Abbey, John Roland (1894–1969), book collector, was born in Brighton on 23 November 1894, the eldest of three sons of William Henry Abbey, brewer, of Sedgwick Park, Horsham, and his wife, Florence, daughter of Henry Belcher, of Hove, Sussex. He was named John Rowland...
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Abendana, Isaac (d. 1699), Hebraist and book collector, was born in Spain and was taken at an early age to Hamburg, Germany. By 1660 he had completed rabbinical studies and by his own account sought the 'wisdom of medicine' (Katz...
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G. H. Martin
Agard, Arthur (1535/6–1615), archivist and antiquary, was born at Foston, Derbyshire, the second of the three sons of Clement Agard of Foston and his wife, Eleanor, daughter of Thomas Middlemore of Edgbaston. He matriculated from Queens' College, Cambridge, at Michaelmas 1553, but nothing further is known of his education, and there is no doubt that the greater part of his learning came by his study of the records of which he had charge. His knowledge of the common law may have been acquired first in one of the inns of court. ...
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Ames, Joseph (bap. 1687, d. 1759), bibliographer and antiquary, was born of a seafaring family in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, and baptized there on 20 June 1687. He was the son of John Ames (1651–1699?), master in the merchant service, and his wife, Esther (...
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Alan Bell
Amherst, William Amhurst Tyssen-, first Baron Amherst of Hackney (1835–1909), book collector, was born at Narford Hall, Swaffham, Norfolk, on 25 April 1835, the eldest son of William George Daniel-Tyssen (1801–1855), who had added Tyssen to his surname on his marriage to Amelia...
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Archer, William (1830–1897), naturalist and librarian, was born on 6 May 1830 at Maghera, co. Down, the eldest son of the Revd Richard Archer, perpetual curate at Maghera and a member of a family long settled in co. Wexford, and Jane Matilda, daughter of ...
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Henry Spencer Ashbee (1834–1900) by H. T. Reed, 1889 private collection; photograph National Portrait Gallery, London
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David Chambers
Ashbee, Henry Spencer [pseud. Pisanus Fraxi] (1834–1900), book collector and bibliographer, was born on 21 April 1834 at 24 Blackfriars Road, Southwark, London, the only child of Robert Ashbee (1804–1867), manager of the Curtis and Harvey gunpowder mills, and his wife, Frances Elizabeth, ...
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Ashley, Robert (1565–1641), translator and book collector, was born on 2 July 1565, second son of Anthony Ashley, of Damerham, Wiltshire, and Dorothy Lyte; he was the brother of Sir Anthony Ashley and Sir Francis Ashley. At an early age he acquired fluent French under ...
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Askew, Anthony (bap. 1722, d. 1774), physician and book collector, was born in Kendal, Westmorland, where he was baptized on 7 May 1722, the son of Adam Askew, physician, and his wife, Anne Crackenthorp. In 1725 his family moved to Newcastle, where his father established a well-respected practice. ...
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Astle, Thomas (1735–1803), archivist and collector of books and manuscripts, was born on 22 December 1735 at Yoxall, on the edge of Needwood Forest, Staffordshire, the eldest son of Daniel Astle (d. 1775), keeper of the forest, who was of a family long established at ...
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Thomas Astle (1735–1803) by William Skelton, pubd 1803 (after Henry Howard) © National Portrait Gallery, London
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Atkinson, James (1759–1839), surgeon and bibliographer, the son of a medical practitioner and friend of Laurence Sterne, received his medical education as a pupil of Henry Cline of St Thomas's Hospital, London, and attended the lectures of Thomas Denman, physician-accoucheur to the Middlesex Hospital...
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James Atkinson (1759–1839) by William Etty, 1832 York Museums Trust (York Art Gallery)
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Austin, (Ethel) Winifred (1873–1918), pioneer of library services for blind people, was born on 7 October 1873 (not 1875, as her obituaries state) at 3 Lansdowne Place, Blackheath Hill, London, the tenth child of George Austin (1824/5–1887) and Mary Anne Jane Cullum Aldridge (...
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Brian Charles Hollingworth
Axon, William Edward Armytage (1846–1913), librarian and antiquary, was born on 13 January 1846, at 12 Honduras Street, Chorlton-on-Medlock, Manchester. He was the illegitimate son of Edward Armytage (bap. 1812, d. 1875), clothing manufacturer, and Lydia Whitehead (1830–1896), a servant girl in his household, aged fifteen. In ...
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Arthur Sherbo
Ayscough, Samuel (1745–1804), librarian and antiquary, was born in Nottingham and baptized at St Peter's, Nottingham, on 29 November 1745, the only son of George Ayscough (1721/2–1783), printer, and his second wife, Edith Wigley. His grandfather, William Ayscough, was a stationer and printer in ...
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Samuel Ayscough (1745–1804) by James Basire, pubd 1804 © National Portrait Gallery, London
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P. R. Harris
Baber, Henry Hervey (bap. 1775, d. 1869), librarian, was baptized at Slingsby, Yorkshire, on 22 August 1775, the son of Thomas Baber (1738-1825), barrister, and his wife, Elizabeth Berriman (1738–1836). He was grandson of Thomas Draper Baber, of Sunninghill, Berkshire...
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Michelle P. Brown
Backhouse, Janet Moira (1938–2004), scholar and curator of manuscripts, was born on 8 February 1938 at Marley, 90 Pickwick Road, Corsham, Wiltshire, the daughter of Joseph Holme Backhouse, cattle-food salesman, and his wife, Jessie, née Chivers; they also had a son, the sculptor ...
