Sir Thomas Bodley (1545-1613), English diplomat and scholar. Bodley was born at Exeter into a Protestant family. During the catholic reign of Mary the
Sir Thomas Bodley (1545-1613), English diplomat and scholar. Bodley was born at Exeter into a Protestant family. During the catholic reign of Mary the family moved to Germany, but returned when Elizabeth took the throne and Bodley went to Magdalene College, Oxford. Bodley had a career in teaching then entered the diplomatic service after becoming a member of parliament. However, he is most famous for the refounding of the library at Oxford that had been ravaged during the reformation. From 1598 he started to gather the greatest works available using money donated by rich friends. He also persuaded the Stationer's Company to provide him with a copy of every book published, making this the first deposit library in the world. Today the library is called the Bodleian in his honour. This engraving was published in 'Portraits of Illustrious Personages of Great Britain' by Edmund Lodge in 1835.
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