John Disney (antiquarian) facts for kids
John Disney (born May 29, 1779 – died May 6, 1857) was an English barrister (a type of lawyer) and an antiquarian (someone who studies old things). He became a member of the important Royal Society in 1832 and the Society of Antiquaries in 1839.
About John Disney
John Disney was born at Flintham Hall in Nottinghamshire. He was the oldest son of John Disney and Jane Blackburne. His father was a former Anglican clergyman who helped start the Episcopal Unitarian Church. His family had a long history of being English Dissenters, meaning they were Protestants who disagreed with the Church of England.
John Disney was taught at home in London until he was 16. Then, he went to Peterhouse, Cambridge, a college at Cambridge University. In 1798, he joined the Inner Temple, which is one of the places where lawyers are trained. He officially became a lawyer in 1803. In 1807, he was made a Recorder (a type of judge) for Bridport, Dorset, and moved to live there.
When his father passed away in 1816, John Disney received a large amount of money and property. This included a house called The Hyde, near Ingatestone in Essex, and some land. He also inherited many books and a collection of antiquities, which are very old objects. These old objects came from famous collectors like Thomas Hollis and Thomas Brand Hollis.
In 1818, Disney was the High Sheriff of Dorset. This was an important local role. His wife also inherited money from her father in 1822. Disney stopped being the Recorder at Bridport in 1823. Later, he moved to his new home in Essex. He tried to become a politician for Harwich and North Essex, but he did not win.
Collecting Old Things
John Disney continued to build up his collection of old objects at The Hyde. He added many new items when he visited Rome in 1826–27. Other people, like Charles Callis Western and James Christie, also gave him gifts for his collection.
For a long time, people argued about how valuable his collection was. Some, like Adolf Michaelis in the 1800s, thought the items were not very good quality. However, in 2012, a study by Caroline Vout showed that the collection actually contained many valuable and interesting pieces. It even included some "modern artefacts," which means items that were not as ancient as first thought.
His Writings
John Disney wrote several books about politics and law:
- A collection of acts of parliament, relative to county and borough elections (1811) – This book was about laws for elections.
- Outlines of a Penal Code (1826) – This book was about ideas for criminal laws.
He also published a detailed book about his collection of old objects in 1846, called Museum Disneianum. This book was based on a list his father had started. Famous artists and scholars like John Flaxman and Richard Westmacott also helped with the book. A second edition came out in 1848, and later, another version was published under the title Fitzwilliam Museum.
His Legacy
In 1850, John Disney gave most of the sculptures from his collection to the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge. This was a very generous gift.
In 1851, he gave £1,000 to start the Disney Professorship of Archaeology at the University of Cambridge. This is a special teaching position for someone who studies archaeology (the study of human history through digging up old sites). The first person to hold this job was John Howard Marsden, chosen by Disney himself. When Disney passed away in 1857, he left an additional £3,500 to help support this Professorship.
The rest of his collection at The Hyde was sold by Christie's auction house after his son, Edgar Disney, died in 1881. The Fitzwilliam Museum bought some of these remaining pieces.
His Family
In 1802, John Disney married his cousin, Sophia Disney-Ffytche. They had three children: two sons named John and Edgar, and a daughter named Sophia. Sadly, their son John died when he was young. Edgar Disney married Barbara Brouncker in 1834. Their daughter Sophia married William Jesse in 1836.
