Ralph Willett facts for kids
Ralph Willett (born 1719, died 1795) was a man who owned large farms in St Kitts. He was also a big fan of books and collected many of them. People who love and collect books are called bibliophiles.
About His Life
Ralph was the older son of Henry Willett. His family lived on the island of St Kitts. In 1736, when he was 17, Ralph started studying at Oriel College, Oxford. However, he did not finish his degree there.
In 1739, Ralph began studying law at Lincoln's Inn in London. When his father passed away in 1740, Ralph inherited the family's properties. These properties were located in the West Indies. A map from 1753 shows he owned five large farms on St Kitts.
Ralph had a home in London on Dean Street, Soho. In 1751, he bought a large piece of land called Merley in Dorset, England. He started building Merley House there in 1752. The house was finished in 1760. Later, in 1772, he added two new parts to the house. One of these was a special library room. This library was decorated with beautiful art and paintings.
Ralph Willett was an important local official in Dorset in 1760. He became a member of the Society of Antiquaries of London in 1763. This group studies old things and history. He also joined the Royal Society in 1764. This is a famous group for science. Ralph Willett passed away at Merley House in 1795. He did not have any children.
His Amazing Collections
Ralph Willett had a very impressive library. It was full of books printed a long time ago. Many of his books were printed on vellum. This is a special, fine material made from animal skin. All his books were in excellent condition. His library was known as the "finest library in Dorset."
He also collected many prints and drawings. His art collection included pieces from the famous Orleans Collection. This was a very well-known art collection. Ralph had a detailed description of his library printed in 1776. He also shared a list of his books with his friends in 1790.
After Ralph died, his art was sold in 1813. His huge book collection was sold over 17 days in December 1813. Ralph had supported an artist named Georg Dionysius Ehret. Ehret was known for his beautiful botanical drawings. Many of Ehret's plant drawings were in Ralph's library. These drawings were sold in 1813 as well. The total money made from selling his collections was a lot, over £13,500.
His Writings
Ralph Willett also wrote some articles. One of his writings was called Observations on the Origin of Printing. This was published in a journal called Archæologia. In this paper, he suggested that printing was invented in Mainz, Germany.
He wrote another paper for the same journal. It was titled Memoir on the Origin of Printing. Ralph also wrote about ships. His paper On British Naval Architecture was also published in Archæologia.
His Family
Ralph Willett was married two times. His first wife was Annabella Robinson. She passed away in 1779. A special stone was placed in a church to remember her and Ralph.
His second wife was Charlotte. She was the daughter of Mr. Locke. They got married in 1786 in London. Charlotte passed away in 1815. She was buried in Westminster Abbey, a very famous church.
Ralph Willett did not have any children. So, when he died, his property and money went to his cousin. This cousin was John Willett Adye. He later changed his name to John Willett Willett. John became a Member of Parliament from 1796 to 1806. A later family member, Henry Ralph Willett, also collected coins and art.
