D'Orville

Books and manuscripts collected by Jacques Philippe D'Orville (1696-1751), purchased by the Bodleian in 1804.

Jacques Philippe D'Orville (1696-1751) was born at Amsterdam and educated at the University of Leyden. From 1730 to 1742 he was Professor of History, Eloquence and Greek at Amsterdam. His chief collections were made with a view to editing Theocritus and the Greek Anthology, and include medieval and later manuscripts, as well as collations in printed books, transcripts and notes.

After D'Orville's death the collection passed to his son, was eventually transferred to London, passed to a grandson, was sold to J. Cleaver Banks, and finally was purchased from him almost intact by the Bodleian. The manuscripts arrived at the Bodleian in 1804. The printed books (without collations) had been sold in 1764.