Brian Twyne
Encyclopedia
Brian Twyne was an antiquarian and an academic at the University of Oxford
. After being educated at Corpus Christi College, Oxford
, and becoming a Fellow of the college in 1606, he published his one main work, a history of the university, in 1608. This was designed to prove that Oxford was older than Cambridge University, and has been described by a modern writer as a "remarkable achievement for a young scholar of twenty-eight." His main accomplishment was to play a leading role in the revision of the university statutes under William Laud
(Chancellor of the University of Oxford and Archbishop of Canterbury
). He was rewarded by appointment in 1634 to the new position of Keeper of the Archives
, in which role he obtained a new royal charter for Oxford to confirm its rights and privileges, and helped the university in its disputes with the city authorities.
, Surrey (now part of London). His father was the translator and doctor Thomas Twyne
, and his grandfather was the schoolmaster and antiquarian John Twyne
. He was educated at Corpus Christi College, Oxford
(his father's college), probably after attending the grammar school in Lewes
, Sussex, where his father then lived. He matriculated on about 6 February 1596, taking a place normally kept for a scholar from the county borough
of Southampton
as there was no vacancy for one from the county of Surrey
(under the system at Corpus Christi for admitting students). Taking another county's vacancy was not unusual, however. He obtained his Bachelor of Arts degree on 23 July 1599. Despite the assistance of his father's patron Thomas Sackville, 1st Earl of Dorset
(Lord High Treasurer
and Chancellor of the University), he failed to be elected to a fellowship at Merton College, Oxford
. He studied with the mathematician Thomas Allen
, encountering modern developments in astronomy and navigation, and also learned French, Italian and Hebrew. He became a Fellow of Corpus Christi in 1606, and was ordained in the following year; although he later became vicar
of Rye, Sussex, he stayed in Oxford and the parish duties were undertaken by curate
s.
(Keeper of the Archives
at Oxford 1927–1945) as being "of a controversial character, and not of a kind to establish his reputation as a sound historian." It was the first history of the University of Oxford to appear in print, and addressed a dispute between Oxford and Cambridge Universities as to which was the oldest. Oxford's contention was that it had originally been established at Cricklade
(or "Greeklade") by Trojans and some Greek philosophers under the leadership of Brutus
after the Trojan War
. Cambridge claimed to have been founded by a King Cantaber of Spain in the pre-Christian era, and said that in contrast Oxford had only been founded by Alfred the Great
in the 9th century. In 1603, however, the historian William Camden
published a new edition of the life of Alfred by the 9th-century Welsh monk Asser
. In this edition, Asser was recorded as stating that Alfred had visited Oxford in 886 to settle disputes between students – i.e., the university existed before his visit. This strengthened Oxford's claim to be older than Cambridge.
In the light of Camden's publication, Twyne began collecting material to re-establish Oxford as the senior university. He was given permission by the university to borrow documents for this purpose in May 1606. The work (running to 456 pages in three volumes) relies upon archive documents held by the university, the colleges and the city of Oxford, as well as material from three Oxfordshire abbeys and the works of Homer
, Aristotle
, Cicero
, and other classical authors. He submitted his work for inspection by a university committee in early 1608. It was approved, with one of the four committee members praising the book's style and learning. Gibson described it as "a remarkable achievement for a young scholar of twenty-eight." Nevertheless, it appears from Twyne's records that he had considerable doubts as to the veracity of the material in Camden's edition. Twyne had been unable to find the reference to Alfred's visit to Oxford in any known manuscript of Asser's work, and challenged Camden about it. Camden said that it came from a copy sent to him by Sir Henry Savile, Warden of Merton College, Oxford
. It is now generally thought that Savile was responsible for the passage that made the false claim, and that Camden knew this. One more recent history of the university says that "even in his own time Twyne's opinions on this subject [i.e. when Oxford was founded] were received with amused tolerance by the better informed of English antiquaries."
Twyne dedicated the work to Robert Sackville, 2nd Earl of Dorset
: the 1st Earl had died earlier in 1608. It was published by the university printer, Joseph Barnes, who would have required guarantees for the costs: Gibson's view was that these were probably provided by Thomas Allen, with the Earl paying "the customary honorarium" as dedicatee.
, founded by Thomas Bodley
in 1602. Thomas Twyne, his father, gave books to the library. When Bodley died in 1613, Twyne was one of the contributors to a volume of verse commemorating him: he wrote eight poems in Latin and one in Greek, and recalled a comment by King James I
that Bodley ought to be called "Sir Thomas Godley". However, Twyne was displeased with the work of Thomas James
, the first Bodley's Librarian
, complaining to the library authorities in November 1613 about missing manuscripts, inaccurate records and delays in accessing new acquisitions, and about the librarian's poor attendance and his habit of scattering his papers around the desks. James was admonished for his conduct.
Thomas Anyan became President of Corpus Christi in 1614, and he appointed Twyne as Greek lecturer. By 1623, Twyne had resigned his fellowship, apparently (according to the 17th-century Oxford historian Antony Wood) to avoid having to choose which side to support in a dispute between the college president and the fellows. He did not secure any further academic advancement: he hoped to be appointed Camden Professor of Ancient History
on the death or resignation of Degory Wheare
(the first professor). According to Twyne, Camden promised this to him in a conversation in 1623, and a patent sealed by Camden in March of that year to this effect was read out to the university's governing body in January 1624. Camden, however, wrote to Wheare shortly after the patent was signed and said that he had been tricked by some "foul play" and did not intend to appoint Twyne. In the end, Twyne died three years before Wheare. In 1624, a House of Commons
committee criticised Anyan for, amongst other things, excessive lenience to Twyne for his drunkenness.
The university's statutes at this time were written in the registers of the chancellor and proctors. The chancellor's register dated from 1315, and the contents had been confusingly rearranged by rebinding. The two proctors' registers, which dated from 1407 and 1477, were in better arrangement, but repealed statutes remained next to ones that were current. Twyne was first appointed to a 28-strong committee for revising the statutes in 1614, although nothing came of their work. He led efforts to improve the archives of Corpus Christi in 1627 and 1628, producing 30 volumes of manuscript transcriptions of title deeds. In 1630, Twyne was part of a new delegacy appointed by the new Chancellor of the University William Laud
(who was also Archbishop of Canterbury
) to revise the statutes. The other members were Robert Pink
(Warden of New College
), Thomas James (Bodley's Librarian, later replaced on the committee by Peter Turner), and Richard Zouch
(Regius Professor of Civil Law
). By 1631, a inventory of the university's archives had been made. Twyne, assisted by Zouch, carried out the bulk of the work in drafting new statutes, and it was reported to the university's governing body on 1 September 1633 that work was complete. The Vice-Chancellor asked Turner to make a final revision, and requested that Twyne write a historical account of the previous attempts to reform the statutes as a preface. To Twyne's intense displeasure, the preface that he hurriedly wrote was shortened and rewritten extensively by Turner.
His reward, however, was to be the university's first Keeper of the Archives, appointed on 11 August 1634. The new statute governing the position noted the losses that Oxford had suffered because of the careless keeping of its archives, and the need for an experienced person to take charge of them and to advise the university's officers in defending its interests. He was to be paid not less than £40 annually, with a levy of one shilling from each graduate and undergraduate. Thereafter, he sought to obtain royal confirmation of Oxford's rights and privileges, to keep the city of Oxford
subordinate to the university, and to match the position of Cambridge. A new royal charter was obtained in 1636 to confirm the revised statutes. Under Twyne and his successor as Keeper (Gerard Langbaine
), the archives were moved into one of the rooms in the Tower of the Five Orders in the Bodleian Library; three of the wooden presses that were built at that time to store them are still in use.
Twyne advised the university authorities in their disputes with the city fathers in relation to courts, licensing, markets and other matters. He was "spurred on", according to one historian of the university, by "violent antipathy towards townsmen"; Twyne wrote that they were "too near engrafted into the university to be a body of themselves". As a result, his actions in rejecting even minor claims by the local inhabitants sometimes led to worthless litigation.
, the historian William Camden and Archbishop James Ussher
. A later Keeper of the Archives, Strickland Gibson, described him in 1940 as "one of the greatest of Oxford antiquaries". Twyne's collections, he said, were "one of his greatest achievements, and in themselves a monument." They were used extensively by Antony Wood in his history of the university but (noted Gibson) without proper credit being given. He was, however, disliked intensely by the city authorities for his actions against them. As it happens, many of the town's medieval records were lost in the early 17th century and are only known because Twyne had copied them into his collection.
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
. After being educated at Corpus Christi College, Oxford
Corpus Christi College, Oxford
Corpus Christi College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom...
, and becoming a Fellow of the college in 1606, he published his one main work, a history of the university, in 1608. This was designed to prove that Oxford was older than Cambridge University, and has been described by a modern writer as a "remarkable achievement for a young scholar of twenty-eight." His main accomplishment was to play a leading role in the revision of the university statutes under William Laud
William Laud
William Laud was Archbishop of Canterbury from 1633 to 1645. One of the High Church Caroline divines, he opposed radical forms of Puritanism...
(Chancellor of the University of Oxford and Archbishop of Canterbury
Archbishop of Canterbury
The Archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and principal leader of the Church of England, the symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. In his role as head of the Anglican Communion, the archbishop leads the third largest group...
). He was rewarded by appointment in 1634 to the new position of Keeper of the Archives
Keeper of the Archives
The position of Keeper of the Archives at the University of Oxford in England dates from 1634, when it was established by new statutes for the university brought in by William Laud...
, in which role he obtained a new royal charter for Oxford to confirm its rights and privileges, and helped the university in its disputes with the city authorities.
Education and early career
Brian Twyne was born on or near 25 July 1581 in SouthwarkSouthwark
Southwark is a district of south London, England, and the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Southwark. Situated east of Charing Cross, it forms one of the oldest parts of London and fronts the River Thames to the north...
, Surrey (now part of London). His father was the translator and doctor Thomas Twyne
Thomas Twyne
Thomas Twyne was an Elizabethan translator and a physician of Lewes in Sussex, best known for completing Thomas Phaer's translation of Virgil's Aeneid into English verse after Phaer's death in 1560, and for his 1579 English translation of De remediis utriusque fortunae, a collection of 253 Latin...
, and his grandfather was the schoolmaster and antiquarian John Twyne
John Twyne
John Twyne was an English schoolmaster, scholar and author, and also Member of Parliament for Canterbury.-Life:He was born about 1501 at Bullington, Hampshire, the son of William Twyne...
. He was educated at Corpus Christi College, Oxford
Corpus Christi College, Oxford
Corpus Christi College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom...
(his father's college), probably after attending the grammar school in Lewes
Lewes
Lewes is the county town of East Sussex, England and historically of all of Sussex. It is a civil parish and is the centre of the Lewes local government district. The settlement has a history as a bridging point and as a market town, and today as a communications hub and tourist-oriented town...
, Sussex, where his father then lived. He matriculated on about 6 February 1596, taking a place normally kept for a scholar from the county borough
County borough
County borough is a term introduced in 1889 in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland , to refer to a borough or a city independent of county council control. They were abolished by the Local Government Act 1972 in England and Wales, but continue in use for lieutenancy and shrievalty in...
of Southampton
Southampton
Southampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...
as there was no vacancy for one from the county of Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
(under the system at Corpus Christi for admitting students). Taking another county's vacancy was not unusual, however. He obtained his Bachelor of Arts degree on 23 July 1599. Despite the assistance of his father's patron Thomas Sackville, 1st Earl of Dorset
Thomas Sackville, 1st Earl of Dorset
Thomas Sackville, 1st Earl of Dorset was an English statesman, poet, dramatist and Freemason. He was the son of Richard Sackville, a cousin to Anne Boleyn. He was a Member of Parliament and Lord High Treasurer.-Biography:...
(Lord High Treasurer
Lord High Treasurer
The post of Lord High Treasurer or Lord Treasurer was an English government position and has been a British government position since the Act of Union of 1707. A holder of the post would be the third highest ranked Great Officer of State, below the Lord High Chancellor and above the Lord President...
and Chancellor of the University), he failed to be elected to a fellowship at Merton College, Oxford
Merton College, Oxford
Merton College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Its foundation can be traced back to the 1260s when Walter de Merton, chancellor to Henry III and later to Edward I, first drew up statutes for an independent academic community and established endowments to...
. He studied with the mathematician Thomas Allen
Thomas Allen (mathematician)
Thomas Allen was an English mathematician and astrologer.-Life:He was admitted scholar of Trinity College, Oxford, in 1561; and graduated as M.A. in 1567...
, encountering modern developments in astronomy and navigation, and also learned French, Italian and Hebrew. He became a Fellow of Corpus Christi in 1606, and was ordained in the following year; although he later became vicar
Vicar
In the broadest sense, a vicar is a representative, deputy or substitute; anyone acting "in the person of" or agent for a superior . In this sense, the title is comparable to lieutenant...
of Rye, Sussex, he stayed in Oxford and the parish duties were undertaken by curate
Curate
A curate is a person who is invested with the care or cure of souls of a parish. In this sense "curate" correctly means a parish priest but in English-speaking countries a curate is an assistant to the parish priest...
s.
First history of the University
Twyne published one main work: Antiquitatis academiae Oxoniensis apologia, in 1608. This has been described by Strickland GibsonStrickland Gibson
Strickland Gibson was an English librarian and bibliographer, who also served as Keeper of the Archives at the University of Oxford from 1927 to 1945.-Life:Gibson was born on 27 January 1877...
(Keeper of the Archives
Keeper of the Archives
The position of Keeper of the Archives at the University of Oxford in England dates from 1634, when it was established by new statutes for the university brought in by William Laud...
at Oxford 1927–1945) as being "of a controversial character, and not of a kind to establish his reputation as a sound historian." It was the first history of the University of Oxford to appear in print, and addressed a dispute between Oxford and Cambridge Universities as to which was the oldest. Oxford's contention was that it had originally been established at Cricklade
Cricklade
Cricklade is a town and civil parish on the River Thames in north Wiltshire in England, midway between Swindon and Cirencester.On 25 September 2011 Cricklade was awarded The Royal Horticultural Society's 'Champion of Champions' award in the Britain in Bloom competition.Cricklade is twinned with...
(or "Greeklade") by Trojans and some Greek philosophers under the leadership of Brutus
Brutus of Troy
Brutus or Brute of Troy is a legendary descendant of the Trojan hero Æneas, known in mediæval British legend as the eponymous founder and first king of Britain...
after the Trojan War
Trojan War
In Greek mythology, the Trojan War was waged against the city of Troy by the Achaeans after Paris of Troy took Helen from her husband Menelaus, the king of Sparta. The war is among the most important events in Greek mythology and was narrated in many works of Greek literature, including the Iliad...
. Cambridge claimed to have been founded by a King Cantaber of Spain in the pre-Christian era, and said that in contrast Oxford had only been founded by Alfred the Great
Alfred the Great
Alfred the Great was King of Wessex from 871 to 899.Alfred is noted for his defence of the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of southern England against the Vikings, becoming the only English monarch still to be accorded the epithet "the Great". Alfred was the first King of the West Saxons to style himself...
in the 9th century. In 1603, however, the historian William Camden
William Camden
William Camden was an English antiquarian, historian, topographer, and officer of arms. He wrote the first chorographical survey of the islands of Great Britain and Ireland and the first detailed historical account of the reign of Elizabeth I of England.- Early years :Camden was born in London...
published a new edition of the life of Alfred by the 9th-century Welsh monk Asser
Asser
Asser was a Welsh monk from St David's, Dyfed, who became Bishop of Sherborne in the 890s. About 885 he was asked by Alfred the Great to leave St David's and join the circle of learned men whom Alfred was recruiting for his court...
. In this edition, Asser was recorded as stating that Alfred had visited Oxford in 886 to settle disputes between students – i.e., the university existed before his visit. This strengthened Oxford's claim to be older than Cambridge.
In the light of Camden's publication, Twyne began collecting material to re-establish Oxford as the senior university. He was given permission by the university to borrow documents for this purpose in May 1606. The work (running to 456 pages in three volumes) relies upon archive documents held by the university, the colleges and the city of Oxford, as well as material from three Oxfordshire abbeys and the works of Homer
Homer
In the Western classical tradition Homer , is the author of the Iliad and the Odyssey, and is revered as the greatest ancient Greek epic poet. These epics lie at the beginning of the Western canon of literature, and have had an enormous influence on the history of literature.When he lived is...
, Aristotle
Aristotle
Aristotle was a Greek philosopher and polymath, a student of Plato and teacher of Alexander the Great. His writings cover many subjects, including physics, metaphysics, poetry, theater, music, logic, rhetoric, linguistics, politics, government, ethics, biology, and zoology...
, Cicero
Cicero
Marcus Tullius Cicero , was a Roman philosopher, statesman, lawyer, political theorist, and Roman constitutionalist. He came from a wealthy municipal family of the equestrian order, and is widely considered one of Rome's greatest orators and prose stylists.He introduced the Romans to the chief...
, and other classical authors. He submitted his work for inspection by a university committee in early 1608. It was approved, with one of the four committee members praising the book's style and learning. Gibson described it as "a remarkable achievement for a young scholar of twenty-eight." Nevertheless, it appears from Twyne's records that he had considerable doubts as to the veracity of the material in Camden's edition. Twyne had been unable to find the reference to Alfred's visit to Oxford in any known manuscript of Asser's work, and challenged Camden about it. Camden said that it came from a copy sent to him by Sir Henry Savile, Warden of Merton College, Oxford
Merton College, Oxford
Merton College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Its foundation can be traced back to the 1260s when Walter de Merton, chancellor to Henry III and later to Edward I, first drew up statutes for an independent academic community and established endowments to...
. It is now generally thought that Savile was responsible for the passage that made the false claim, and that Camden knew this. One more recent history of the university says that "even in his own time Twyne's opinions on this subject [i.e. when Oxford was founded] were received with amused tolerance by the better informed of English antiquaries."
Twyne dedicated the work to Robert Sackville, 2nd Earl of Dorset
Robert Sackville, 2nd Earl of Dorset
Robert Sackville, 2nd Earl of Dorset was an English aristocrat and politician, with humanist and commercial interests.-Life:He was the eldest son of Thomas Sackville, 1st Earl of Dorset, by Cecily, daughter of Sir John Baker...
: the 1st Earl had died earlier in 1608. It was published by the university printer, Joseph Barnes, who would have required guarantees for the costs: Gibson's view was that these were probably provided by Thomas Allen, with the Earl paying "the customary honorarium" as dedicatee.
Work at Oxford
Twyne studied manuscripts at the Bodleian LibraryBodleian Library
The Bodleian Library , the main research library of the University of Oxford, is one of the oldest libraries in Europe, and in Britain is second in size only to the British Library...
, founded by Thomas Bodley
Thomas Bodley
Sir Thomas Bodley was an English diplomat and scholar, founder of the Bodleian Library, Oxford.-Biography:...
in 1602. Thomas Twyne, his father, gave books to the library. When Bodley died in 1613, Twyne was one of the contributors to a volume of verse commemorating him: he wrote eight poems in Latin and one in Greek, and recalled a comment by King James I
James I of England
James VI and I was King of Scots as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the English and Scottish crowns on 24 March 1603...
that Bodley ought to be called "Sir Thomas Godley". However, Twyne was displeased with the work of Thomas James
Thomas James
Thomas James was an English librarian, first librarian of the Bodleian Library, Oxford.James became a fellow of New College, Oxford in 1593...
, the first Bodley's Librarian
Bodley's Librarian
The head of the Bodleian Library, the main library at the University of Oxford, is known as Bodley's Librarian: Sir Thomas Bodley, as founder, gave his name to both the institution and the position. Although there had been a university library at Oxford since about 1320, it had declined by the end...
, complaining to the library authorities in November 1613 about missing manuscripts, inaccurate records and delays in accessing new acquisitions, and about the librarian's poor attendance and his habit of scattering his papers around the desks. James was admonished for his conduct.
Thomas Anyan became President of Corpus Christi in 1614, and he appointed Twyne as Greek lecturer. By 1623, Twyne had resigned his fellowship, apparently (according to the 17th-century Oxford historian Antony Wood) to avoid having to choose which side to support in a dispute between the college president and the fellows. He did not secure any further academic advancement: he hoped to be appointed Camden Professor of Ancient History
Camden Professor of Ancient History
The Camden Professorship of Ancient History at the University of Oxford was established in 1622 by William Camden, Clarenceux King of Arms, and endowed with the income of the manor of Bexley. The Chair has been attached to Brasenose College since 1877...
on the death or resignation of Degory Wheare
Degory Wheare
Degory Wheare, also spelt Digory Whear was an historian, the first Camden Professor of Ancient History in the University of Oxford.-Life:...
(the first professor). According to Twyne, Camden promised this to him in a conversation in 1623, and a patent sealed by Camden in March of that year to this effect was read out to the university's governing body in January 1624. Camden, however, wrote to Wheare shortly after the patent was signed and said that he had been tricked by some "foul play" and did not intend to appoint Twyne. In the end, Twyne died three years before Wheare. In 1624, a House of Commons
House of Commons of England
The House of Commons of England was the lower house of the Parliament of England from its development in the 14th century to the union of England and Scotland in 1707, when it was replaced by the House of Commons of Great Britain...
committee criticised Anyan for, amongst other things, excessive lenience to Twyne for his drunkenness.
Statutes and archives
William Laud
William Laud was Archbishop of Canterbury from 1633 to 1645. One of the High Church Caroline divines, he opposed radical forms of Puritanism...
(who was also Archbishop of Canterbury
Archbishop of Canterbury
The Archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and principal leader of the Church of England, the symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. In his role as head of the Anglican Communion, the archbishop leads the third largest group...
) to revise the statutes. The other members were Robert Pink
Robert Pink
Robert Pink D.D. was an English clergyman and academic, a supporter of William Laud as Warden of New College, Oxford and later a royalist imprisoned by Parliament.-Life:...
(Warden of New College
New College, Oxford
New College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom.- Overview :The College's official name, College of St Mary, is the same as that of the older Oriel College; hence, it has been referred to as the "New College of St Mary", and is now almost always...
), Thomas James (Bodley's Librarian, later replaced on the committee by Peter Turner), and Richard Zouch
Richard Zouch
Richard Zouch also Richard Zouche was an English jurist.-Life:He was born at Ansty, Wiltshire, son of Francis Zouche. His mother is said to have been Philippa, sixth daughter of George Ludlow of Hill Deverel, Wiltshire. He was educated at Winchester and afterwards at New College, Oxford, where he...
(Regius Professor of Civil Law
Regius Professor of Civil Law (Oxford)
The Regius Chair of Civil Law, founded in the 1540s, is one of the oldest of the professorships at the University of Oxford.-Foundation:The Regius Chair of Civil Law at Oxford was founded by King Henry VIII, who established five such Regius Professorships in the University, the others being the...
). By 1631, a inventory of the university's archives had been made. Twyne, assisted by Zouch, carried out the bulk of the work in drafting new statutes, and it was reported to the university's governing body on 1 September 1633 that work was complete. The Vice-Chancellor asked Turner to make a final revision, and requested that Twyne write a historical account of the previous attempts to reform the statutes as a preface. To Twyne's intense displeasure, the preface that he hurriedly wrote was shortened and rewritten extensively by Turner.
His reward, however, was to be the university's first Keeper of the Archives, appointed on 11 August 1634. The new statute governing the position noted the losses that Oxford had suffered because of the careless keeping of its archives, and the need for an experienced person to take charge of them and to advise the university's officers in defending its interests. He was to be paid not less than £40 annually, with a levy of one shilling from each graduate and undergraduate. Thereafter, he sought to obtain royal confirmation of Oxford's rights and privileges, to keep the city of Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
subordinate to the university, and to match the position of Cambridge. A new royal charter was obtained in 1636 to confirm the revised statutes. Under Twyne and his successor as Keeper (Gerard Langbaine
Gerard Langbaine the elder
Gerard Langbaine, the elder was an English academic and clergyman, known as a scholar, royalist, and Provost of Queen's College, Oxford during the siege of the city.-Life:...
), the archives were moved into one of the rooms in the Tower of the Five Orders in the Bodleian Library; three of the wooden presses that were built at that time to store them are still in use.
Twyne advised the university authorities in their disputes with the city fathers in relation to courts, licensing, markets and other matters. He was "spurred on", according to one historian of the university, by "violent antipathy towards townsmen"; Twyne wrote that they were "too near engrafted into the university to be a body of themselves". As a result, his actions in rejecting even minor claims by the local inhabitants sometimes led to worthless litigation.
Personal life
Knowledge of Twyne's private life is derived from his frugal habit of reusing blank sides of letters that he received for making notes upon: in this way, some letters to and from his father between 1596 and 1613 have survived. As a student, Twyne wrote assuring his father that he was working hard, and asking for "money, clothes, books and cheese". He complained that his allowance was not enough to employ someone to carry out tasks such as making the fire, but his father was unsympathetic. He also is shown to be a keen lute player. Later, his father raised the issue of marriage, and Twyne was anxious to put forward reasons why his father's suggestion came at the wrong time, because of (for example) his lack of an income. His father's death in 1613 not only freed him from parental pressure to marry, but also (as the only surviving son) led to his inheriting his father's estate; he remained single for the rest of his life.Death and legacy
Twyne died on 4 July 1644, having made a will earlier that day in which he left his books and manuscripts to his college and the university. He made some pecuniary bequests to friends and those who had assisted him in his final illness. His manuscript collections amounted to 24 main volumes (about 12,000 pages) with other supplementary material. He was buried in the chapel of Corpus Christi. A hard-working researcher and collector of manuscripts, he was highly regarded and consulted by the legal scholar John SeldenJohn Selden
John Selden was an English jurist and a scholar of England's ancient laws and constitution and scholar of Jewish law...
, the historian William Camden and Archbishop James Ussher
James Ussher
James Ussher was Church of Ireland Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland between 1625–56...
. A later Keeper of the Archives, Strickland Gibson, described him in 1940 as "one of the greatest of Oxford antiquaries". Twyne's collections, he said, were "one of his greatest achievements, and in themselves a monument." They were used extensively by Antony Wood in his history of the university but (noted Gibson) without proper credit being given. He was, however, disliked intensely by the city authorities for his actions against them. As it happens, many of the town's medieval records were lost in the early 17th century and are only known because Twyne had copied them into his collection.