Robert Nares
Encyclopedia
Robert Nares was an English
clergyman, philologist and author.
(1715-1783), organist of York Minster
and educated at Westminster School
and Christ Church, Oxford
.
From 1779 to 1783 he lived with the family of Sir Watkin Williams-Wynn, 4th Baronet
as tutor to his sons Watkin
and Charles, staying in London and at Wynnstay
, Wrexham
. In June 1782 he became vicar of Easton Maudit
, Northamptonshire
and in 1785 vicar of Great Doddington
, Northamptonshire. From 1786 to 1788 he was Usher
at Westminster School, again as tutor to the Williams-Wynn boys who had been sent there.
In 1787 he was appointed Chaplain to the Duke of York
and in 1788 he was Assistant preacher at Lincoln's Inn
. In 1795 he was appointed Assistant Librarian in the Department of Manuscript at the British Museum
, and four years promoted to Keeper of Manuscripts. He became vicar of Dalbury, Derbyshire
in 1796, rector of Sharnford
, Canon Residentiary of Lichfield Cathedral
and Prebendary
of St Paul's Cathedral
in 1798, Archdeacon of Stafford in 1801 and Vicar of St Mary's, Reading
, from 1805 to 1818 and then of All Hallows, London Wall
until his death in 1829.
He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1803. He was married three times but had no children.
with the assistance of his life-long friend, Rev. William Beloe
. In 1822 he published his principal work, Nares' Glossary, which was described in 1859, by Halliwell and Wright, as indispensable to readers of Elizabethan Literature.
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, philologist and author.
Life
He was born at York in 1753, the son of James NaresJames Nares
James Nares was an English composer of mostly sacred vocal works, though he also composed for the harpsichord and organ....
(1715-1783), organist of York Minster
York Minster
York Minster is a Gothic cathedral in York, England and is one of the largest of its kind in Northern Europe alongside Cologne Cathedral. The minster is the seat of the Archbishop of York, the second-highest office of the Church of England, and is the cathedral for the Diocese of York; it is run by...
and educated at Westminster School
Westminster School
The Royal College of St. Peter in Westminster, almost always known as Westminster School, is one of Britain's leading independent schools, with the highest Oxford and Cambridge acceptance rate of any secondary school or college in Britain...
and Christ Church, Oxford
Christ Church, Oxford
Christ Church or house of Christ, and thus sometimes known as The House), is one of the largest constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England...
.
From 1779 to 1783 he lived with the family of Sir Watkin Williams-Wynn, 4th Baronet
Sir Watkin Williams-Wynn, 4th Baronet
Sir Watkin Williams-Wynn, 4th Baronet was a Welsh politician and patron of the arts.Sir Watkin was the eldest son of the second marriage of his father, Sir Watkin Williams-Wynn, 3rd Baronet, to Frances Shackerley of Cheshire...
as tutor to his sons Watkin
Sir Watkin Williams-Wynn, 5th Baronet
Sir Watkin Williams-Wynn, 5th Baronet was a Welsh politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1794 to 1840....
and Charles, staying in London and at Wynnstay
Wynnstay
Wynnstay was a famous estate in Wales, the family seat of the Wynns. It is located at Ruabon, near Wrexham.During the 17th century, Sir John Wynn, 5th Baronet inherited the Watstay Estate through his marriage to Jane Evans , and renamed it the Wynnstay Estate...
, Wrexham
Wrexham
Wrexham is a town in Wales. It is the administrative centre of the wider Wrexham County Borough, and the largest town in North Wales, located in the east of the region. It is situated between the Welsh mountains and the lower Dee Valley close to the border with Cheshire, England...
. In June 1782 he became vicar of Easton Maudit
Easton Maudit
Easton Maudit is a small village and civil parish in rural Northamptonshire. It takes its name from the Maudit family who purchased the estate at what was then just Easton, in 1131...
, 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,...
and in 1785 vicar of Great Doddington
Great Doddington
Great Doddington is a village and civil parish in Northamptonshire in the United Kingdom, close to Wellingborough and just off the A45. At the time of the 2001 census, the parish's population was 1,061 people....
, Northamptonshire. From 1786 to 1788 he was Usher
Usher (occupation)
Ushers assist visitors by formally showing the way in a large building or to their appropriate seats. This may coincide with a security role. The word comes from the French huissier, with the same meaning , ushers were servants or courtiers who showed or ushered visitors in and out of meetings in...
at Westminster School, again as tutor to the Williams-Wynn boys who had been sent there.
In 1787 he was appointed Chaplain to the Duke of York
Prince Frederick, Duke of York and Albany
The Prince Frederick, Duke of York and Albany was a member of the Hanoverian and British Royal Family, the second eldest child, and second son, of King George III...
and in 1788 he was Assistant preacher at Lincoln's Inn
Lincoln's Inn
The Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn is one of four Inns of Court in London to which barristers of England and Wales belong and where they are called to the Bar. The other three are Middle Temple, Inner Temple and Gray's Inn. Although Lincoln's Inn is able to trace its official records beyond...
. In 1795 he was appointed Assistant Librarian in the Department of Manuscript at 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...
, and four years promoted to Keeper of Manuscripts. He became vicar of Dalbury, Derbyshire
Derbyshire
Derbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. A substantial portion of the Peak District National Park lies within Derbyshire. The northern part of Derbyshire overlaps with the Pennines, a famous chain of hills and mountains. The county contains within its boundary of approx...
in 1796, rector of Sharnford
Sharnford
Sharnford is a village and civil parish in Blaby of Leicestershire. The parish has a population of about 1,000. The village is about four miles east of Hinckley, and is near to Aston Flamville, Wigston Parva and Sapcote....
, Canon Residentiary of Lichfield Cathedral
Lichfield Cathedral
Lichfield Cathedral is situated in Lichfield, Staffordshire, England. It is the only medieval English cathedral with three spires. The Diocese of Lichfield covers all of Staffordshire, much of Shropshire and part of the Black Country and West Midlands...
and Prebendary
Prebendary
A prebendary is a post connected to an Anglican or Catholic cathedral or collegiate church and is a type of canon. Prebendaries have a role in the administration of the cathedral...
of St Paul's Cathedral
St Paul's Cathedral
St Paul's Cathedral, London, is a Church of England cathedral and seat of the Bishop of London. Its dedication to Paul the Apostle dates back to the original church on this site, founded in AD 604. St Paul's sits at the top of Ludgate Hill, the highest point in the City of London, and is the mother...
in 1798, Archdeacon of Stafford in 1801 and Vicar of St Mary's, Reading
Reading Minster
Reading Minster, or the Minster Church of St Mary the Virgin as it is more properly known, is the oldest ecclesiastical foundation in the English town of Reading...
, from 1805 to 1818 and then of All Hallows, London Wall
London Wall
London Wall was the defensive wall first built by the Romans around Londinium, their strategically important port town on the River Thames in what is now the United Kingdom, and subsequently maintained until the 18th century. It is now the name of a road in the City of London running along part of...
until his death in 1829.
He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1803. He was married three times but had no children.
Works
In 1784 he published his first philological work, The Elements of Orthoepy. In 1793 he was founding editor of the British CriticBritish Critic
The British Critic: A New Review was a quarterly publication, established in 1793 as a conservative and high church review journal riding the tide of British reaction against the French Revolution.-High church review:...
with the assistance of his life-long friend, Rev. William Beloe
William Beloe
William Beloe was an English divine and miscellaneous writer.-Biography:He was born at Norwich in 1756, and was the son of a respectable tradesman. His ‘pruriency of parts,’ as he expresses it, led to his receiving a liberal education. After an unsuccessful experiment at a day school in his native...
. In 1822 he published his principal work, Nares' Glossary, which was described in 1859, by Halliwell and Wright, as indispensable to readers of Elizabethan Literature.
External links
- Robert Nares at Nares genealogy project