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

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Peter Mundy (c. 1596 - c. 1667)

English traveller and factor for the grandfather of the collector William Courten (1642-1702). With Thomas Barlowe and one other friend, visited the Tradescant collection in 1634. Dictionary of National Biography entry: http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/19540 Other biography: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Mundy Relevant locations: Birth place in Penryn, Cornwall
Residence at Penryn, Cornwall
 Relationships: Peter Mundy was a unspecified to William Courten (28 Mar 1642-26 Mar 1702)
Peter Mundy was a visitor to (a person) John, the Elder Tradescant (c.1570s-c.15 Apr 1638)

Thomas Barlowe (-fl. 1630-1638) was a friend of Peter Mundy
Josias Best (bap. 6 Dec 1596-fl. 1638) was a subject of cont. description or discourse by Peter Mundy
William Courten (c.1568-1636) was a employer of Peter Mundy
John Weddell (c.1583-1639/40) was a travelling companion of Peter Mundy
Linked manuscript items: as Visitor - "Itinerarium Mundii [The travel journal of Peter Mundy]," Bodleian Library Rawlinson A 315, Oxford University
 Linked print sources: as Author (in assoc. with a ms or print source) - The Travels of Peter Mundy, in Europe and Asia, 1608-1667.
as Subject of/in a document - The Travels of Peter Mundy, in Europe and Asia, 1608-1667.
 References in Documents:
Peter Mundy's description of the Tradescants' Ark in his travel diary (1634) [4] In a catalogue of the Tradescant collection, published in 1656, these objects are thus described: "Mechanick artificiall Works in Carvings . . . A Cherry-stone, upon on side S. George and the Dragon, perfectly cut: and on the other side 88 Emperours faces . . . Variety of Rarities. Severall sorts of Magnifying glasses: Triangular, Prismes, Cynlinders." Under "Medalls" are enumerated Gold (5), Silver (55), Copper and Lead (52). Musæum Tradescantium; or A Collection of Rarities Preserved at South Lambeth neer London. By J. T. [John Tradescant junior], London, 1656. It is doubtful whether the carved cherry-stone seen by Mundy at Lambeth was sent to Oxford with the rest of the "rarities" handed over to Elias Ashmole by Tradescant’s widow. It is not in existence now, but among the Tradescant specimens at the Ashmolean Museum are six plum or "apricock" stones carved in the same manner with minute figures. A drawing of the cherry-stone is, however, preserved. Mr D. G. Hogarth, Keeper of the Ashmolean Museum, to whom I am indebted for the above information, tells me that under a pencil drawing of the stone in an Ashmole MS at the Bodleian Library (1131-183) is a note in 17th century handwriting (? Ashmole’s) as follows: "The draught of a cherry-stone whereon St George on ye one side and divers heads on the other by Capt. Burgh and given by him to Mr John Tradescant who preserved it amongst the rarities." The drawing shows the two faces of the stone enlarged some 3 diameters, with a sketch of the stone natural size beside. About 80 heads are arranged concentrically on one side. Mr Hogarth is of opinion that the note under the drawing leaves the question open as to whether the stone itself was ever in Tradescant’s hands or only Captain Burgh’s drawing of it. But, judging from Mundy's usual accuracy of statement, I feel convinced that the cherry-stone was among the "rarities" that he actually saw. The particular magnifying glass described by Mundy cannot be traced in the Ashmolean Museum.
Peter Mundy's description of the Tradescants' Ark in his travel diary (1634) [7] I can find no trace of any Job Best at this date, nor does the name Job occur among the various references to the Best family in the 17th century. At the period when Mundy was in London, Thomas Best of Whitehouse Street and his son Josias were both well known inhabitants of Ratcliffe. It is possible (as Mr William Foster suggests) that Josias was familiarly called Jo, and if Mundy heard of him as Mr Jo Best, the mistake is easily explained. It is also extremely probable that the Bests of Whitehouse Street had a collection of "rarieties," since Thomas Best, who served the East India Company from 1613 to 1617, made several voyages to the East. In his will he bequeathed his "est India sword or Seimtary" to his grandson Thomas. See the article in the Dict. Nat. Biog. on Thomas Best, where however the date of his death (August 1639) has not been traced. See also Wills Proved in the P. C. C. (148 Harvey), and Memorials of Stepney Parish (Hill and Frere), addenda to p. 31.
Peter Mundy's description of the Tradescants' Ark in his travel diary (1634) [10] Mundy's estimate of the value of this horn (probably a narwhal's tusk) is greatly in excess of that given in "A true Inventorie and Appraisement of all the Plate now being in the Lower Jewell House in the Tower ... taken 13 August 1649," where is noted "The unicornes hornes weighing 40 lb. 8 oz. valued at 600l. 0s. 0d." See Archaeologia, xv. 274. Paul Hentzner, however, writing in 1598, saw at Windsor Castle "the horn of a unicorn, of above eight spans and a half in length, valued at above 10,000 l." Travels in England, ed. 1892, pp. 72-73. This may have been the horn described by Mundy, but I have failed to trace its transfer to the Tower.