1768-74. He was a director of the South Sea Company 1763-75 and later of Sun Fire Insurance; he succeeded to his father-in-law's baronetcy in 1788. He was an enthusiastic antiquary, elected a fellow of the Society of Antiquaries in 1754, and undertook much work on the history of Sussex. He transcribed many documents, monumental inscriptions and parish registers and commissioned over 1300 drawings of houses and other antiquarian features.

Books

Burrell bequeathed his antiquarian collections and drawings to the British Museum (now British Library Add MSS 5670-5711). His "town-library ... comprehending an extraordinary choice collection of the Greek and Roman classics" was auctioned in London, beginning 2 May 1796. Some of his books and papers were lost in a fire at Knepp Castle in Sussex, where his son established a family seat.

Characteristic Markings

Burrell used two similar but slightly different armorial binding stamps.

Sources

• British Armorial Bindings.
• History of Parliament.
• Alston, R. C., Inventory of sale catalogues ... 1676-1800, St Philip, 2010.
• A catalogue of the town-library of the late Sir William Burrell, [London, 1796].
• Farrant, John H."Burrell, Sir William, second baronet (1732–1796), antiquary." Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.