Lindley Murray’s Last Will and Testament as a Bibliophile

50.1.jpg
50.2.jpg
50.3.jpg
50.4.jpg
50.5.jpg

Creator

Lindley Murray

Title

Lindley Murray’s Last Will and Testament as a Bibliophile

Date

(1825)

Description

Although Murray thought he was near death in 1794, he lived another 32 years and became known to posterity as “the father of English grammar.” He willed 20 volumes to his namesake William Murray Tuke, the great-nephew of Ann Tuke, who had encouraged Murray to write the English Grammar. William went on to found Barclays Bank. His son, grandson, and great-grandson—Tukes all—served as chairs of Barclays into the 21st century. In 1996, I acquired Murray’s copy of Johnson’s Dictionary, with the will affixed, in London at a dealer on Charing Cross Road.