Francis Douce

Born in London in 1757, Francis Douce left the career paths prepared for him in business and law to follow his literary and antiquarian interests instead. He became a British antiquary and later served as Keeper of Manuscripts at the British Museum, where he worked on important catalogues including the Lansdowne and Harleian collections.

Douce is especially remembered as a great collector. The Bodleian Library notes that his books and manuscripts were particularly strong in English literature, Shakespeare, illuminated Books of Hours, and French romances, and that these materials were bequeathed to the library in 1834. His papers and collections remain an important resource for readers and researchers interested in medieval and early modern culture.

Alongside his curatorial work, he was also an author and editor whose interests ranged widely across folklore, old literature, and antiquities. That mix of scholarship and collecting helped make him an enduring figure in the history of libraries, manuscripts, and literary study.