Rawlinson, Thomas (1681 -1725)

Thomas Rawlinson was the eldest son of Sir Thomas Rawlinson and Mary, daughter of Richard Taylor of Turnham Green, Middlesex. Educated under William Day at Cheam, at Eton, and at St John's College, Oxford, where he matriculated on the 25 February 1699, but left the University in 1701, and studied at the Middle Temple, which he had entered in 1696. He was called to the bar on 19 May 1705, and toured the Continent, where he developed a taste for antiquities, books and manuscripts. According to his brother Richard, Thomas collected “in almost all faculties”, but particularly old and beautiful editions of the classical authors, and whatever directly or indirectly related to English history'. His father died in 1708, and entering upon his large estates he devoted himself entirely to collecting books and manuscripts. At first he lived in Gray's Inn, where he had to sleep in the passage because of the quantity of his books. In 1716 he bought a house in Aldersgate Street for the accommodation of his library. He was a Fellow of the Royal Society, and of the Society of Antiquaries, He married, 22 September 1724, his servant Amy Frewin. His library was sold in a number of sales from 1721 to 1734, by T. Ballard, 4 December 1721, 17 October 1722; 2 April 1723; 20 January 1724; August 1725; 16 October and 22 November 1727; 22 January and 18 March 1728, 21 April and 24 November 1729; 13 November 1732; 4 March 1734, one at D. Browne's 7 March 1722, and two by C. Davis 2 March 1726 and 26 April 1727