John Josias Conybeare facts for kids

John Josias Conybeare (born in 1779, died in 1824) was a very smart scholar. He was the older brother of William Daniel Conybeare, who was also famous. John Josias was especially good at studying Anglo-Saxon, which is an old form of the English language.

He was a talented student who went to Christ Church, Oxford, a famous university. After his studies, he became a vicar, which is a type of priest, in a place called Batheaston.

He also held important teaching jobs at the University of Oxford. From 1808 to 1812, he was the Rawlinsonian Professor of Anglo-Saxon. This meant he taught about the old English language. Later, from 1812 to 1821, he became the Professor of Poetry.

What Did John Josias Conybeare Write?

John Josias Conybeare was known for his important writings. He translated parts of Beowulf into English and Latin poetry in 1814. Beowulf is a very old and famous epic poem from Anglo-Saxon times.

His most famous work was published after he died, in 1826. It was called Illustrations of Anglo-Saxon Poetry. This book helped many people understand old English poems better.

His Interest in Geology

Like his brother, John Josias Conybeare was also interested in geology. Geology is the study of Earth's physical structure and substances. He wrote papers about geology for scientific magazines. These included the Annals of Philosophy and the Transactions of the Geological Society of London.

His Lectures at Oxford

In 1824, John Josias Conybeare gave special lectures at Oxford called the Bampton Lectures. These lectures were published later that same year, after he passed away. The book was titled An attempt to trace the History and ascertain the Limits of the Secondary and Spiritual Interpretation of Scripture. It explored how religious texts could be understood in different ways.