Anthony Wood (antiquary) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Anthony Wood
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Portrait of Wood by Michael Burghers
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| Born | 17 December 1632 Oxford, England
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| Died | 28 November 1695 (aged 62) Oxford, England
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| Resting place | Merton College, Oxford |
| Nationality | English |
| Other names | Anthony à Wood |
| Education | New College School, Oxford; Lord Williams's School, Thame; Merton College, Oxford |
| Occupation | Antiquary |
| Employer | University of Oxford |
| Awards | MA (Oxford, 1655) |
Anthony Wood (born December 17, 1632 – died November 28, 1695) was an English antiquary. This means he was a person who studied and collected old things from the past. He was also known as Anthony à Wood in his later writings. He became famous for his book about the history of Oxford University.
Early Life and Education
Anthony Wood was born in Oxford, England, on December 17, 1632. He was the fourth son of Thomas Wood, a lawyer from Oxford, and his second wife, Mary.
In 1641, Anthony started school at New College School. When he was twelve, he moved to Lord Williams's School in Thame. His studies there were interrupted by fighting during the English Civil War. After this, his older brother Edward taught him. Anthony's mother wanted him to become an apprentice, but he really disliked that idea.
In 1647, he joined Merton College as a "postmaster," which was a type of student scholarship.
By 1652, Anthony enjoyed farming and bell-ringing. He also loved music and began to teach himself the violin. He took his first university exams and got permission to use the famous Bodleian Library, which he felt was a great privilege. He earned his Master of Arts (MA) degree in 1655.
Becoming a Historian
Anthony Wood started to carefully copy old writings and look for historical items around Oxford. He studied the old records of Christ Church, Oxford. He decided to dedicate himself to studying history and old objects.
In 1660, John Wallis, who was in charge of the university records, gave him full access to them. This helped Anthony begin his major book, which would be published 14 years later. He also learned a lot from the collections of other historians like Brian Twyne and Ralph Sheldon.
He explored the important documents of all the colleges. In 1667, he traveled to London for the first time. There, he met William Dugdale, another famous historian, who introduced him to the Cottonian Library. He also visited William Prynne, who showed him the records kept at the Tower of London.
In 1669, the university asked him to let his book, The History and Antiquities of the University of Oxford, be translated into Latin. They offered him money for his work. He agreed, and two translators, Richard Peers and Richard Reeve, worked on it.
In 1674, the Latin version, Historia, et antiquitates Universitatis Oxoniensis, was published in two large volumes. The first part was about the university in general, and the second was about its colleges. The book was beautifully printed at the Sheldonian Theatre.
The book was sent out widely, and both the university and Anthony received much praise. The next year, amazing pictures by David Loggan called Oxonia Illustrata were published separately. These pictures showed where to place them in Wood's history book. Copies of the history with these pictures became special gifts for important visitors to the university.
Anthony was not completely happy with the Latin translation. However, his book was very detailed and had many notes from original sources. It became a very important work, following in the footsteps of William Dugdale's famous books.
In 1678, the university records that Anthony had been looking after for 18 years were taken away. This happened because people worried he might be involved in the Popish Plot, a false story about a Catholic plan against the king. To show he was innocent, he took an oath of loyalty to the king.
During this time, he continued to work on his next big project. This work was published in London in 1691–1692. It was called Athenae Oxonienses: an Exact History of all the Writers and Bishops who have had their Education in the University of Oxford from 1500 to 1690. It also included the Fasti, which were like yearly records.
In 1693, Anthony Wood was found guilty in a university court for writing some negative things about the late Edward Hyde, 1st Earl of Clarendon. He was fined and banned from the university until he took back his words. The pages that caused the problem were burned.
Anthony Wood died after a short illness and was buried in the chapel of St John Baptist at Merton College. He had even overseen the digging of his own grave just a few days before.
He was described as a strong man, who was a bit rough around the edges. He was quiet, didn't drink much, and wasn't interested in money or awards. He never married and spent his life studying history. Bell-ringing and music were his main hobbies. Even though his writing style wasn't perfect, his two main books and his notes are a priceless source of information about Oxford and its important people.
Legacy
Anthony Wood's original writings were bought by the Bodleian Library in 1846. Parts of his work were published by John Gutch as The History and Antiquities of the Colleges and Halls in the University of Oxford (1786–1790) and The History and Antiquities of the University of Oxford (1792–1796).
Another important work, The Survey of the Antiquities of the City of Oxford, which Anthony wrote between 1661 and 1666, was later edited by Andrew Clark and published by the Oxford Historical Society (1889–1899).
Anthony Wood left his collection of books and manuscripts to the Ashmolean Museum. In 1858, this entire collection was moved to the Bodleian Library. Many of the original papers he used for his books, along with his letters and diaries, are still kept there today.
In Fiction
A made-up version of Anthony Wood is one of the people who tells the story in Iain Pears' 1998 novel An Instance of the Fingerpost. This book is set in the early 1660s.
Works
Anthony Wood regularly wrote in his diaries and other papers. He wrote several accounts of life in Oxford during the mid-17th century. Here are some of his main works:
- History of Oxford down to 1640 (finished by 1674)
- Athenae Oxoniensis (started in 1680)
