Samuel Howlett gained his BA from St John's in 1663/4 and his MA in 1667. He was elected to a Fellowship in 1664, although this ceased in 1671, possibly due to his death.

Howlett's gift to the Library

The Book of Benefactors records that Howlet left around eighty volumes to St John's in Italian, French, Spanish and German. Only thirty or so of these are still identifiable, most of which are French or Italian volumes on language and history. None of the German works mentioned are now identifiable in the Old Library.

Provenance markings

The books given by Howlett bear an inscription detailing his bequest. Translated it reads:

Samuel Howlett M.A., a most distinguished man and lately Fellow of this College, enriched the Library of the College of St John the Evangelist with this little book, together with not a few others in Latin, French and Italian.