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

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Aaron Goodyear ( - 1715)

A prosperous merchant with an interest in collecting antiquities, actively trading in Aleppo as early as 1670 and active in Palymra in 1678. In 1698 he published in the Philosophical Transactions an account of the death of a fellow merchant, Mr. Robert Burdett, by snake bite, which he himself witnessed. He was evidently a partner of Timothy Lanoy: the Philosophical Transactions published their account of their journeys of 1678 and 1691 as "An Extract of the Journals of Two Several Voyages of the English Merchants of the Factory of Aleppo, to Tadmor, Anciently Call'd Palmyra." The introduction to their account describes those involved in this expedition to "rediscover" Palymra as
being generally Men of more than ordinary Birth and Education, [who] have not been wanting (as the intervals of leisure from their gainful Traffick would permit) to make Voyages of Curiosity, to visit the celebrated Remains of Antiquity in those Parts, whereby the once flourishing State of the World, under the Roman Empire is abundantly evinced. And being inform'd by the Natives, that the Ruins of the City of Tadmor [Palmyra] were more considerable than any they had yet seen, they were tempted to enterprize this hazardous and painful Voyage over the Desart (129).


In the year of its founding in 1683, Goodyear donated to the Ashmolean Museum a "mummy contained in an inscribed coffin" (MacGregor, 1). The Museum's Book of Benefactors describes him as a merchant trading with Turkey and, alongside Ashmole himself, "a most worthy model for later benefactors" (MacGregor, 4). In 1684, Goodyear presented the Bodleian Library with more than forty coins (Mills, 146).

Goodyear was buried in Chelsea in 1715. Nine years previously Ralph Palmer, of Little Chelsea, had written to his nephew, Lord Fermanagh: "Your old acquaintance, Aaron Goodyear, is in a lamentable condition at Richmond" (Beaver,117). At one point, he was a neighbour of Samuel Pepys. Relevant locations: Lived at or near Little Chelsea , Middlesex
Workplace or place of business Aleppo, Syria
Workplace or place of business Palymra, Syria
 Relationships: Aaron Goodyear was a donor to Ashmolean Museum (1683-)
Aaron Goodyear was a brother of Moses Goodyear (before 1696-c. 14 Mar 1728)
Aaron Goodyear was a associate or acquaintance (general) of Timothy Lannoy (-1718)
Aaron Goodyear was a neighbour of Ralph Palmer (1635-1 Feb 1715/6)
Aaron Goodyear was a neighbour of Samuel Pepys (23 Feb 1633-26 May 1703)

John Verney (1640-1717) was a associate or acquaintance (general) of Aaron Goodyear
Linked print sources: as Author (in assoc. with a ms or print source) - An Extract of the Journals of Two Several Voyages of the English Merchants of the Factory of Aleppo, to Tadmor, Anciently Call'd Palmyra.
as Mentioned or referenced by - A Commerce of Knowledge: Trade, Religion, and Scholarship Between England and the Ottoman Empire, 1600-1760.
as Mentioned or referenced by - Memorials of Old Chelsea: a new history of the village of palaces.
as Mentions or references - Ashmolean Museum Oxford: Manuscript Catalogues of the Early Museum Collections, 1683-1886 (Part I).
as Subject of/in a document - The rediscovery of Palmyra and its dissemination in Philosophical Transactions.
 References in Documents:
MS Book of Benefactors (MacGregor, ed.)

Aaron Goodyear, citizen of London and a merchant trading with Turkey, was, after Ashmole, a most worthy model for later benefactors. From a natural impulse of nobility, and at the opening of this museum, he donated an entire human body, known as a mummy, which was brought from Alexandria. The outside is inscribed and decorated with characters and several hieroglyphic figures; the inside is preserved with bitumen and spices in the Egyptian manner; it is covered with plaster and bandages to protect it from decay.

MS Book of Benefactors (MacGregor, ed.)

Robert Huntington was Professor of Theology, Fellow of Merton College, Oxford, and Provost of Trinity College, Dublin, in Ireland. Once a chaplain to the English traders in Aleppo, he left for Egypt and obtained, at great expense and effort, two moderately large stone reliefs with hieroglyphic characters and pictures, and with as much enthusiasm to rival his friend Goodyear, gave them to this Museum.

An Exact and particular Account of the rarities in the Anatomy School (Oxford MS Rawlinson C. 865) [*]Given by Aaron Goodyear 1681.