Misplaced Pages

#100899

76-475: The earliest contemporary reference to a route down the valley comes from John Leland , antiquarian to King Henry VIII , who travelled to Wales in 1538. In describing Nant Gwynant, he wrote: "The trees were so thick that a man on a white horse could not be seen from Llyn y Dinas to Pen y Gwryd." In 1802 Williams Williams described it as “a road, or rather a mere right of passage”. He continued: "Through this charming valley, like all other mountainous unimproved roads,

152-627: A British settlement at the top of the hill (close to which "much Romaine mony is found"), the Saxon and medieval town further south, and a more recent riverside development at Wigford. He was able to judge that the existing fabric of Ripon Minster "indubitately was made sins the Conquest ". He correctly distinguished what he called "Briton brykes" (actually Roman bricks ) at several geographically dispersed sites, including Verulamium , Richborough , Lympne , Dover Castle , Canterbury , and Bewcastle . He

228-410: A campsite at Hafod y Llan. 53°02′15″N 4°02′50″W  /  53.0374°N 4.0471°W  / 53.0374; -4.0471 John Leland (antiquary) John Leland or Leyland (13 September, c.  1503  – 18 April 1552) was an English poet and antiquary . Leland has been described as "the father of English local history and bibliography". His Itinerary provided

304-581: A charter from King George II in 1751. In 1780 King George III granted the society apartments in Somerset House , and in 1874 it moved into its present accommodation in Burlington House , Piccadilly. The society was governed by a council of twenty and a president who is ex officio a trustee of the British Museum . In addition, a number of local historical and archaeological societies have adopted

380-482: A degree of ridicule (see below ), and since the mid-19th century the term has tended to be used most commonly in negative or derogatory contexts. Nevertheless, many practising antiquaries continue to claim the title with pride. In recent years, in a scholarly environment in which interdisciplinarity is increasingly encouraged, many of the established antiquarian societies (see below ) have found new roles as facilitators for collaboration between specialists. "Antiquary"

456-659: A few fragmentary notes survive. Leland kept notebooks on his travels, in which he entered and assessed information from personal observation, and from books, charters and oral sources. It is this material which we now know as his 'Itinerary'. In the 1906–10 edition, the Itinerary runs to five printed volumes. It comprises rough notes and very early drafts, the raw materials for a more digested description of England and Wales – Leland would not have envisaged publishing it in anything like its present form. The county on which he appears to have made greatest progress in organising his material

532-400: A formal appointment as "king's antiquary": however, it is now understood to have been merely Leland's own preferred way of describing himself. There is no evidence that he personally oversaw the relocation of the books to their new home or received a librarian's wages. What he did do was to compile his lists of important volumes, and to take measures to encourage their preservation. Even after

608-451: A hole worlde of thinges very memorable. He also described what use he intended to make of the information he had accumulated. He noted four projects: Of these projects, De uiris illustribus was already largely complete (it was written in two phases, in c.  1535 –36 and c.  1543 –46), but the others would never come to fruition. Polydore Vergil appears to have suggested that Leland had been unrealistically over-ambitious: he

684-500: A literary form are organised by topic, and any narrative is short and illustrative, in the form of anecdotes . Major antiquarian Latin writers with surviving works include Varro , Pliny the Elder , Aulus Gellius , and Macrobius . The Roman emperor Claudius published antiquarian works, none of which is extant. Some of Cicero 's treatises, particularly his work on divination , show strong antiquarian interests, but their primary purpose

760-471: A pseudonym for Vergil, was a type-name drawn from Juvenal for a wretched and dreary hack-poet.) He followed this with a longer published work, the Assertio inclytissimi Arturii regis Britannia (1544). In both texts, Leland drew on a wide range of literary, etymological, archaeological and oral sources to defend the historicity of Arthur. Although his central belief was flawed, his work preserved much evidence for

836-486: A series of journeys which lasted six years. Probably over the summer of 1538 (though there may also have been earlier and/or later trips), he made an extended excursion through Wales. He subsequently made a number of journeys in England: the exact sequence and their dates are again uncertain, but there seem to have been five major English itineraries, taken over the summers of the years 1539 to 1543. His one firmly dated itinerary

SECTION 10

#1732854735101

912-451: A small number of errors by Toulmin Smith. Carley's introduction to the above volume incorporates the fullest and most up-to-date information on Leland's life and work. Antiquary An antiquarian or antiquary (from Latin antiquarius  'pertaining to ancient times') is an aficionado or student of antiquities or things of the past. More specifically, the term

988-576: A unique source of observations and raw materials for many subsequent antiquaries, and introduced the county as the basic unit for studying the local history of England, an idea that has been influential ever since. Most evidence for Leland's life and career comes from his own writings, especially his poetry. He was born in London on 13 September, most probably in about 1503, and had an older brother, also named John. Having lost both his parents at an early age, he and his brother were raised by Thomas Myles. Leland

1064-468: Is a new and authoritative edition (with English translation) of the work previously published by Hall as Commentarii de Scriptoribus Britannicis . This edition, based on Toulmin Smith's, rearranges Leland's topographical descriptions of England (with Wales added in the second edition) in county chapters, and renders them in modern English. It is less authoritative for scholarly purposes, but considerably more accessible and easier to navigate. It also corrects

1140-467: Is not breathed into it than it enjoyed originally. Facts, dates and names will never please the multitude, unless there is some style and manner to recommend them, and unless some novelty is struck out from their appearance. The best merit of the Society lies in their prints; for their volumes, no mortal will ever touch them but an antiquary. Their Saxon and Danish discoveries are not worth more than monuments of

1216-547: Is one of the oldest known catalogues to systematically describe and classify ancient artefacts which were unearthed. Another catalogue was the Chong xiu Xuanhe bogutu ( 重修宣和博古圖 ) or "Revised Illustrated Catalogue of Xuanhe Profoundly Learned Antiquity" (compiled from 1111 to 1125), commissioned by Emperor Huizong of Song (r. 1100–1125), and also featured illustrations of some 840 vessels and rubbings. Interests in antiquarian studies of ancient inscriptions and artefacts waned after

1292-604: Is that of 1542, which took him to the West Country . By that date he had been on a tour to the north-west, which went via the Welsh marches to Cheshire , Lancashire and Cumberland ; while other itineraries took him to the west Midlands , the north-east (reaching Yorkshire and County Durham ), and the Bristol region. He probably explored the south-east in shorter excursions. He is not known to have toured East Anglia , for which only

1368-467: Is the exploration of philosophical questions. Roman-era Greek writers also dealt with antiquarian material, such as Plutarch in his Roman Questions and the Deipnosophistae of Athenaeus . The aim of Latin antiquarian works is to collect a great number of possible explanations, with less emphasis on arriving at a truth than in compiling the evidence. The antiquarians are often used as sources by

1444-497: Is used for those who study history with particular attention to ancient artefacts , archaeological and historic sites , or historic archives and manuscripts . The essence of antiquarianism is a focus on the empirical evidence of the past, and is perhaps best encapsulated in the motto adopted by the 18th-century antiquary Sir Richard Colt Hoare , "We speak from facts, not theory." The Oxford English Dictionary first cites " archaeologist " from 1824; this soon took over as

1520-730: The " Quarrel of the Ancients and the Moderns " in England and France, the antiquaries were firmly on the side of the "Moderns". They increasingly argued that empirical primary evidence could be used to refine and challenge the received interpretations of history handed down from literary authorities. By the end of the 19th century, antiquarianism had diverged into a number of more specialised academic disciplines including archaeology , art history , numismatics , sigillography , philology , literary studies and diplomatics . Antiquaries had always attracted

1596-578: The Cadw/ICOMOS Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in Wales . Bryn Gwynant is a Victorian country house which operates as a youth hostel . The house is not listed, but its gardens are listed at Grade II on the Cadw/ICOMOS register. Llyn Gwynant is used, like many lakes in north Wales, as a watersports facility by local education authorities . Access to the water is provided from

SECTION 20

#1732854735101

1672-584: The Dissolution of the Monasteries , Leland did not abandon his hunt for books. For instance, he obtained official permission to avail himself of the library belonging to the defunct monastery of Bury St Edmunds . The descriptions of Britain which he encountered in the manuscripts, however, and his personal experiences of travel, also sparked off fresh interests. By about 1538, Leland had turned his attention to English and Welsh topography and antiquities, embarking on

1748-534: The Hottentots ; and for Roman remains in Britain, they are upon a foot with what ideas we should get of Inigo Jones , if somebody was to publish views of huts and houses that our officers run up at Senegal and Goree . Bishop Lyttelton used to torment me with barrows and Roman camps, and I would as soon have attended to the turf graves in our churchyards. I have no curiosity to know how awkward and clumsy men have been in

1824-708: The Society of Antiquaries of London (founded in 1707) retain their historic names. The term "antiquarian bookseller" remains current for dealers in more expensive old books. During the Song dynasty (960–1279), the scholar Ouyang Xiu (1007–1072) analyzed alleged ancient artefacts bearing archaic inscriptions in bronze and stone , which he preserved in a collection of some 400 rubbings . Patricia Ebrey writes that Ouyang pioneered early ideas in epigraphy . The Kaogutu ( 考古圖 ) or "Illustrated Catalogue of Examined Antiquity" (preface dated 1092) compiled by Lü Dalin ( 呂大臨 ) (1046–1092)

1900-417: The 1530s and 1540s, the royal library was reorganised to accommodate hundreds of books that were previously kept in monastic collections. Leland himself describes how Henry's palaces at Greenwich , Hampton Court and Westminster were adapted for the purpose. Leland's part in this is uncertain. In humanist fashion, Leland styled himself antiquarius , a title which was at one time interpreted as referring to

1976-418: The 20th century. C. R. Cheney , writing in 1956, observed that "[a]t the present day we have reached such a pass that the word 'antiquary' is not always held in high esteem, while 'antiquarianism' is almost a term of abuse". Arnaldo Momigliano in 1990 defined an antiquarian as "the type of man who is interested in historical facts without being interested in history". Professional historians still often use

2052-523: The Arthurian tradition that might otherwise have been lost. Leland's material provides invaluable evidence for reconstructing the lost "tomb monument" of Arthur (thought to be a fabrication of the twelfth century) at Glastonbury Abbey . He was probably also responsible for making a drawing of the lead cross that identified the grave as Arthur's, afterwards published as a woodcut in the 1607 edition of Camden's Britannia . On his itinerary of 1542, Leland

2128-700: The Hafod Lwyfog land to the National Trust in anticipation of the establishment of the Snowdonia National Park . A campsite now operates at the head of Llyn Gwynant, and the balance of the farm is managed as a conservation estate by descendants of Sir Clough Williams-Ellis . Between the two lakes is Hafod-y-Llan (bought by the National Trust in 1998) with the Watkin Path climbing above Afon Cwm Llan to

2204-452: The King for January 1546, but James Carley has shown that it must have been composed in late 1543 or early 1544 (so that if it was presented at the new year, which is not certain, it would have been in 1544). In the letter, Leland reported on his endeavours to preserve books, and the extent and thoroughness of his travels through England and Wales: I have so travelid yn yowr dominions booth by

2280-515: The Romans as the "systematic collections of all the relics of the past" faded. Antiquarianism's wider flowering is more generally associated with the Renaissance , and with the critical assessment and questioning of classical texts undertaken in that period by humanist scholars. Textual criticism soon broadened into an awareness of the supplementary perspectives on the past which could be offered by

2356-573: The Song dynasty, but were revived by early Qing dynasty (1644–1912) scholars such as Gu Yanwu (1613–1682) and Yan Ruoju (1636–1704). In ancient Rome , a strong sense of traditionalism motivated an interest in studying and recording the "monuments" of the past; the Augustan historian Livy uses the Latin monumenta in the sense of "antiquarian matters." Books on antiquarian topics covered such subjects as

Nant Gwynant - Misplaced Pages Continue

2432-790: The Yorkist claimant to the throne (d. 1525). He proceeded to Lambeth, London, serving Thomas Howard, 2nd Duke of Norfolk , as tutor to his son Thomas . When the duke died in 1524, the king sent Leland to Oxford , where as Anthony Wood later claimed from tradition, he became a fellow of All Souls College . He would later deplore the state of education at Oxford, which he felt was too conservative in its approach to classical studies. Between 1526 and 1528, Leland proceeded to Paris , studying along with many fellow expatriates, both English and German. His original plan to study in Italy, too, never succeeded. Leland honed his skills at composing Latin poetry and sought

2508-680: The acquaintance of humanist scholars whom he much admired, such as Guillaume Budé and Jacques Lefèvre d'Étaples . A scholar of particular importance for Leland was François Dubois (Silvius), professor at the Collège de Tournai , who had a profound effect on his poetic as well as antiquarian interests. While in France, Leland kept in touch with his friends and sponsors in England, probably including Thomas Wolsey (d. 1530), Cardinal and Lord Chancellor, who made him rector at Laverstoke , Hampshire. By 1529, Leland had returned to England. When Wolsey fell from

2584-510: The ancient historians, and many antiquarian writers are known only through these citations. Despite the importance of antiquarian writing in the literature of ancient Rome , some scholars view antiquarianism as emerging only in the Middle Ages . Medieval antiquarians sometimes made collections of inscriptions or records of monuments, but the Varro-inspired concept of antiquitates among

2660-549: The antiquaries' interests, was nonetheless emphatic in his insistence that the study of cultural relics should be selective and informed by taste and aesthetics . He deplored the more comprehensive and eclectic approach of the Society of Antiquaries, and their interest in the primitive past. In 1778 he wrote: The antiquaries will be as ridiculous as they used to be; and since it is impossible to infuse taste into them, they will be as dry and dull as their predecessors. One may revive what perished, but it will perish again, if more life

2736-582: The antiquary, William Burton . Burton subsequently managed to recover several of the items given to Hales, and in 1632 and 1642–3 donated most of the collection—comprising the Collectanea , De scriptoribus and several of the Itinerary notebooks—to the Bodleian Library , Oxford, where the volumes remain. The Leland Trail is a 28-mile (45 km) footpath , which follows the footsteps of John Leland as he traversed South Somerset between 1535 and 1543 in

2812-593: The benefit of guests at The Chalet , his summer retirement home in the woods. Another National Trust property in the valley is Craflwyn. It stands below the hill of Dinas Emrys to which according to tradition, in retreat with his adviser Myrddin Emrys, came an unhappy Vortigern , the Romano-British King who first encountered the Anglo Saxon immigrants. The house is not listed but the gardens are designated Grade II on

2888-1236: The better for being mouldy and worme-eaten"), in Jean-Siméon Chardin 's painting Le Singe Antiquaire ( c.  1726 ), in Sir Walter Scott 's novel The Antiquary (1816), in the caricatures of Thomas Rowlandson , and in many other places. The New Dictionary of the Terms Ancient and Modern of the Canting Crew of c.  1698 defines an antiquary as "A curious critic in old Coins, Stones and Inscriptions, in Worm-eaten Records and ancient Manuscripts, also one that affects and blindly dotes, on Relics, Ruins, old Customs Phrases and Fashions". In his "Epigrams", John Donne wrote of The Antiquary: "If in his study he hath so much care To hang all old strange things Let his wife beware." The word's resonances were close to those of modern terms for individuals with obsessive interests in technical minutiae, such as nerd , trainspotter or anorak . The connoisseur Horace Walpole , who shared many of

2964-564: The costumes or material culture of past eras, but who are perceived to lack much understanding of the cultural values and historical contexts of the periods in question. A College (or Society) of Antiquaries was founded in London in c.  1586 , to debate matters of antiquarian interest. Members included William Camden , Sir Robert Cotton , John Stow , William Lambarde , Richard Carew and others. This body existed until 1604, when it fell under suspicion of being political in its aims, and

3040-517: The course of his investigation of the region's antiquities. The Leland Trail begins at King Alfred's Tower on the Wiltshire / Somerset border and finishes at Ham Hill Country Park . Leland's prose writings, published and unpublished, include: Leland's writings are an invaluable primary source , not only for the local history and the geography of England, but also for literary history , archaeology , social history , and economic history . This

3116-947: The custody of Sir John Cheke . John Bale consulted some of them at this time. Cheke fell from favour on the accession of Queen Mary , and departed for mainland Europe in 1554: from that point onwards, and continuing after Cheke's death in 1557, the library was dispersed. Books were acquired by collectors including Sir William Cecil , William, Lord Paget , John Dee and Archbishop Matthew Parker . Leland's own manuscript notebooks were inherited by Cheke's son, Henry, and in 1576 they were borrowed and transcribed by John Stow , allowing their contents to begin to circulate in antiquarian circles. Antiquaries who gained access to them through Stow included William Camden , William Harrison , Robert Glover and Francis Thynne . The original notebooks passed from Henry Cheke to Humphrey Purefoy, and so (following his death in 1598) to Humphrey's son Thomas, who divided many of them between his two cousins John Hales and

Nant Gwynant - Misplaced Pages Continue

3192-473: The dawn of arts or in their decay. In his essay "On the Uses and Abuses of History for Life" from his Untimely Meditations , philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche examines three forms of history . One of these is "antiquarian history", an objectivising historicism which forges little or no creative connection between past and present. Nietzsche's philosophy of history had a significant impact on critical history in

3268-577: The earliest archaeological field report. Leland was a staunch patriot, and believed firmly in the historical veracity of King Arthur . He therefore took offence when the Italian scholar Polydore Vergil cast doubts on certain elements in the Arthurian legend in his Anglica Historia (published in 1534). Leland's first response was an unpublished tract, written perhaps in 1536, the Codrus sive Laus et Defensio Gallofridi Arturii contra Polydorum Vergilium . ("Codrus",

3344-442: The evidential value for their researches of non-textual sources, including seals and church monuments . Many early modern antiquaries were also chorographers : that is to say, they recorded landscapes and monuments within regional or national descriptions. In England, some of the most important of these took the form of county histories . In the context of the 17th-century scientific revolution , and more specifically that of

3420-678: The ex- Carmelite churchman and fellow antiquary John Bale , who much admired his work and offered his assistance. In 1536, not long after the Suppression of Religious Houses Act 1535 commanding the dissolution of lesser monasteries was passed, Leland lamented the spoliation of monastic libraries and addressed Thomas Cromwell in a letter seeking aid for the rescue of books. He complained that The Germans perceive our desidiousness, and do send daily young scholars hither that spoileth [books], and cutteth them out of libraries, returning home and putting them abroad as monuments of their own country. In

3496-469: The historian were those of the philosophical and literary reinterpretation of received narratives. Jan Broadway defines an antiquary as "someone who studied the past on a thematic rather than a chronological basis". Francis Bacon in 1605 described readings of the past based on antiquities (which he defined as "Monuments, Names, Wordes, Proverbes, Traditions, Private Recordes, and Evidences, Fragments of stories, Passages of Bookes, that concerne not storie, and

3572-492: The king appears to have entrusted Leland with a document, "a moste gratius commission" (or principis diploma as he called it in Latin), which authorized him to examine and use the libraries of all religious houses in England. Leland spent the next few years travelling from house to house, for the most part shortly before they were dissolved, compiling numerous lists of significant or unusual books in their libraries. About 1535, he met

3648-523: The king's favour in that year, Leland appears to have sought the patronage of Thomas Cromwell , a relationship which would help explain his rising fortunes over the next few years. He was appointed one of the chaplains to King Henry VIII , who gave him the rectory of Peuplingues (Pepeling), in the marshes of Calais (though he may never have visited the place). In 1533, Leland received papal dispensation for four benefices, on condition that he became subdeacon within two years and priest within seven. He

3724-422: The like") as "unperfect Histories". Such distinctions began to be eroded in the second half of the 19th century as the school of empirical source-based history championed by Leopold von Ranke began to find widespread acceptance, and today's historians employ the full range of techniques pioneered by the early antiquaries. Rosemary Sweet suggests that 18th-century antiquaries ... probably had more in common with

3800-402: The mid-1540s, Leland wrote a letter to Henry VIII in which he outlined his achievements so far, and his future plans. It was subsequently published by John Bale in 1549 (with Bale's own additional commentary) under the title The laboryouse journey & serche of Johan Leylande for Englandes antiquitees . The letter has traditionally (following Bale) been regarded as a "New Year's gift" to

3876-439: The origin of customs, religious rituals , and political institutions ; genealogy ; topography and landmarks; and etymology . Annals and histories might also include sections pertaining to these subjects, but annals are chronological in structure, and Roman histories , such as those of Livy and Tacitus , are both chronological and offer an overarching narrative and interpretation of events. By contrast, antiquarian works as

SECTION 50

#1732854735101

3952-502: The professional historian of the twenty-first century, in terms of methodology, approach to sources and the struggle to reconcile erudition with style, than did the authors of the grand narratives of national history. In many European languages, the word antiquarian (or its equivalent) has shifted in modern times to refer to a person who either trades in or collects rare and ancient antiquarian books ; or who trades in or collects antique objects more generally. In English, however, although

4028-460: The road is very bad, circuitous, and winding, and absolutely impassable when the floods are violent after a fall of rain ..." Soon afterwards it was improved, and in 1808 George Nicholson wrote: "A new turnpike-road is completed to Beddgellart. This drive exhibits a wonderful variety of sublime scenery. The new road is excellent, and conveys the traveller amid Snowdonia along the banks of several beautiful lakes." The upper section of Nant Gwynant, from

4104-409: The roadside lay-bys. At the eastern end of the valley is a crag called Clogwyn y Wenallt which has some steep climbing routes, one of which is 'Lockwoods Chimney'; this is named after Arthur Lockwood, who was the tenant, then owner of Pen-y-Gwryd hotel (one mile further up the valley) from 1909 to 1945. There is a lakeside campsite at the north east end of Llyn Gwynant. The National Trust also has

4180-429: The se costes and the midle partes, sparing nother labor nor costes, by the space of these vi. yeres paste, that there is almoste nother cape, nor bay, haven, creke or peere, river or confluence of rivers, breches, waschis, lakes, meres, fenny waters, montaynes, valleis, mores, hethes, forestes, wooddes, cities, burges, castelles, principale manor placis, monasteries, and colleges, but I have seene them; and notid yn so doing

4256-639: The site of the Roman fort and marching camp situated at the junction with the modern A4086 Caernarfon to Capel Curig road, follows the valley of Nant Cynnyd to a viewpoint (in about a mile) overlooking the Cwm Dyli hydro-electric power station, which was built in 1899/1900 by the North Wales Power and Traction Company to supply electricity to the Porthmadog, Beddgelert and South Snowdon Railway that failed before it

4332-462: The study of coins , inscriptions and other archaeological remains, as well as documents from medieval periods. Antiquaries often formed collections of these and other objects; cabinet of curiosities is a general term for early collections, which often encompassed antiquities and more recent art, items of natural history, memorabilia and items from far-away lands. The importance placed on lineage in early modern Europe meant that antiquarianism

4408-469: The summit of Snowdon . The path passes through South Snowdon Quarry, which was later the intended destination of that never completed narrow gauge railway from Porthmadog. The path, which was ceremonially opened on 13 September 1892 by William Ewart Gladstone , the then Prime Minister , was specially constructed for Sir Edward Watkin , railway entrepreneur and Victorian pioneer of the Channel Tunnel for

4484-414: The term "antiquarian" in a pejorative sense, to refer to historical studies which seem concerned only to place on record trivial or inconsequential facts, and which fail to consider the wider implications of these, or to formulate any kind of argument. The term is also sometimes applied to the activities of amateur historians such as historical reenactors , who may have a meticulous approach to reconstructing

4560-575: The terms "antiquarian book" and "antiquarian bookseller" are widely used, the nouns "antiquarian" and "antiquary" very rarely carry this sense. An antiquarian is primarily a student of ancient books, documents, artefacts or monuments. Many antiquarians have also built up extensive personal collections in order to inform their studies, but a far greater number have not; and conversely many collectors of books or antiques would not regard themselves (or be regarded) as antiquarians. Antiquaries often appeared to possess an unwholesome interest in death, decay, and

4636-636: The time of Henry's death, "he fell besides his wits". Leland was certified insane in March 1550 and died, still mentally deranged, on 18 April 1552, aged about 48. Leland was buried in the church of St Michael-le-Querne near his home. However the church was destroyed in the Great Fire of London in 1666, and not rebuilt, and so Leland's tomb has been lost. Following Leland's death or (more probably) his descent into madness, King Edward VI arranged for Leland's library, including many medieval manuscripts, to be placed in

SECTION 60

#1732854735101

4712-539: The unfashionable, while their focus on obscure and arcane details meant that they seemed to lack an awareness both of the realities and practicalities of modern life, and of the wider currents of history. For all these reasons they frequently became objects of ridicule. The antiquary was satirised in John Earle 's Micro-cosmographie of 1628 ("Hee is one that hath that unnaturall disease to bee enamour'd of old age, and wrinkles, and loves all things (as Dutchmen doe Cheese)

4788-496: The usual term for one major branch of antiquarian activity. "Archaeology", from 1607 onwards, initially meant what is now seen as " ancient history " generally, with the narrower modern sense first seen in 1837. Today the term "antiquarian" is often used in a pejorative sense, to refer to an excessively narrow focus on factual historical trivia, to the exclusion of a sense of historical context or process. Few today would describe themselves as "antiquaries", but some institutions such as

4864-563: The valuable rectory of Great Haseley , Oxfordshire . The year following he preferred him to a canonry of King's College, now Christ Church, Oxford , and about the same time, collated him to a prebend in the church of Sarum . He was an absentee pluralist, with the income and leisure to pursue his interests. He retired with his collections to his house in the parish of St Michael-le-Querne , adjoining Cheapside , London, where he intended to work on his various projects. However, in February 1547 near

4940-482: Was Kent . "Let this be the firste chapitre of the booke", he wrote; "The King hymself was borne yn Kent. Kent is the key of al Englande." John Bale later listed an Itinerarium Cantiae (Itinerary of Kent) among Leland's writings. Although Leland's Itinerary notes remained unpublished until the eighteenth century, they provided a significant quarry of data and descriptions for William Camden 's Britannia (first edition, 1586), and many other antiquarian works. In

5016-417: Was "a vaynegloryouse persone, whyche woulde promyse more, than ever he was able or intended to perfourme". Leland was concerned to record evidence for the history of England and Wales as it was visible in the landscape, and he therefore took pains to note all kinds of archaeological remains, including megaliths , hillforts , and Roman and medieval ruins. He came across several Roman inscriptions , though he

5092-480: Was abolished by King James I . Papers read at their meetings are preserved in Cotton's collections , and were printed by Thomas Hearne in 1720 under the title A Collection of Curious Discourses , a second edition appearing in 1771. In 1707 a number of English antiquaries began to hold regular meetings for the discussion of their hobby and in 1717 the Society of Antiquaries was formally reconstituted, finally receiving

5168-501: Was appointed prebendary of Wilton Abbey in Wiltshire in 1535 and received two adjacent benefices. Leland and Nicholas Udall composed verses to be read or recited at the pageant of Anne Boleyn 's arrival in London in 1533, which was staged for the occasion of her coronation. Their common patron was probably Thomas, Duke of Norfolk and Cornwall. The poets worked together again during 1533 and 1534, when Leland contributed verses for Udall's Floures for Latine Spekynge . In 1533,

5244-594: Was completed. The power station however still uses the waters of Llyn Llydaw to generate electricity for the National Grid (UK) . A mile further and the road passes Hafod Lwyfog, the summer homestead built in the 1540s, the birthplace of Sir John Williams , goldsmith to King James I , who in 1610 presented the Church of St Mary in Beddgelert with a fine chalice. In 1938, the then owner, Clough Williams-Ellis presented part of

5320-404: Was educated at St Paul's School , London, under its first headmaster, William Lily . It was here that he already met some of his future benefactors, notably William Paget . Leland was subsequently sent to Christ's College, Cambridge , graduating in 1522 (BA). While studying there, he was for a short time imprisoned, having accused a certain knight of collaborating with Richard de la Pole ,

5396-456: Was normally content to record surface remains and recovered artefacts, but on one occasion he adopted a more interventionist approach. At the hillfort at Burrough Hill , Leicestershire, he pulled some stones from the gateway to establish whether it had been walled or not: they were mortared with lime, which persuaded him that it had been. The account included in Leland's Itinerary may be regarded as

5472-464: Was often closely associated with genealogy , and a number of prominent antiquaries (including Robert Glover , William Camden , William Dugdale and Elias Ashmole ) held office as professional heralds . The development of genealogy as a " scientific " discipline (i.e. one that rejected unsubstantiated legends, and demanded high standards of proof for its claims) went hand-in-hand with the development of antiquarianism. Genealogical antiquaries recognised

5548-456: Was perceived to exist between the interests and activities of the antiquary and the historian . The antiquary was concerned with the relics of the past (whether documents , artefacts or monuments ), whereas the historian was concerned with the narrative of the past, and its political or moral lessons for the present. The skills of the antiquary tended to be those of the critical examination and interrogation of his sources, whereas those of

5624-577: Was the first to record the tradition (possibly influenced by the proximity of the villages of Queen Camel and West Camel ) identifying the hillfort of Cadbury Castle in Somerset as Arthur's Camelot : At the very south ende of the chirch of South-Cadbyri standeth Camallate, sumtyme a famose toun or castelle, apon a very torre or hille, wunderfully enstregnthenid of nature.... The people can telle nothing ther but that they have hard say that Arture much resortid to Camalat. In 1542, Henry presented Leland with

5700-455: Was the usual term in English from the 16th to the mid-18th centuries to describe a person interested in antiquities (the word "antiquarian" being generally found only in an adjectival sense). From the second half of the 18th century, however, "antiquarian" began to be used more widely as a noun, and today both forms are equally acceptable. From the 16th to the 19th centuries, a clear distinction

5776-539: Was unable to read most of them, complaining of one that it was made up of "letters for whole words, and 2. or 3. letters conveid in one". He often reported finds of coins, writing of Richborough , Kent, for example, that more Roman money had been discovered there "then in any place els of England". He investigated and recorded building materials in some detail. He was sometimes able to make astute and informed deductions from what he saw. At Lincoln , for example, he identified three phases of urban development, beginning with

#100899