Wotton, Thomas ( 1521-1587 )
An English bibliophile sometimes referred to as
the English Grolier, not only because he adopted
Grolier's motto for use on his own books, but
because he also used decorative designs similar to
those found on Grolier's books. See: JEAN GROLIER . The
more elaborate of Wotton's bindings, which are
distinguished by their painted strapwork, were
collected during his youth, probably before 1553,
while his later bindings are decorated only with
armorial stamps. All of his elaborate bindings
were probably executed in Paris for him during
visits there in the period from 1545 to 1552. The
Parisian bindings seem to be the work of four or
five different ateliers. Some of these bindings
have the motto: Thomae Wottoni et Amicorvm, while
another group has the date 1552 stamped on the
cover. Most of his bindings are of brown calfskin.
Most of Wotton's books, of which some 130 to 140
are extant, descended through one female line to
the Earls of Chesterfield, who moved them from
Kent to Derbyshire in 1747, and eventually to the
5th Earl of Carnarvon, who sold the collection in
1919. (132 , 53 )
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