PEREZ BAYER, FRANCISCO. — Spanish scholar and polygraph, born in Valencia in 1711, died there in 1794. After brilliant studies at Gandia and Salamanca, he taught Hebrew at the Universities of Valencia and Salamanca, organized the archives of Toledo, which earned him a canonry at Barcelona from King Ferdinand VI and a mission to Italy to study its archives. Upon his return to Spain, he revised the archives of El Escorial and published their catalog in 5 volumes.
He was tutor to the sons of Charles III, director of the Royal Library, and canon of Valencia. He founded the town of Benicassim and donated a rich library to the University of Valencia. Many biographical details about P. B. are found in his letters to Juan de Santander, published in vol. LXII of the Biblioteca de Rivadeneyra. Among his works on linguistics, numismatics, and archaeology are those on Etimologia de la lengua castellana (Madrid 1772) and Legitimidad de las monedas hebreosamaratinas (Valencia 1793).