Thomas Amyot facts for kids
Thomas Amyot (born January 7, 1775 – died September 28, 1850) was an English expert in old things and history, known as an antiquarian. He spent his life studying and preserving the past.
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Early Life and Education
Thomas Amyot was born in Norwich on January 7, 1775. His family had roots in the Huguenot people, who were French Protestants. He was expected to become a country lawyer. Amyot started his legal training as an assistant at a law firm in Norwich. After that, he spent a year in London to finish his law studies. He then went back to Norwich to start his career as a lawyer.
A Career in Public Service
Amyot met a very important person named William Windham. He became Windham's helper during the election in 1802. This meeting led to a strong and lasting friendship between them. Even though Windham lost his election in Norwich, he was very impressed by Amyot's skills.
When Windham became a government minister in 1806, he chose Amyot as his private secretary. This meant Amyot helped Windham with all his important work. Because of this new job, Amyot stopped working as a lawyer in Norwich and moved to London. After Windham passed away in 1810, Amyot gathered all of Windham's speeches from Parliament. He then published them in three books in 1812, along with a story about Windham's life.
Working for the Colonies
Thanks to his connections and Windham's friendship, Amyot received several good jobs in the government department that handled colonies. These jobs included being the Registrar of Slaves and the Secretary and Registrar of Records in Upper Canada. For the Canada job, he was allowed to have someone else do the work for him.
These positions gave him financial freedom. He then spent the rest of his life studying English history through archaeology. Archaeology is the study of human history and prehistory through digging up old sites and artifacts.
Joining Important Societies
Amyot was chosen to be a member of the Royal Society in 1824. He also became a member of the Society of Antiquaries of London. In 1823, he became the treasurer of the Society of Antiquaries. He worked very hard to help the society grow. He wrote fifteen important papers for their Transactions publication. Before he died, he was even made a vice-president of the society.
Amyot also helped start the Camden Society, which focused on publishing historical texts. He was one of its leaders from 1839 until he passed away. He also greatly supported other groups like the Percy Society and the Shakespeare Society, which were dedicated to literature.
His Writings
Besides the works mentioned, Amyot also wrote a description of Tewkesbury Abbey. This was published in a book called Vetusta Monumenta (volume five). He also edited an old play called The Old Taming of a Shrew for the Shakespeare Society in 1844. This play was the basis for William Shakespeare's famous comedy.
Later Life and Legacy
Thomas Amyot was well-liked by everyone who knew him. He was knowledgeable, talented, kind, and hardworking. He collected a very impressive library of books. He was always ready to help others with their writing and research. He passed away at his home in London on September 28, 1850.
Around 1806, Amyot married Miss Colman from Norwich. They had eight children together. His wife passed away in 1848.