Thomas Astle
Encyclopedia
Thomas Astle was an English antiquary and palaeographer.
on the borders of Needwood Forest
in Staffordshire
, the son of Daniel Astle, keeper of the forest. He was articled to an attorney, but did not follow up his profession, and went to London, where he was employed to make an index to the catalogue of the Harleian manuscripts, printed in 1759, 2 vols, folio.
He was elected a fellow of the Society of Antiquaries
in 1763, and about the same time George Grenville
employed him in the arrangement of papers and other matters which required a knowledge of ancient handwriting, and nominated him, with Sir Joseph Ayloffe and Andrew Coltée Ducarel
, as members of a commission to superintend the regulation of the public records at Westminster. On the death of the two colleagues, John Topham was substituted; he and Astle were removed under Pitt's administration. The same persons were appointed by royal commission in 1764 to superintend the methodising of the records of state and council preserved in the State Paper Office at Whitehall. In 1765 Astle was made receiver-general of sixpence in the pound on the civil list, and on 18 December of the same year he married Anna Maria, the only daughter and heiress of the Rev. Philip Morant
, the historian of Essex
.
In 1766 he was admitted a fellow of the Royal Society
, and in the same year he was consulted by a committee of the House of Lords on the subject of printing the ancient records of parliament. He suggested the employment of his father-in-law in this work, and succeeded him upon his death in 1770. After the death (1775) of Henry Rooke, chief clerk of the Record Office in the Tower, Astle was appointed to his place; and on the decease of Sir John Shelley, keeper of the records, in 1783, obtained the higher office.
On the death of Morant in 1770 he came into possession, through Mrs. Astle, of his father-in-law's library of books and manuscripts as well as of a considerable fortune. He died at his house at Battersea Rise, near London, on 1 December 1803, of dropsy, in his sixty-ninth year. By his wife he had nine children.
literature. He was a conductor of The Antiquarian Repertory, and contributed to the Archaeologia and Vetusta Monumenta
of the Society of Antiquaries. In the latter appeared his contribution on unpublished Scottish seals. The editorship of the Taxatio Ecclesiastica and the Calendarium Rotulorum Patentium (Record Commission, 1802, 2 vols, folio), has been ascribed in error to Astle; John Caley
edited the former work, and Caley with Samuel Ayscough
the latter one.
His printed books, chiefly collected by Morant, were purchased from the executors in 1804, for the sum of £1,000, by the founders of the Royal Institution
. The collection of manuscripts was left by will to the Marquis of Buckingham, in token of the testator's regard for the Grenville family, upon payment of the nominal sum of £500. The marquis caused a room to be erected by John Soane
for their reception at Stowe
.
Astle was an efficient and zealous keeper, working on storage and indexation. A Catalogue of the MSS. in the Cottonian Library ... with an account of the damage sustained by fire in 1731 and a catalogue of the charters preserved was published by Samuel Hooper in 1777, with a dedication to Astle. He had no literary connection with the Will of King Alfred (1788), often said to have been translated by him. Sir Herbert Croft was the editor of this work; the translation and most of the notes were furnished by the Rev. Owen Manning
. Besides many contributions to the Archaeologia between 1763 and 1802, Astle published the following works:
Astle's chief work, The Origin and Progress of Writing, was a contribution to the English literature of palaeography, intended to be a work of diplomatics
. The plates were engraved by Benjamin Thomas Pouncey. The preparation of the text and notes of the edition of the Rotuli Parliamentorum ut et petitiones et placita in Parliamento, etc. [1278-1503], London, 1767–77, 6 vols, folio, was undertaken by Morant and John Topham down to 2nd Henry VI, and after that period by Topham and Astle. Dr. John Strachey saw the volumes through the press. The Will of Henry VII was reproduced by Astle in 1775 from the original in the chapter house at Westminster.
Life
Astle was born on 22 December 1735 at YoxallYoxall
Yoxall is a large village in Staffordshire, England. It is on the banks of the River Swarbourn on the A515 road north of Lichfield and south west of Burton upon Trent...
on the borders of Needwood Forest
Needwood Forest
Needwood Forest was a large area of ancient woodland in Staffordshire which was largely lost at the end of the 18th century.-History:Needwood Forest was a chase or royal forest given to Henry III's son Edmund Crouchback, 1st Earl of Lancaster, in 1266...
in Staffordshire
Staffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
, the son of Daniel Astle, keeper of the forest. He was articled to an attorney, but did not follow up his profession, and went to London, where he was employed to make an index to the catalogue of the Harleian manuscripts, printed in 1759, 2 vols, folio.
He was elected a fellow of the Society of Antiquaries
Society of Antiquaries of London
The Society of Antiquaries of London is a learned society "charged by its Royal Charter of 1751 with 'the encouragement, advancement and furtherance of the study and knowledge of the antiquities and history of this and other countries'." It is based at Burlington House, Piccadilly, London , and is...
in 1763, and about the same time George Grenville
George Grenville
George Grenville was a British Whig statesman who rose to the position of Prime Minister of Great Britain. Grenville was born into an influential political family and first entered Parliament in 1741 as an MP for Buckingham...
employed him in the arrangement of papers and other matters which required a knowledge of ancient handwriting, and nominated him, with Sir Joseph Ayloffe and Andrew Coltée Ducarel
Andrew Ducarel
Andrew Coltee Ducarel , was an English antiquary. He was also member of the College of Civilians who practiced civil law...
, as members of a commission to superintend the regulation of the public records at Westminster. On the death of the two colleagues, John Topham was substituted; he and Astle were removed under Pitt's administration. The same persons were appointed by royal commission in 1764 to superintend the methodising of the records of state and council preserved in the State Paper Office at Whitehall. In 1765 Astle was made receiver-general of sixpence in the pound on the civil list, and on 18 December of the same year he married Anna Maria, the only daughter and heiress of the Rev. Philip Morant
Philip Morant
Philip Morant was an English clergyman, author and historian.He was educated at Abingdon School and Pembroke College, Oxford, eventually taking his Masters Degree at Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge in 1729.Ordained in 1722, he began his association with the county of Essex with a curacy at Great...
, the historian of Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
.
In 1766 he was admitted a fellow of the Royal Society
Royal Society
The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, known simply as the Royal Society, is a learned society for science, and is possibly the oldest such society in existence. Founded in November 1660, it was granted a Royal Charter by King Charles II as the "Royal Society of London"...
, and in the same year he was consulted by a committee of the House of Lords on the subject of printing the ancient records of parliament. He suggested the employment of his father-in-law in this work, and succeeded him upon his death in 1770. After the death (1775) of Henry Rooke, chief clerk of the Record Office in the Tower, Astle was appointed to his place; and on the decease of Sir John Shelley, keeper of the records, in 1783, obtained the higher office.
On the death of Morant in 1770 he came into possession, through Mrs. Astle, of his father-in-law's library of books and manuscripts as well as of a considerable fortune. He died at his house at Battersea Rise, near London, on 1 December 1803, of dropsy, in his sixty-ninth year. By his wife he had nine children.
Collections and works
Astle eventually brought together the most remarkable private collection of manuscripts in the country. Thomas Percy acknowledges his help while investigating balladBallad
A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of British and Irish popular poetry and song from the later medieval period until the 19th century and used extensively across Europe and later the Americas, Australia and North Africa. Many...
literature. He was a conductor of The Antiquarian Repertory, and contributed to the Archaeologia and Vetusta Monumenta
Vetusta Monumenta
Vetusta Monumenta is the title of a published series of illustrated antiquarian papers on ancient buildings, sites, and artefacts, mostly those of Britain, published at irregular intervals between 1718 and 1906 by the Society of Antiquaries of London...
of the Society of Antiquaries. In the latter appeared his contribution on unpublished Scottish seals. The editorship of the Taxatio Ecclesiastica and the Calendarium Rotulorum Patentium (Record Commission, 1802, 2 vols, folio), has been ascribed in error to Astle; John Caley
John Caley
-Life:He was the eldest son of John Caley, a grocer in Bishopsgate Street, London. Acquaintance with Thomas Astle led to a place in the Record Office in the Tower of London. In 1787 he received from Lord William Bentinck, as clerk of the pipe, the keepership of the records in the Augmentation...
edited the former work, and Caley with Samuel Ayscough
Samuel Ayscough
Samuel Ayscough was a librarian and indexer, known as 'The Prince of Indexers'.Ayscough was a cataloguer in the British Museum in the late 18th century, and spent two years working on a catalogue of the manuscript collection...
the latter one.
His printed books, chiefly collected by Morant, were purchased from the executors in 1804, for the sum of £1,000, by the founders of the Royal Institution
Royal Institution
The Royal Institution of Great Britain is an organization devoted to scientific education and research, based in London.-Overview:...
. The collection of manuscripts was left by will to the Marquis of Buckingham, in token of the testator's regard for the Grenville family, upon payment of the nominal sum of £500. The marquis caused a room to be erected by John Soane
John Soane
Sir John Soane, RA was an English architect who specialised in the Neo-Classical style. His architectural works are distinguished by their clean lines, massing of simple form, decisive detailing, careful proportions and skilful use of light sources...
for their reception at Stowe
Stowe
-Places:in Canada:*Stowe, Albertain Dominica:*Stowe, Dominicain the United Kingdom:*Stowe, Buckinghamshire**the location of Stowe House, Stowe Landscape Garden and Stowe School** former location of the Stowe Missal*Stowe, Herefordshire*Stowe, Lincolnshire...
.
Astle was an efficient and zealous keeper, working on storage and indexation. A Catalogue of the MSS. in the Cottonian Library ... with an account of the damage sustained by fire in 1731 and a catalogue of the charters preserved was published by Samuel Hooper in 1777, with a dedication to Astle. He had no literary connection with the Will of King Alfred (1788), often said to have been translated by him. Sir Herbert Croft was the editor of this work; the translation and most of the notes were furnished by the Rev. Owen Manning
Owen Manning
Owen Manning was an English clergyman and antiquarian, known as a historian of Surrey.-Life:Son of Owen Manning of Orlingbury, Northamptonshire, he was born there on 11 August 1721, and received his education at Queens' College, Cambridge, where he graduated B.A. in 1740, M.A. in 1744, and B.D. in...
. Besides many contributions to the Archaeologia between 1763 and 1802, Astle published the following works:
- The Will of King Henry VII, London, 1775, 4to.
- The Origin and Progress of Writing, as well Hieroglyphic as Elementary, illustrated by engravings taken from marbles, manuscripts, and charters, ancient and modern: also some account of the origin and progress of printing, London, 1784, 4to, with 31 plates ; the 'second edition, with additions,' London, 1803, 4to, 31 plates and portrait, contains Appendix on the Radical Letters of the Pelasgians (published separately in 1775)
- An Account of the Seals of the Kings, Royal Boroughs, and Magnates of Scotland, London, 1792, folio, 5 plates ; also published in Vetusta MonumentaVetusta MonumentaVetusta Monumenta is the title of a published series of illustrated antiquarian papers on ancient buildings, sites, and artefacts, mostly those of Britain, published at irregular intervals between 1718 and 1906 by the Society of Antiquaries of London...
, 1796, iii.
Astle's chief work, The Origin and Progress of Writing, was a contribution to the English literature of palaeography, intended to be a work of diplomatics
Diplomatics
Diplomatics , or Diplomatic , is the study that revolves around documentation. It is a study that focuses on the analysis of document creation, its inner constitutions and form, the means of transmitting information, and the relationship documented facts have with their creator...
. The plates were engraved by Benjamin Thomas Pouncey. The preparation of the text and notes of the edition of the Rotuli Parliamentorum ut et petitiones et placita in Parliamento, etc. [1278-1503], London, 1767–77, 6 vols, folio, was undertaken by Morant and John Topham down to 2nd Henry VI, and after that period by Topham and Astle. Dr. John Strachey saw the volumes through the press. The Will of Henry VII was reproduced by Astle in 1775 from the original in the chapter house at Westminster.