Roger Gale (antiquary) facts for kids

Roger Gale (born September 27, 1672 – died June 25, 1744) was an important English scholar and politician. He was known as an antiquary, which means he studied and collected old things like ancient objects and manuscripts. He was also a Whig politician. This means he was part of a political group in England.

Roger Gale served in the English and British Parliament from 1705 to 1713. His father was a professor at Cambridge University, where Roger also studied. After college, Roger worked as a diplomat in France for a short time. He also held a job at Oxford University's Bodleian Library.

When his father passed away in 1702, Roger moved back to his family home. However, he was elected to Parliament in 1705. He continued to work in public service until 1735. After that, he retired to his estates.

Besides his political career, Gale was a member of important groups. These included the Society of Antiquaries and the Royal Society. He was also the treasurer for the Royal Society. Gale was famous for collecting old manuscripts and other historical items. He wrote several books about these subjects. In 1738, he gave his collection of manuscripts to his old college. He died in 1744.

Roger Gale's Early Life and Education

Roger Gale was the oldest son of Thomas Gale and Barbara Pepys. His father was a very important church leader and a Greek professor at Cambridge University. His mother was a cousin of the famous diarist Samuel Pepys. Roger was born on September 27, 1672, in Impington, Cambridgeshire.

Roger had a younger brother, Samuel Gale, who also became an antiquary. His sister, Elizabeth, later married William Stukeley. Roger went to St Paul's School in London. His father was in charge of this school for many years.

After St Paul's, Roger attended Trinity College, Cambridge, starting in 1691. He earned his first degree in 1695 and a master's degree in 1698. He then worked at the Bodleian Library at Oxford University starting in 1699. Later that year, he went to France as a diplomat with Charles Montagu. When his father died in 1702, Roger inherited the family estates in Scruton, North Yorkshire.

Roger Gale's Public Service and Politics

Roger Gale became a Member of Parliament (MP) for Northallerton in December 1705. An MP is a person elected to represent a group of people in the country's Parliament. He was not very active in Parliament at first. However, by 1708, he started to take a more active role. He supported a bill to help trade with America.

In the 1708 election, he was re-elected as a Whig MP. The Whigs were one of the main political parties at the time. In 1709, he supported a law to allow people from Palatine to become British citizens. He also helped with a bill about servants' wages in 1710. Later that year, he voted to remove a doctor named Sacheverell from his position.

He was re-elected for Northallerton in 1710. He voted against a trade agreement with France. He decided not to run for Parliament again in 1713. He said he wanted to avoid that "troublesome post."

After leaving Parliament, he continued in public service. From 1714 to 1715, he worked on a commission dealing with stamp duties. In 1715, he became a commissioner of excise. This meant he helped manage taxes on goods. He stayed in this job until 1735. He was removed from this position by Robert Walpole, a powerful politician. Walpole wanted to give the job to one of his friends.

Gale also played a role in important scholarly groups. He was the first vice-president of the Society of Antiquaries, which started in 1707. In 1717, he became a Fellow of the Royal Society. This is a very respected group for scientists and scholars. He also served as the treasurer of the Royal Society for several years. In 1736, he returned to his family estates and retired from public life.

Roger Gale: A Scholar and Writer

Roger Gale inherited his father's large collection of old manuscripts and books. In 1738, he gave this valuable collection to his old college, Trinity College. His donation included a very rare and complete manuscript of the Liber Eliensis. This is an important historical book.

Gale also collected old coins. He gave his coin collection to Cambridge University. In 1697, Gale translated a French book about medals into English. The book was called The Knowledge of Medals. It was written to help new coin collectors. It also taught them how to avoid fake coins.

In 1709, Gale published his father's work about the Antonine Itinerary. This was an ancient Roman road map. Roger added his own notes and comments to his father's work. His last major published work was editing a 12th-century manuscript. This manuscript was a record of the Honour of Richmond. He also wrote many essays about old topics for the Philosophical Transactions journal. This journal was published by the Royal Society.

Roger Gale's letters have survived over time. Some of them were published in the late 1700s. Later, all his letters were published in three books. These books also included letters from his brother Samuel and his brother-in-law William Stukeley.

In 1781, a writer named John Nichols said Gale was "one of the most learned men of his age." However, some later historians have not agreed as much. They felt his father was a better scholar. Still, Roger Gale's work helped save important historical information. He was part of a new type of antiquary. These scholars didn't just study old manuscripts. They also looked at the landscape and other old things in the countryside. This group helped record information that might have been lost forever.

Roger Gale's Family and Later Life

Roger Gale married Henrietta Roper. She was the daughter of Henry Roper from Kent. Henrietta passed away in 1720. They had one son, Roger Henry Gale, who was born in 1710.

Roger Gale himself died on June 25, 1744. He passed away at his estates in Scruton. He was buried near the church there. He had asked in his will that he be buried in a way that no one would know his exact burial spot. There are portraits of Roger Gale at Trinity College and St Paul's School.