William Bedwell
Encyclopedia
William Bedwell was an English
priest and scholar, specializing in Arabic and other "oriental" languages as well as in mathematics
.
Bedwell was educated at St John's College, Cambridge
. He served the Anglican Church
as Rector of St Ethelburga's Bishopsgate
and Vicar of All Hallows, Tottenham
(known at the time as Tottenham High Cross) from 1607. He was the author of the first local history
of the area, A Briefe Description of the Towne of Tottenham.
He published in quarto an edition of the Epistles of John
in Arabic, with a Latin
version, printed by the heirs of Franciscus Raphelengius
at Antwerp in 1612. He also left many Arabic manuscripts to the University of Cambridge
and a font of type for printing them. According to McClure, it was Bedwell, and not Thomas Van Erpen, who was the first to revive the study of Arabic literature
in Europe. His uncompleted preparations for an Arabic Lexicon were eclipsed by the publication of a similar work by Jacobus Golius
in 1653. Bedwell's manuscripts were loaned, following his death, to the University of Cambridge
, where they were consulted by Edmund Castell
during the creation of the monumental Lexicon Heptaglotton (1669). Another manuscript, for a Dictionary of Persian, was in the possession of William Laud
, Archbishop of Canterbury
, and now resides at the Bodleian Library
. Besides his Arabic Epistles of John, his most well-known published work was A Discovery of the Impostures of Mahomet and of the Koran, (1615). He was among the "First Westminster Company" charged by James I of England
with the translation of the first 12 books of the King James Version of the Bible
.
Bedwell also invented a ruler for geometrical purposes, similar to the Gunter's scale. He died at his vicarage at the age of 72.
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...
priest and scholar, specializing in Arabic and other "oriental" languages as well as in mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
.
Bedwell was educated at St John's College, Cambridge
St John's College, Cambridge
St John's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. The college's alumni include nine Nobel Prize winners, six Prime Ministers, three archbishops, at least two princes, and three Saints....
. He served the Anglican Church
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
as Rector of St Ethelburga's Bishopsgate
St Ethelburga's Bishopsgate
St Ethelburga-the-Virgin within Bishopsgate is a Church of England church in the City of London, located on Bishopsgate near Liverpool Street station.-History:...
and Vicar of All Hallows, Tottenham
All Hallows, Tottenham
All Hallows is an Anglican church in Tottenham, North London. It is one of the oldest buildings in the London Borough of Haringey, being built as All Saints Church in the 12th century. It was re-dedicated as All Hallows in the 15th century, standing adjacent to Bruce Castle and Tottenham Cemetery...
(known at the time as Tottenham High Cross) from 1607. He was the author of the first local history
Local history
Local history is the study of history in a geographically local context and it often concentrates on the local community. It incorporates cultural and social aspects of history...
of the area, A Briefe Description of the Towne of Tottenham.
He published in quarto an edition of the Epistles of John
Epistles of John
Three books in the New Testament, thought to have been written between 90-100, are collectively called the Epistles of John:*First Epistle of John*Second Epistle of John*Third Epistle of JohnThe traditional author of these letters is John the Evangelist....
in Arabic, with a Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
version, printed by the heirs of Franciscus Raphelengius
Franciscus Raphelengius
Frans van Ravelingen, latinized to Franciscus Raphelengius, , was a Flemish-born Dutch scholar, printer and bookseller, based in Leiden. He held the chair in Hebrew at Leiden from 1587, and also had knowledge of Arabic and Persian. He wrote an Arabic-Latin lexicon, which was published posthumously...
at Antwerp in 1612. He also left many Arabic manuscripts to the University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
and a font of type for printing them. According to McClure, it was Bedwell, and not Thomas Van Erpen, who was the first to revive the study of Arabic literature
Arabic literature
Arabic literature is the writing produced, both prose and poetry, by writers in the Arabic language. The Arabic word used for literature is adab which is derived from a meaning of etiquette, and implies politeness, culture and enrichment....
in Europe. His uncompleted preparations for an Arabic Lexicon were eclipsed by the publication of a similar work by Jacobus Golius
Jacobus Golius
Jacob Golius , was a Dutch Orientalist and mathematician....
in 1653. Bedwell's manuscripts were loaned, following his death, to the University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
, where they were consulted by Edmund Castell
Edmund Castell
Edmund Castell was an English orientalist.He was born at Tadlow, in Cambridgeshire. At the age of fifteen he entered Emmanuel College, Cambridge, gaining his BA in 1624-5 and his MA in 1628. Appointed Professor of Arabic in 1666, with the full title 'Sir Thomas Adams Professor of Arabic'. He...
during the creation of the monumental Lexicon Heptaglotton (1669). Another manuscript, for a Dictionary of Persian, was in the possession of William Laud
William Laud
William Laud was Archbishop of Canterbury from 1633 to 1645. One of the High Church Caroline divines, he opposed radical forms of Puritanism...
, 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...
, and now resides at 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...
. Besides his Arabic Epistles of John, his most well-known published work was A Discovery of the Impostures of Mahomet and of the Koran, (1615). He was among the "First Westminster Company" charged by James I of England
James I of England
James VI and I was King of Scots as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the English and Scottish crowns on 24 March 1603...
with the translation of the first 12 books of the King James Version of the Bible
King James Version of the Bible
The Authorized Version, commonly known as the King James Version, King James Bible or KJV, is an English translation of the Christian Bible by the Church of England begun in 1604 and completed in 1611...
.
Bedwell also invented a ruler for geometrical purposes, similar to the Gunter's scale. He died at his vicarage at the age of 72.