Richard Rawlinson
Encyclopedia
Richard Rawlinson FRS (February 3, 1690 – April 6, 1755) was an English
clergyman and antiquarian
collector of books and manuscripts, which he bequeathed to the Bodleian Library
, Oxford.
alia. He was educated at St Paul's School, at Eton College
, and at St John's College, Oxford
. In 1714 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society
, where he was inducted by Newton
. In 1716 he was ordained, but as he was a nonjuror (see Nonjuring schism
) and Jacobite
, the ceremony was performed by a non-juring bishop, Jeremy Collier
.
Rawlinson then travelled in England and on the continent of Europe, where he passed several years, making very diverse collections of manuscripts, coins and curiosities, his books alone forming three libraries, English, foreign and Classical. In 1728 he became a bishop among the nonjurors, but he hardly ever appears to have discharged episcopal functions, preferring to pass his time in collecting books and manuscripts, pictures and curiosities. He died at Islington
, London.
Rawlinson was a friend of the antiquarian Thomas Hearne
and, among his voluminous writings, published a Life of the antiquary Anthony Wood
.
Towards the end of his life he quarrelled with both the Royal Society and the Society of Antiquaries. Cutting the Society of Antiquaries from his bequests, he began transferring his collections to the Bodleian. A series of almanacs in 175 volumes, ranging in date from 1607 to 1747 arrived in 1752-55. At his death Rawlinson left to the Library 5,205 manuscripts bound in volumes that include many rare broadsides and other printed ephemera
, his curiosities, and some other property that endowed a professorship of Anglo-Saxon at Oxford. The Rawlinsonian Professor of Anglo-Saxon was first appointed in 1795. He was also a benefactor to St John's College, Oxford
.
A collateral descendent was Sir H. C. Rawlinson, F.R.S., who deciphered cuneiform
.
Richard Rawlinson is buried at St. John's College, Oxford.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
clergyman and antiquarian
Antiquarian
An antiquarian or antiquary is an aficionado or student of antiquities or things of the past. More specifically, the term is used for those who study history with particular attention to ancient objects of art or science, archaeological and historic sites, or historic archives and manuscripts...
collector of books and manuscripts, which he bequeathed to 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...
, Oxford.
Life
He was a younger son of Sir Thomas Rawlinson (1647–1708), Lord Mayor of the City of London in 1705-6, and a brother of Thomas Rawlinson (1681–1725), the bibliophile who ruined himself in the South Sea Company, at whose sale in 1734 Richard bought many of the OrientOrient
The Orient means "the East." It is a traditional designation for anything that belongs to the Eastern world or the Far East, in relation to Europe. In English it is a metonym that means various parts of Asia.- Derivation :...
alia. He was educated at St Paul's School, at Eton College
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
, and at St John's College, Oxford
St John's College, Oxford
__FORCETOC__St John's College is a constituent college of the University of Oxford, one of the larger Oxford colleges with approximately 390 undergraduates, 200 postgraduates and over 100 academic staff. It was founded by Sir Thomas White, a merchant, in 1555, whose heart is buried in the chapel of...
. In 1714 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society
Royal Society
The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, known simply as the Royal Society, is a learned society for science, and is possibly the oldest such society in existence. Founded in November 1660, it was granted a Royal Charter by King Charles II as the "Royal Society of London"...
, where he was inducted by Newton
Isaac Newton
Sir Isaac Newton PRS was an English physicist, mathematician, astronomer, natural philosopher, alchemist, and theologian, who has been "considered by many to be the greatest and most influential scientist who ever lived."...
. In 1716 he was ordained, but as he was a nonjuror (see Nonjuring schism
Nonjuring schism
The nonjuring schism was a split in the Church of England in the aftermath of the Glorious Revolution of 1688, over whether William of Orange and his wife Mary could legally be recognised as King and Queen of England....
) and Jacobite
Jacobitism
Jacobitism was the political movement in Britain dedicated to the restoration of the Stuart kings to the thrones of England, Scotland, later the Kingdom of Great Britain, and the Kingdom of Ireland...
, the ceremony was performed by a non-juring bishop, Jeremy Collier
Jeremy Collier
Jeremy Collier was an English theatre critic, non-juror bishop and theologian.-Life:Born in Stow cum Quy, Cambridgeshire, Collier was educated at Caius College, University of Cambridge, receiving the BA and MA . A supporter of James II, he refused to take the oath of allegiance to William and...
.
Rawlinson then travelled in England and on the continent of Europe, where he passed several years, making very diverse collections of manuscripts, coins and curiosities, his books alone forming three libraries, English, foreign and Classical. In 1728 he became a bishop among the nonjurors, but he hardly ever appears to have discharged episcopal functions, preferring to pass his time in collecting books and manuscripts, pictures and curiosities. He died at Islington
Islington
Islington is a neighbourhood in Greater London, England and forms the central district of the London Borough of Islington. It is a district of Inner London, spanning from Islington High Street to Highbury Fields, encompassing the area around the busy Upper Street...
, London.
Rawlinson was a friend of the antiquarian Thomas Hearne
Thomas Hearne
Thomas Hearne or Hearn , English antiquary, was born at Littlefield Green in the parish of White Waltham, Berkshire.-Life:...
and, among his voluminous writings, published a Life of the antiquary Anthony Wood
Anthony Wood
Anthony 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...
.
Towards the end of his life he quarrelled with both the Royal Society and the Society of Antiquaries. Cutting the Society of Antiquaries from his bequests, he began transferring his collections to the Bodleian. A series of almanacs in 175 volumes, ranging in date from 1607 to 1747 arrived in 1752-55. At his death Rawlinson left to the Library 5,205 manuscripts bound in volumes that include many rare broadsides and other printed ephemera
Ephemera
Ephemera are transitory written and printed matter not intended to be retained or preserved. The word derives from the Greek, meaning things lasting no more than a day. Some collectible ephemera are advertising trade cards, airsickness bags, bookmarks, catalogues, greeting cards, letters,...
, his curiosities, and some other property that endowed a professorship of Anglo-Saxon at Oxford. The Rawlinsonian Professor of Anglo-Saxon was first appointed in 1795. He was also a benefactor to St John's College, Oxford
St John's College, Oxford
__FORCETOC__St John's College is a constituent college of the University of Oxford, one of the larger Oxford colleges with approximately 390 undergraduates, 200 postgraduates and over 100 academic staff. It was founded by Sir Thomas White, a merchant, in 1555, whose heart is buried in the chapel of...
.
A collateral descendent was Sir H. C. Rawlinson, F.R.S., who deciphered cuneiform
Cuneiform
Cuneiform can refer to:*Cuneiform script, an ancient writing system originating in Mesopotamia in the 4th millennium BC*Cuneiform , three bones in the human foot*Cuneiform Records, a music record label...
.
Richard Rawlinson is buried at St. John's College, Oxford.
Further reading
- Georgian R. Tashjian, David R. Tashjian, and Brian J. Enright, 1991. Richard Rawlinson: A Tercentenary Memorial (Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo: Medieval Institute Publications) ISBN 0-932826-23-7