John Caley facts for kids

John Caley FSA (1760–1834) was an important English expert who worked with old records and historical items. He spent his life organizing and studying very old documents.

John Caley's Life

John Caley was the oldest son of John Caley, a grocer in London. He became friends with Thomas Astle, who helped him get a job at the Record Office. This office was in the famous Tower of London.

In 1787, he started working at the Augmentation Office. He took over from H. Brooker. Later, in 1818, he became the keeper of records at the ancient treasury in Westminster. This meant he was in charge of many important historical papers. He also joined Gray's Inn in 1786, but he did not become a lawyer.

When the first Record Commission was created in 1801, Caley became its secretary. He held this job until the commission ended in 1831. A special role was made just for him. He became a sub-commissioner, earning £500 a year. His job was to arrange, fix, and bind old records. He also kept his two other record-keeping jobs.

Caley passed away at his home in London on April 28, 1834. He was 71 years old. His large collection of books and notes was sold after his death. The British Museum bought many of his old manuscripts.

His Work and Contributions

As a sub-commissioner, Caley helped edit 14 books for the Record Commission. He also printed a few copies of a survey about the Bishop of St. David's in 1812.

In 1813, he worked with Bulkeley Bandinel and Sir Henry Ellis on a new edition of William Dugdale's Monasticon. This huge work was about monasteries and churches. It had six volumes, published between 1817 and 1830. Caley mainly provided the historical documents for this project.

Caley became a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries in 1786. He wrote an article about "The Origin of the Jews in England." This was published in a journal called Archæologia. He also contributed other papers. These included a wardrobe account of King Henry VIII and a survey of the Manor of Wymbledon. He was also a member of the Royal Society, the Linnean Society, and the Society of Arts.

Concerns About His Methods

Some people had concerns about how John Caley managed the records. There were questions about his methods for arranging and binding documents. It was also noted that some seals were removed from documents.

People who wanted to see historical documents often had to go to Caley's private home. This made it difficult and sometimes expensive to find the information they needed. The main lists of documents were also kept at his house, which made public access harder.