{{short description|English government official}} '''Abraham Farley''' ({{c.}}1712–1791) was an English government official who was the custodian of [[Domesday Book]].

Farley was appointed [[Chamberlain of the Exchequer|Deputy Chamberlain of the Exchequer]] in 1736 and became responsible for the public records held in the Chapter House of [[Westminster Abbey]].<ref name="odnb">{{ODNB |first=G. H. |last=Martin |author-link=Geoffrey Martin (historian) |title=Farley, Abraham (bap. 1712, d. 1791) |id=61829 |orig-year=2004 |year=2008 }}</ref> First among these was [[Domesday Book]], of which Farley became custodian, granting visiting antiquaries access to make transcripts for a fee.<ref>{{cite book |first=Elizabeth |last=Hallam |title=Domesday Book through Nine Centuries |place=London |publisher=Thames & Hudson |year=1986 |page=134 }}</ref> In 1753, he was approached by [[Philip Carteret Webb]] to make a transcript from Domesday Book; this he did, and, perhaps in return for Webb's help in raising awareness of Domesday's importance, waived the usual fee.<ref>Hallam 1986, pp 135–6.</ref> Two years later, Webb's paper on Domesday Book was read to the [[Society of Antiquaries of London]].

In later life, Farley was to produce the first printed edition of Domesday Book, for which there was then a considerable demand. Following a Parliamentary order in 1767, Farley was appointed co-editor of the Domesday printing project in 1770, alongside [[Charles Morton (librarian)|Charles Morton]] of the [[British Museum]]. In his ''Literary Anecdotes of the Eighteenth Century'', the printer [[John Nichols (printer)|John Nichols]] remarked that Morton and Farley's relationship was characterised by rivalry and mistrust. Farley, whom Nichols called "of all men the properest person for so important a trust", due to his "long and intimate acquaintance with the original record", evidently considered himself best fitted to produce the landmark work.<ref>Jonathan Nichols, ''Literary Anecdotes of the Eighteenth Century'' Vol. III (London: Nichols, son, and Bentley, 1812), p. 266</ref> Farley eventually cut Morton out altogether, pressing ahead with the work with Nichols' co-operation.<ref>{{cite journal |first1=M. M. |last1=Condon |first2=E. M. |last2=Hallam |title=Government Printing of the Public Records in the eighteenth century |journal=Journal of the Society of Archivists |volume=7 |year=1984 |issue=6 |page=378 |doi=10.1080/00379818409514252 }}</ref> Farley received payment to the tune of £2,500 for his services.<ref>Condon and Hallam 1984, p. 379.</ref>

Farley died in early in 1791: he made his will on 21 January, and probate was granted on 22 March.<ref name="odnb"/>

==See also== *[[Publication of Domesday Book]]

== References == {{reflist}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Farley, Abraham}} [[Category:1710s births]] [[Category:1791 deaths]] [[Category:English civil servants]]