Thomas Rawlinson (barrister) facts for kids
Thomas Rawlinson (born 1681, died 1725) was an English lawyer. He was famous for loving and collecting books. People called him a "bibliophile," which means someone who loves books a lot!
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About Thomas Rawlinson's Life
Thomas Rawlinson was born in London on March 25, 1681. His father, Sir Thomas Rawlinson, was also a well-known person. Thomas had a younger brother named Richard.
His Education and Early Career
Thomas went to school at Cheam and then at Eton College. After that, he studied at St John's College, Oxford, starting in 1699. He left the university in 1701 and began studying law.
In 1705, Thomas became a lawyer. He then traveled around England and the Netherlands. When he came back to London, he focused on his law work.
A Passion for Books
When his father passed away in 1708, Thomas inherited a lot of money. This allowed him to focus even more on his passion: collecting books! He gathered so many books that he had to sleep in a hallway because his rooms were full.
In 1716, he rented a large house called London House just for his library. He stacked his books three deep, meaning he had rows and rows of books everywhere! Some people even joked about how many books he had.
His Public Roles and Later Life
Thomas Rawlinson was also involved in public life. He became a governor for hospitals like Bridewell and Bethlehem Hospital in 1706. He also joined important groups. In 1713, he became a member of the Royal Society, which is a famous group for scientists. In 1724, he joined the Society of Antiquaries of London, a group that studies history.
Thomas married Amy Frewin in 1724. He passed away on August 6, 1725, at London House, the place filled with his beloved books. He was buried in St Botolph's Aldersgate church.
His Amazing Collections
Thomas Rawlinson collected not only books but also old handwritten documents called manuscripts. He also had some paintings. He was very interested in old classical books and English history.
Friends and Fellow Collectors
Thomas was good friends with other people who loved books and history, like Joseph Ames and John Bagford. Another famous historian, Thomas Hearne, often borrowed manuscripts from Rawlinson's collection for his own studies.
Selling His Library
After Thomas Rawlinson died, his huge collection of books was sold. The sales started in 1722 and continued for many years, with the last sale happening in 1734. Each sale lasted for many days because there were so many books! His brother, Richard, helped arrange many of these sales. At the very last sale, over 1,000 manuscripts were sold, along with many printed books.
