John Joscelyn
Encyclopedia
John Joscelyn or John Joscelin (1529–1603) was an English clergyman and antiquarian as well as secretary to Matthew Parker
, a Archbishop of Canterbury
during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I of England
. Joscelyn was involved in Parker's attempts to secure and publish medieval manuscripts on church history, and was one of the first scholars of the Old English language. He also studied the early law codes of England. His Old English dictionary, although not published during his lifetime, contributed greatly to the study of that language. Many of his manuscripts and papers eventually became part of the collections of Cambridge University, Oxford University, or the British Library
.
's reign, Joscelyn subscribed to the required church doctrine, and was once more a teacher of Greek during the school year 1556–1557. However, in 1557 he resigned from his fellowship at Queen's College.
acy, and also as his Latin language secretary. The following year Parker gave Joscelyn a prebend in Hereford
, held until 1577. Unusually for the time, besides Greek and Latin Joscelyn was a scholar of Hebrew. From Parker's interest in the history of early Christianity, and to discover more information about the growth of papal power in the Middle Ages, Joscelyn also began to study Old English
(a topic of interest to Parker), and helped the archbishop in his studies of the English pre-Norman Conquest
church. Joscelyn helped discover lost manuscripts, obtained them for Parker, and prepared them for publication. Joscelyn also acquired manuscripts for himself, 40 of which were written in Old English.
Joseclyn often annotated the manuscripts he or Parker owned, and even inserted some pages of faked script into the D manuscript of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle
, and probably owned that manuscript prior to Robert Cotton. His glosses are still extant on several dozen manuscripts, usually in Latin, but occasionally in English. He was, however, also concerned that their collections be properly cared for. He had a good understanding of the law codes of the English Anglo-Saxon
kings, which he used in the preparation of an Old English-Latin dictionary he worked on, but which was never completed. The dictionary was, however, of great help to later Old English scholars, as it passed into the hands of Robert Cotton, and became part of the Cotton Library
as manuscripts Titus A xv and Titus A xvi. Joscelyn's written work on Old English grammar also became part of the Cotton library, but was lost after Cotton loaned the manuscript to William Camden
in 1612.
work De Excidio et Conquestu Britanniae
in 1568, and wrote a history of Corpus Christi College
at Cambridge that remained unpublished until 1880, 200 years after his death. He contributed extensively to Parker's A Testimonie of Antiquitie Shewing the Auncient Fayth in the Church of England, the earliest printed book containing portions in Old English. Joscelyn also contributed a large part of Parker's De Antiquitate Britannicae, published in 1572.
In 1577, Parker's successor gave Joscelyn a rectory at Hollingbourne, Kent, replacing the prebend at Hereford. He died on 28 December 1602, probably at High Roding, and was buried in All Saint's Church in High Roding. He never married.
Joscelyn's contributions to the study of Old English have been called "a significant contribution to the development of the study of the language". Besides his dictionary and grammar, his working notebook also became part of the Cotton library, now manuscript Vitellius D.vii. Other of his manuscripts, either written or acquired by him, were either given to Corpus Christi College by Parker's heirs, or became parts of the British Library
or the Bodleian Library
.
Matthew Parker
Matthew Parker was Archbishop of Canterbury from 1559 until his death in 1575. He was also an influential theologian and arguably the co-founder of Anglican theological thought....
, a 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...
during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I of England
Elizabeth I of England
Elizabeth I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty...
. Joscelyn was involved in Parker's attempts to secure and publish medieval manuscripts on church history, and was one of the first scholars of the Old English language. He also studied the early law codes of England. His Old English dictionary, although not published during his lifetime, contributed greatly to the study of that language. Many of his manuscripts and papers eventually became part of the collections of Cambridge University, Oxford University, or the British Library
British Library
The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom, and is the world's largest library in terms of total number of items. The library is a major research library, holding over 150 million items from every country in the world, in virtually all known languages and in many formats,...
.
Early life
Joscelyn was born in 1529, and was the son of Sir Thomas Joscelin and Dorothy Gate. John was their third son to survive childhood, and was probably born on his father's estate at High Roding, Essex. He attended Queen's College at Cambridge beginning in 1545, attaining a Bachelor's of Arts in 1549. In the school year 1550–1551 he taught Latin at Queen's College, and the following school year he taught Greek. At the end of 1552, he was awarded a Master of Arts. In 1555, during Queen Mary IMary I of England
Mary I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from July 1553 until her death.She was the only surviving child born of the ill-fated marriage of Henry VIII and his first wife Catherine of Aragon. Her younger half-brother, Edward VI, succeeded Henry in 1547...
's reign, Joscelyn subscribed to the required church doctrine, and was once more a teacher of Greek during the school year 1556–1557. However, in 1557 he resigned from his fellowship at Queen's College.
Work for Parker
In 1559 shortly after he was appointed as archbishop, Matthew Parker, the Archbishop of Canterbury, named Joscelyn to a chaplainChaplain
Traditionally, a chaplain is a minister in a specialized setting such as a priest, pastor, rabbi, or imam or lay representative of a religion attached to a secular institution such as a hospital, prison, military unit, police department, university, or private chapel...
acy, and also as his Latin language secretary. The following year Parker gave Joscelyn a prebend in Hereford
Hereford
Hereford is a cathedral city, civil parish and county town of Herefordshire, England. It lies on the River Wye, approximately east of the border with Wales, southwest of Worcester, and northwest of Gloucester...
, held until 1577. Unusually for the time, besides Greek and Latin Joscelyn was a scholar of Hebrew. From Parker's interest in the history of early Christianity, and to discover more information about the growth of papal power in the Middle Ages, Joscelyn also began to study Old English
Old English language
Old English or Anglo-Saxon is an early form of the English language that was spoken and written by the Anglo-Saxons and their descendants in parts of what are now England and southeastern Scotland between at least the mid-5th century and the mid-12th century...
(a topic of interest to Parker), and helped the archbishop in his studies of the English pre-Norman Conquest
Norman conquest of England
The Norman conquest of England began on 28 September 1066 with the invasion of England by William, Duke of Normandy. William became known as William the Conqueror after his victory at the Battle of Hastings on 14 October 1066, defeating King Harold II of England...
church. Joscelyn helped discover lost manuscripts, obtained them for Parker, and prepared them for publication. Joscelyn also acquired manuscripts for himself, 40 of which were written in Old English.
Joseclyn often annotated the manuscripts he or Parker owned, and even inserted some pages of faked script into the D manuscript of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle
Anglo-Saxon Chronicle
The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle is a collection of annals in Old English chronicling the history of the Anglo-Saxons. The original manuscript of the Chronicle was created late in the 9th century, probably in Wessex, during the reign of Alfred the Great...
, and probably owned that manuscript prior to Robert Cotton. His glosses are still extant on several dozen manuscripts, usually in Latin, but occasionally in English. He was, however, also concerned that their collections be properly cared for. He had a good understanding of the law codes of the English Anglo-Saxon
Anglo-Saxon
Anglo-Saxon may refer to:* Anglo-Saxons, a group that invaded Britain** Old English, their language** Anglo-Saxon England, their history, one of various ships* White Anglo-Saxon Protestant, an ethnicity* Anglo-Saxon economy, modern macroeconomic term...
kings, which he used in the preparation of an Old English-Latin dictionary he worked on, but which was never completed. The dictionary was, however, of great help to later Old English scholars, as it passed into the hands of Robert Cotton, and became part of the Cotton Library
Cotton library
The Cotton or Cottonian library was collected privately by Sir Robert Bruce Cotton M.P. , an antiquarian and bibliophile, and was the basis of the British Library...
as manuscripts Titus A xv and Titus A xvi. Joscelyn's written work on Old English grammar also became part of the Cotton library, but was lost after Cotton loaned the manuscript to 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...
in 1612.
Legacy and death
Joscelyn also published an edition of Gildas'Gildas
Gildas was a 6th-century British cleric. He is one of the best-documented figures of the Christian church in the British Isles during this period. His renowned learning and literary style earned him the designation Gildas Sapiens...
work De Excidio et Conquestu Britanniae
De Excidio et Conquestu Britanniae
De Excidio et Conquestu Britanniae is a work by the 6th-century British cleric Gildas. It is a sermon in three parts condemning the acts of Gildas' contemporaries, both secular and religious, whom he blames for the dire state of affairs in sub-Roman Britain...
in 1568, and wrote a history of Corpus Christi College
Corpus Christi College, Cambridge
Corpus Christi College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. It is notable as the only college founded by Cambridge townspeople: it was established in 1352 by the Guilds of Corpus Christi and the Blessed Virgin Mary...
at Cambridge that remained unpublished until 1880, 200 years after his death. He contributed extensively to Parker's A Testimonie of Antiquitie Shewing the Auncient Fayth in the Church of England, the earliest printed book containing portions in Old English. Joscelyn also contributed a large part of Parker's De Antiquitate Britannicae, published in 1572.
In 1577, Parker's successor gave Joscelyn a rectory at Hollingbourne, Kent, replacing the prebend at Hereford. He died on 28 December 1602, probably at High Roding, and was buried in All Saint's Church in High Roding. He never married.
Joscelyn's contributions to the study of Old English have been called "a significant contribution to the development of the study of the language". Besides his dictionary and grammar, his working notebook also became part of the Cotton library, now manuscript Vitellius D.vii. Other of his manuscripts, either written or acquired by him, were either given to Corpus Christi College by Parker's heirs, or became parts of the British Library
British Library
The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom, and is the world's largest library in terms of total number of items. The library is a major research library, holding over 150 million items from every country in the world, in virtually all known languages and in many formats,...
or the Bodleian Library
Bodleian 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...
.