The Digital Ark: Early Modern Collections of Curiosities in England and Scotland, 1580-1700

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Kenelm Digby (11 Jul 1603 - 11 Jun 1665)

An English courtier, diplomat, natural philosopher, and a leading Roman Catholic intellectual. While in Spain, he participated in the marriage negotiations of Charles I, along with Buckingham. He was a member of the Guinea Company and acted as Deputy Governor for a year (Leith-Ross, 169). He is named as a benefactor in Musaeum Tradescantianum. He was a source of objects for others as well, gathered from a privateering expedition in the Mediterranean as well as antiquities from stops in Melos, Delos and Mycenae (Leith-Ross, 169). Peacham names Digby as a source of some of Charles I's marbles: "some of the old Greek marble bases, columns, and altars were brought from the ruins of Apollo's Temple at Delos by that noble and absolutely complete gentleman, Sir Kenelm Digby, knight" (120). Digby also collected books, "was fascinated by chemical experiment," and was "the first to appreciate the importance of oxygen to the life of plants" (Leith-Ross, 170). Dictionary of National Biography entry: http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/7629?docPos=7 Other biography: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenelm_Digby Relevant locations: Visited Spain, Europe
Visited Delos, Greece
Visited Milos , Greece
Visited Mycenae, Greece
Workplace or place of business Guinea, Africa
 Relationships: Kenelm Digby was a associate or acquaintance (general) of Charles I of England (1600-1649)
Kenelm Digby was a source of object(s) for Tradescanti (-)
Kenelm Digby was a associate or acquaintance (general) of George Villiers (1592-1628)

 Linked print sources: as Author (in assoc. with a ms or print source) - De Tribus Impostoribus.
as Author (in assoc. with a ms or print source) - Observations upon Religio Medici.
as Mentioned or referenced by - The Complete Gentleman [1622].
as Mentioned or referenced by - The John Tradescants: Gardeners to the Rose and Lily Queen .
 References in Documents:
Selections from his diary no lesse than 1000 MSS: in 19 Languages, espe[c]ialy Oriental, furnishing that new part of the Library, built by A: Bishop Lawd[*]The western wing (Selden end) of the library was built in 1634-40 during Laud's chancellorship of the university and was at first called 'Laud's library'; he does not appear to have contributed towards its cost, but the collection of manuscripts given by him to the library in 1635-40 (1,299 manuscripts in eighteen languages) was originally kept here with the Digby and Pembroke MSS.: Macray, pp. 81, 83-8; A. Wood, History ... of the University of Oxford, ed. Gutch, 1792-6, ii. 939-42. (Diary, ed. de Beer, vol. 3, p. 107, n. 5): some of Sir Kenhelme Digby,[*]Digby gave 238 manuscripts to the library in 1634: Macray, pp. 78-81. (Diary, ed. de Beer, vol. 3, p. 107, n. 6) & the Earle of Pembroch
Musaeum Tradescantianum (1656) Principall Benefactors to the precedent Collection. {King Charles.} {Queen Mary.} George Duke of Buckingham. Lady Katharine Dutchess of Buck: William Laud Archbishop of Cant: Robert Earle of Salisbury. William Earle of Salisbury. Earle of Carlisle. Lord Viscount Dorchester. Lord Viscount Faulkland. Lord Strange. Lord Goring. Lord Cambden. Countesse of Arundell. Lady Matrevers. Lady Denbeigh. Lady Wootton. 180Musæum Tradescantianum. Lady Mary Villers. Lady Goring. Lady Killegray. Lady Christian Leviston. Sir Thomas Roe. Sir Christopher Hatton. Sir Henry VVootonWooton. Sir Kenelme Digby. Sir Nathanael Bacon. Sir Butts Bacon. Sir Dudly Diggs. Sir Henry Vane. Sir Henry Palmer. Sir Robert Heath. Sir Peter Manwood. Sir John Trever. Sir William Boswell. Sir Clipsby Crew. Sir Alexander Gourdon. Sir James Bagg. Sir David Kirke. Sir Richard Wiseman. Sir John Smith. Sir John Wieldes. Sir Henry Meldree. Musæum Tradescantianum.181 Sir John Aemoote. Lady Roe. Lady Graimes. Doctor Owin. Doctor John Hill. Doctor Thomas Wharton. Doctor William Broad. Doctor Bugg. William Murray Esq. William Curteene Esq. Elias Ashmole Esq. Captain Weddell. Captain Plumbey. Captain Ireland. Captain Cleborne. Captain Prim. Captain Wood. Captain West. Captain Swanley. Captain Adam Denton. Captain Trenchfield. Captain David Atchinson. Mr. Nicolas, Secretary to the Navy. Mr. John Slany Merchant. Mr. Charleton Merchant. 182Musæum Tradescantianum. Mr. James Boovy Merchant. Mr. John Millen. Mr. Thomas Howard. Mr. White of Burntwood. Mr. Ofield. Mr. Ofley. Mr. Greene. Mr. Munke. Mr. Sadler. Mr. Bushell. Mr. Liggon. Mr. George Tomasin. In EEBO copy: Scratched out in original document and has "Thomason" written beside it in ink. Mr. Dells. Mr. Gage. Mr. Pergins. Mr. Robert Martyn. Mr. Trion. Mr. Woolfe. Mr. Browne. Mr. Martin Masters. Mr. Butler. Mr. Phillips. Mr. Harison. Mr. Pette. Mr. Short. Musæum Tradescantianum.183 Mr. Bound. Mr. Stone. Mr. Bartholomew Hagatt. Mr. Reeve. Mr. Francis Cline. Mr. Thomas Herbert. Mr. Rowland Bucket. Mr. Snelling. Mr. Rowe. Mr. Smith. Mr. Butterworth. Mr. le Goulz. Mr. William Martyn. Mr. Lanyon. Mr. Gasper Calthoofe. Mr. William Lambert. Mr. John Benson.