Francis Tate
Encyclopedia
Francis Tate was an English antiquary and politician, Member of Parliament for Northampton
and Shrewsbury
.
, the second son of Bartholomew Tate (d. 1601) of Delapre, Northamptonshire
, by his wife Dorothy, daughter of Francis Tanfield of Gayton. On 20 December 1577 he matriculated as a commoner at Magdalen College, Oxford
, but left the university without a degree and entered the Middle Temple
. He was called to the bar in 1587, but devoted his attention mainly to antiquarian researches.
He was an original member of the Society of Antiquaries
, and was for some time its secretary; a volume of collections by him (Stowe MS. 1045) is said to consist of matters discussed by the society. In 1601 Tate was returned to parliament for Northampton
. On 22 February 1604 he was placed on commissions of the peace in the counties of Glamorgan, Brecknock, and Radnor, and from 1604 till 1611 he sat in parliament as member for Shrewsbury
. In 1607 he was Lent reader in the Middle Temple, and about the same time was employed as justice itinerant in South Wales.
He died, unmarried, on 11 November 1616. Zouch Tate
was son of Francis Tate's brother, Sir William Tate (d. 1617).
and others, but remained unpublished at his death. John Selden
describes him as ‘multijugæ eruditionis et vetustatis peritissimus.’
Copies of most of Tate's works are extant among the Stowe manuscripts in the British Museum
.
Northampton (UK Parliament constituency)
Northampton was a parliamentary constituency centred on the town of Northampton which existed until 1974.It returned two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom until its representation was reduced to one member for the 1918 general election...
and Shrewsbury
Shrewsbury (UK Parliament constituency)
Shrewsbury was a parliamentary constituency in England, centred on the town of Shrewsbury in Shropshire.It was founded in 1290 as parliamentary borough, returning two members to the House of Commons of England until 1707, then of the House of Commons of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800, and of the...
.
Life
He was born in 1560 at GaytonGayton
-Places:* Gayton, Merseyside* Gayton, Norfolk* Gayton, Northamptonshire* Gayton, Staffordshire* Gayton Engine, Lincolnshire* Gayton le Marsh Lincolnshire* Gayton le Wold Lincolnshire* Gayton Thorpe, Norfolk-Other:...
, the second son of Bartholomew Tate (d. 1601) of Delapre, Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire is a landlocked county in the English East Midlands, with a population of 629,676 as at the 2001 census. It has boundaries with the ceremonial counties of Warwickshire to the west, Leicestershire and Rutland to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshire to the south-east,...
, by his wife Dorothy, daughter of Francis Tanfield of Gayton. On 20 December 1577 he matriculated as a commoner at Magdalen College, Oxford
Magdalen College, Oxford
Magdalen College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. As of 2006 the college had an estimated financial endowment of £153 million. Magdalen is currently top of the Norrington Table after over half of its 2010 finalists received first-class degrees, a record...
, but left the university without a degree and entered the Middle Temple
Middle Temple
The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple, commonly known as Middle Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court exclusively entitled to call their members to the English Bar as barristers; the others being the Inner Temple, Gray's Inn and Lincoln's Inn...
. He was called to the bar in 1587, but devoted his attention mainly to antiquarian researches.
He was an original member of the Society of Antiquaries
Society of Antiquaries
Society of Antiquaries can refer to:*Society of Antiquaries of London*Society of Antiquaries of Scotland*Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle upon Tyne*Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland...
, and was for some time its secretary; a volume of collections by him (Stowe MS. 1045) is said to consist of matters discussed by the society. In 1601 Tate was returned to parliament for Northampton
Northampton (UK Parliament constituency)
Northampton was a parliamentary constituency centred on the town of Northampton which existed until 1974.It returned two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom until its representation was reduced to one member for the 1918 general election...
. On 22 February 1604 he was placed on commissions of the peace in the counties of Glamorgan, Brecknock, and Radnor, and from 1604 till 1611 he sat in parliament as member for Shrewsbury
Shrewsbury (UK Parliament constituency)
Shrewsbury was a parliamentary constituency in England, centred on the town of Shrewsbury in Shropshire.It was founded in 1290 as parliamentary borough, returning two members to the House of Commons of England until 1707, then of the House of Commons of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800, and of the...
. In 1607 he was Lent reader in the Middle Temple, and about the same time was employed as justice itinerant in South Wales.
He died, unmarried, on 11 November 1616. Zouch Tate
Zouch Tate
Zouch Tate was an English Member of Parliament. He represented Northampton in the Long Parliament. In November 1644, he was appointed chairman of a committee to investigate Cromwell's accusations against the army, and on 9 December 1644 he moved the Self-denying Ordinance in the House of Commons,...
was son of Francis Tate's brother, Sir William Tate (d. 1617).
Works
Tate made antiquarian collections which were used by William CamdenWilliam 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...
and others, but remained unpublished at his death. John Selden
John Selden
John Selden was an English jurist and a scholar of England's ancient laws and constitution and scholar of Jewish law...
describes him as ‘multijugæ eruditionis et vetustatis peritissimus.’
- His tract on ‘The Antiquity, Use, and Privileges of Cities, Boroughs, and Towns,’ and his ‘Antiquity, Use, and Ceremonies of laufull Combats in England,’ were both printed in John GutchJohn GutchJohn Gutch was an Anglican clergyman and official of the University of Oxford. He was also an antiquarian, with a particular interest in the history of the university.-Life:...
's ‘Collectanea Curiosa,’ 1781, vol. i. - His treatises on ‘Knights made by Abbots,’ dated 21 June 1606; on the ‘Antiquity of Arms in England,’ dated 2 Nov. 1598; on the ‘Antiquity, Variety, and Ceremonies of Funerals in England,’ dated 30 April 1600; on the ‘Antiquity, Authority, and Succession of the High Steward of England,’ dated 4 June 1603, and his ‘Questions about the Ancient Britons’ are all printed in Thomas HearneThomas HearneThomas Hearne or Hearn , English antiquary, was born at Littlefield Green in the parish of White Waltham, Berkshire.-Life:...
's ‘Curious Discourses,’ 1775. - A treatise ‘Of the Antiquity of Parliaments in England,’ is printed in Several Opinions of Sundry Learned Antiquaries of John DoddridgeJohn DoddridgeSir John Doddridge was an English lawyer, judge and Member of Parliament, known also as an antiquarian and writer...
et al., 1658; and a similar ‘Discourse importing the Assembly of Parliament’ is extant (Harleian MS. 253). - His ‘King Edward II's Household and Wardrobe Ordinances … Englisht by F. Tate,’ was printed by the Chaucer Society in 1876 (2nd series, No. 14).
- Letters to Robert Bruce CottonRobert Bruce CottonSir Robert Bruce Cotton, 1st Baronet was an English antiquarian and Member of Parliament, founder of the important Cotton library....
are extant in Cottonian MS. Julius C iii. ff. 97, 103, and to Camden in Julius F. vii. f. 288. - Anthony WoodAnthony WoodAnthony Wood or Anthony à Wood was an English antiquary.-Early life:Anthony Wood was the fourth son of Thomas Wood , BCL of Oxford, where Anthony was born...
also mentions ‘Nomina Hydarum in com. Northampton,’ as used by Augustine VincentAugustine Vincent-Life:He was born presumably in Northamptonshire, about 1584, third and youngest son of William Vincent and his wife Elizabeth, daughter of John Mabbott of Walgrave, merchant of the staple. He early obtained a post in the Tower of London. He had access to the documents preserved in the Tower, and...
in his ‘Survey of Northamptonshire,’ an ‘Explanation of the abbreviated Words in Domesday Book,’ and a collection of ‘Learned Speeches in Parliaments held in the latter end of Q. Elizabeth and in the Reign of K. James I,’ which have not been traced.
Copies of most of Tate's works are extant among the Stowe manuscripts in the British Museum
British Museum
The British Museum is a museum of human history and culture in London. Its collections, which number more than seven million objects, are amongst the largest and most comprehensive in the world and originate from all continents, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its...
.