George Ashby (antiquary) facts for kids

George Ashby (1724–1808) was an English antiquary. An antiquary is someone who studies old things like ancient objects, books, or customs. He was also the president of St John's College, Cambridge, for a time.

Ashby's Early Life and Education

George Ashby was born in London in 1724. He went to school at Croydon, Westminster, and Eton. In 1740, when he was 16, he started studying at St John's College, Cambridge. He earned several degrees there: a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in 1744, a Master of Arts (M.A.) in 1748, and a Bachelor of Divinity (B.D.) in 1756. After getting his M.A., he became a fellow of St John's College.

His Career as a Priest and College Leader

In 1754, a relative helped Ashby become the rector (a type of priest) of Hungerton, in Leicestershire. In 1759, he also became the rector of Twyford in the same area. He held both jobs until 1767, when he left Hungerton. In 1769, he left Twyford because he was chosen to be the president (or vice-master) of St John's College.

Around 1775, Ashby joined the Society of Antiquaries. At this time, he also left his official role at Cambridge University. He had strongly supported changes at the university, like allowing the fellows (teachers and researchers) to marry. These ideas were quite new then.

He then became the rector of Barrow, Suffolk. In 1780, his friend, Bishop John Ross, also made him the rector of Stansfield.

Later Life and Passing

In 1793, Ashby's eyesight began to get worse, and soon after, he became completely blind. He passed away from paralysis in Barrow on June 12, 1808. He was buried in the local church, where a monument was put up to remember him.

Ashby's Contributions and Writings

Even though George Ashby did not publish many books, he was known for his wide knowledge. Many famous antiquaries of his time admired him and were his friends. He was close with the poet Thomas Gray. He also wrote many letters to other important people like Bishop Percy and Richard Gough. Parts of these letters were printed in books like John Nichols' Illustrations of the Literary History of the Eighteenth Century.

In his letters, Ashby discussed many different old topics. For example, he suggested a change to a line in Shakespeare's play Hamlet. He also pointed out mistakes in a big book called Biographia Britannica, which he had read completely. He even talked about difficult questions in numismatics, which is the study of coins.

Ashby regularly wrote for the Gentleman's Magazine. He also added notes to Nichols's Literary Anecdotes. He helped Nichols a lot with his History of Leicestershire, writing a detailed essay about a Roman milestone found in Leicester. He also helped Daines Barrington with his book about old laws.

He published a paper in Archaeologia about a coin of the Roman emperor Nerva that was found in Colchester. Many of his handwritten notes and letters are kept in the British Library. These include notes on archery, an essay about old church records, and notes on old English and French plays from the 1500s. After he died, his valuable library of books was sold and spread out among different buyers.