Books attributed to Becon in the PLRE.Folger Database

The makeup of languages in which books attributed to Becon were printed, found in the PLRE.

The distribution of close matches, similar matches, and different works present within PLRE.Libraries relating to Becon, in a pie chart.

The makeup of personal identifiers assigned to owners of books attributed to Becon in the PLRE.Folger dataset.

There were 26 books identified in the PLRE.Folger database attributed to Becon. Nearly all of the works were printed in English, with only one in Latin. Considering Becon claimed to compose works for the common person, it makes sense that nearly all his works found in the surveyed libraries were printed in English.

There were only two copies of A New Postil identified in the PLRE, both owned by clerics. Considering the book contains sermons, this is expected. Of the 24 other titles by Becon, The Syckemans Salve was the most common work found in the surveyed libraries and it had the widest variety of owners.

Clerics make up the single largest group of owners of Becon's books, with eight identified. There were four owners who were scholars, two Yeoman, two merchants, one owner each identified as a woman, Member of Parliament, churchward, court official, fisherman, husbandman, and a landowner. This wide range of identities associated with owning one of Becon's works reflects the wide audience he targeted through his writing.