George Sale

George Sale was born in Canterbury in 1697 and died in the City of Westminster in 1736. He studied at the King's School in Canterbury and in 1720 he became a student of the Inner Temple. It is known that he trained as a lawyer in his early years but took time to study the eastern and other languages, both ancient and modern.

In 1734, Sale published the translation of the Qur’an, providing numerous notes and in depth knowledge of Eastern habits, manners, traditions, and laws. Sale’s translation of the Qu'ran has been reprinted into modern times. Sale was also a corrector of the Arabic New Testament (1726) issued by the Society for Promoting Chris- tian Knowledge. He acquired a library with valuable rare manuscripts of Persian, Turkish, and Arabic origins (which is now held in the Bodleian Library, Oxford). Sale was an early member of the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge. He died at Surrey Street, The Strand, on November 13, 1736. Sale was buried at St. Clement Danes.