Samuel Rush Meyrick
Encyclopedia
Sir Samuel Rush Meyrick was an English collector. He lived at Goodrich Court
, Goodrich, Herefordshire
, England
, and introduced the systematic study of arms and armour.
In 1803 Samuel eloped to Wales with Mary Parry against the wishes of his parents and was cut out of his father’s will and forced to live on a small allowance. When his father died in 1805 he left his estate to Samuel’s son Llewellyn.
Samuel did inherit from his father his passion for collecting antiquities including arms and armour and was elected a Fellow of the Society of Antiquities in 1810. During this same year he published History and Antiquities of the County of Cardigan.
After the death of his wife in 1818 he concentrated on building the Meyrick collection by a series of acquisitions of other collections.
In 1824 he published his great work, the 3 volume A critical enquiry into antient armour as it existed in Europe, but particularly in England, from the Norman conquest to the reign of King Charles II, with a glossary of military terms of the middle ages. The book was illustrated in colour with Samuel’s paintings, was beautifully gilded, and solidified his reputation as an authority in the study of arms and armour. With the publication of this book Samuel hoped to rectify some historical inaccuracies that found their way to the displays of armour in the Tower of London and other collections.
In 1828 he built Goodrich Court
, having failed to acquire nearby Goodrich Castle
. There the Meyrick collection was housed in a huge armoury. After helping to reorganise the collections at the Tower of London and Windsor Castle he was knighted in 1832. In 1834 he was appointed High Sheriff of Herefordshire
. In 1837 Llewellyn died and Samuel inherited his estate, providing the funds for yet more collection building.
. He disposed of the collection to a number of private purchasers after first offering it to the British Government, as well as donating some objects to the British Museum
. Many of the important items in Meyrick's collection were purchased by the antiquarian, Augustus Wollaston Franks
, who later also donated them to the British Museum
. Some of the best pieces of his collection can also be found in the Wallace Collection
in London
.
Goodrich Court
Goodrich Court was a 19th century, neo-gothic castle built by the antiquarian Sir Samuel Rush Meyrick in Goodrich, Herefordshire in 1828.Samuel Meyrick was a noted antiquarian with a strong interest in Welsh history and claimed, incorrectly, to be related to the Welsh prince Owain Gwynedd. Meyrick...
, Goodrich, Herefordshire
Goodrich, Herefordshire
Goodrich is a village, in south Herefordshire, England which is very close to Gloucestershire and the Forest of Dean situated near the River Wye at and is famous for its old red sandstone Norman and medieval castle.Not strictly in the Forest of Dean but close enough to count Goodrich is a small...
, England
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...
, and introduced the systematic study of arms and armour.
Life
He was born in 1783 to John and Hannah Meyrick. His father had been an officer in the Honourable Artillery Company and a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries. He was educated at Queens College, Oxford, graduating with a BA in 1804, with a MA/Bachelor of Civil Law (BCL) in 1810 and finally with a Doctor in Civil Law (DCL) in 1811. He practiced as an advocate in ecclesiastical and admiralty courts.In 1803 Samuel eloped to Wales with Mary Parry against the wishes of his parents and was cut out of his father’s will and forced to live on a small allowance. When his father died in 1805 he left his estate to Samuel’s son Llewellyn.
Samuel did inherit from his father his passion for collecting antiquities including arms and armour and was elected a Fellow of the Society of Antiquities in 1810. During this same year he published History and Antiquities of the County of Cardigan.
After the death of his wife in 1818 he concentrated on building the Meyrick collection by a series of acquisitions of other collections.
In 1824 he published his great work, the 3 volume A critical enquiry into antient armour as it existed in Europe, but particularly in England, from the Norman conquest to the reign of King Charles II, with a glossary of military terms of the middle ages. The book was illustrated in colour with Samuel’s paintings, was beautifully gilded, and solidified his reputation as an authority in the study of arms and armour. With the publication of this book Samuel hoped to rectify some historical inaccuracies that found their way to the displays of armour in the Tower of London and other collections.
In 1828 he built Goodrich Court
Goodrich Court
Goodrich Court was a 19th century, neo-gothic castle built by the antiquarian Sir Samuel Rush Meyrick in Goodrich, Herefordshire in 1828.Samuel Meyrick was a noted antiquarian with a strong interest in Welsh history and claimed, incorrectly, to be related to the Welsh prince Owain Gwynedd. Meyrick...
, having failed to acquire nearby Goodrich Castle
Goodrich Castle
Goodrich Castle is a now ruinous Norman medieval castle situated to the north of the village of Goodrich in Herefordshire, England, controlling a key location between Monmouth and Ross-on-Wye...
. There the Meyrick collection was housed in a huge armoury. After helping to reorganise the collections at the Tower of London and Windsor Castle he was knighted in 1832. In 1834 he was appointed High Sheriff of Herefordshire
High Sheriff of Herefordshire
The Sheriff is the oldest secular office under the Crown. Formerly the Sheriff was the principal law enforcement officer in the county but over the centuries most of the responsibilities associated with the post have been transferred elsewhere or are now defunct, so that its functions are now...
. In 1837 Llewellyn died and Samuel inherited his estate, providing the funds for yet more collection building.
Legacy
After Meyrick's death in 1848, Goodrich Court and the Meyrick collection passed to his cousin Augustus Meyrick, who exhibited the collection in 1869 at what is now the Victoria and Albert museumVictoria and Albert Museum
The Victoria and Albert Museum , set in the Brompton district of The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London, England, is the world's largest museum of decorative arts and design, housing a permanent collection of over 4.5 million objects...
. He disposed of the collection to a number of private purchasers after first offering it to the British Government, as well as donating some objects to 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...
. Many of the important items in Meyrick's collection were purchased by the antiquarian, Augustus Wollaston Franks
Augustus Wollaston Franks
Sir Augustus Wollaston Franks KCB was an English antiquary and museum administrator. Franks was described by Marjorie Caygill, historian of the British Museum, as "arguably the most important collector in the history of the British Museum, and one of the greatest collectors of his age".-Early...
, who later also donated them to 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...
. Some of the best pieces of his collection can also be found in the Wallace Collection
Wallace Collection
The Wallace Collection is a museum in London, with a world-famous range of fine and decorative arts from the 15th to the 19th centuries with large holdings of French 18th-century paintings, furniture, arms & armour, porcelain and Old Master paintings arranged into 25 galleries.It was established in...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
Collection
Meyrick's collection of arms and armour included the following pieces:- Meyrick HelmetMeyrick HelmetThe Meyrick Helmet is an Iron Age bronze peaked helmet, with La Tène style decoration, that is held at the British Museum in London. It is one of only two Iron Age helmets to have been discovered in Britain, the other one being the more famous Waterloo Helmet...
- Witham ShieldWitham ShieldThe Witham Shield is an Iron Age decorative bronze shield facing of La Tène style, dating from about the 4th century BC. The shield was discovered in the River Witham in the vicinity of Washingborough and Fiskerton in Lincolnshire, England in 1826...