St John's College H.3 and 4 (James 273, 274)

Richard Butcher, 'Antiquity Revived'. English and Latin, c. 1650

 

Richard Butcher, town clerk of Stamford (b. c. 1587 [1583 in DNB] - 1665?): 'Antiquity revived, settinge forth the anciente and primary habitacions originalls and decents of the Nobillity, Barony and Gentery in the Realme of England and Principallity of Wales accordinge to the severall countyes where in theye were first seated with divers other notes and observations of antiquity'. A drawing of the author in 1648, aged 61 is prefixed to H.3. Some verses in a 'female hand' are attached to this. Butcher's portrait was engraved by Clamp. Part I covers principally the Welsh, western and northern counties. Part II (bound in H.3 with Part I) includes Wiltshire, most of the southern and eastern counties, and London. Camden is drawn upon throughout (the DNB article claims that the work is 'a translation from Camden'), and Stow for London. Part III (H.4) covers Scotland, Ireland and the 'smauler ilandes', concluding with material on Roman Britain, lists of nobles who came over with William I, lists of Saxon kings, earlier names for British towns and villages, and other appendices. Butcher's Survey and antiquitie of the towne of Stamford (Wing B6261) first appeared in 1646. A copy of the chapter on Rutland, c. 1800, is held with the vols.

 

Manuscript extra information

307x210 mm. 2 vols: 397+648 pp. plus index and 501 pp. plus index. College bookplates (eighteenth century) inside both front covers.

A single hand throughout, a few corrections. Paper. Tooled leather on boards.