William Oldys facts for kids

Quick facts for kids William Oldys
Portrait of Oldys, published 1795, by John Sewell. Engraved after an unknown original.
Born	14 July 1696 London
Died	15 April 1761 College of Arms, London

William Oldys (born July 14, 1696 – died April 15, 1761) was an English antiquarian and bibliographer. An antiquarian is someone who studies old things, like ancient objects or historical records. A bibliographer is a person who studies and lists books, often creating detailed lists of them. Oldys was known for his deep knowledge of books and history.

Early Life and Challenges

William Oldys was likely born in London. His father, also named William Oldys, was a respected lawyer who worked for the admiralty, which deals with sea-related laws. However, his father lost his job because he refused to prosecute sailors who had served under King James II.

Young William Oldys faced financial difficulties early in his life. He lost some of his family's money in a big financial event called the South Sea Bubble. This was a time in 1720 when many people invested in a company called the South Sea Company, hoping to get rich quickly. But the company's value crashed, and many investors, including Oldys, lost a lot of money.

After this, in 1724, Oldys moved to Yorkshire and spent about six years living with the Earl of Malton. When he returned to London, he discovered that his landlord had sold many of his valuable books and papers. Among these was a special copy of a book called Dramatick Poets, which had many of Oldys's own notes written in it. This book later helped create a famous work called Lives of the Poets (1753).

Working with Books and History

In 1731, Oldys sold his collections to Edward Harley, 2nd Earl of Oxford and Earl Mortimer. Harley was a wealthy collector of books and manuscripts. He hired Oldys in 1738 to be his literary secretary, which meant Oldys helped him manage and organize his vast library.

After Harley passed away three years later, Oldys began working for booksellers. He helped them find, organize, and understand old books. Despite his hard work, Oldys sometimes struggled with money. In 1751, he was held in the Fleet prison because he could not pay his debts. He stayed there for two years until his friends helped him by paying off what he owed, allowing him to be released.

Later Career and Contributions

In April 1755, Oldys received an important appointment. He became a Norfolk Herald Extraordinary and then a Norroy King of Arms. These are special roles within the College of Arms, which is the official body in England that deals with heraldry. Heraldry is the study of coats of arms and family histories.

William Oldys made significant contributions to literature and history. In 1738, he published The British Muse, which was one of the very first collections of poetry to be published in Britain. From 1747 to 1760, he also wrote twenty-two articles for the Biographia Britannica, a large collection of biographies about famous British people. His work helped preserve and share knowledge about many important historical figures and literary works.

Images for kids

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  Portrait of Oldys, published 1795, by John Sewell. Engraved after an unknown original.