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

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Stephen Tempest (1654 - 1742)

Probably the Stephen Tempest who donated several objects to Thoresby's collection and who was a member of the junior branch of the the Tempest family of Yorkshire and Lancashire. This Stephen Tempest is a descendant of Sir Stephen Tempest (1553-1625), who was knighted by King James on 9 July 1603, and built the manor house at Broughton in 1597. His grandson, also named Stephen, died without issue in 1670, and the Broughton estates passed to his nephew, the Stephen of concern here. This Stephen "was lord of the manor for 70 years and was responsible for greatly improving the house and gardens, building lakes and bridges, before his death in 1742" (from archival summary of "Papers of the Tempest family of Bolton" held at Hull University Archives on ArchivesHub).
Other Links: archiveshub.jisc.ac.uk/data/gb50-uddca/uddca4 - Archives Hub. Papers of the Tempest family of Bolton (fourth deposit of papers of the Stapleton family, Lords Beaumont, of Carlton Towers), 1723-1897. Papers of the Stapleton (incorporating Errington and Tempest) Family, Lords Beaumont, of Carlton Towers. Hull University Archives, Hull History Centre. GB 50 U DDCA4 Relevant locations: Lived at or near Broughton, Craven
Relationships: Stephen Tempest was a donor to Ralph Thoresby (1658-1725)

Linked print sources: as Mentions or references - Ducatus Leodiensis; or the topography of the town and parish of Leedes and parts adjacent ...
References in Documents:
Thoresby, Musaeum Thoresbyanum (1713)

Five smooth Stones found with above fifty more in a Bag near the Heart in the upper Ventricle of a fat Cow, that was kill'd An. 1701. at Adwick near Doncaster, and were brought me thence by Jasper Blythman Esq; Recorder of Leedes and Doncaster. Four larger found in the Belly of an Ox in Craven, and sent me by Step. Tempest Esq; they are four Inches round.

Thoresby, Musaeum Thoresbyanum (1713)

Variety of Copper and Lead Ores from very distant Mines, and some of Tin with Mundick and Pyrites; most of them the Gift of the learned and ingenious Dr. Woodward, as a Copper Ore from Westmoreland; another (with Spar) from Cornwal; a third from Mr. Basset's Mine; a 4th (with Tin in it) from a different Mine of Mr. Basset's; a 5th from Sir. Will. Godolphin's, all in the said County; a 6th with Spar pretty rich in Tin. A Copper Ore from Devonshire; and another from Cheshire. One from the Mines near Richmond in Yorkeshire. Another very rich. Don. R. Gale Arm. One that I brought from Talentire in Cumberland. Another sent me by Ste. Tempest of Broughton, in Craven Esq;. But the greatest Curiosity relating to this Metal was sent me from Sweden by Mr. William Sykes Merchant, An 1688, when (and never else, as I am informed) several of them were found in the Copper Grove at Fallum: it is a most regular Octoedra, hath six angular Points, and consequently eight solid Triangles, or as many Pyramids joined in Base; the Figure of it may be seen in the Phil. Trans. N° 277. It is not unusual for Metals, as well as their Fluores or Spars, to strike into various and exact Mathematical Figures, wherein Nature seems to attempt what she hath brought to Perfection in this, which is the most curious, and in the Opinion of most competent Judges, beyond any Thing that hath been seen in its Kind. My Lord Bishop of Carlisle obliged me with a Specimen of Lead Ore and Sulphur pick'd up at the Out-bursts of their several Veins that have begun to shoot out in such regular Forms.

Thoresby, Musaeum Thoresbyanum (1713)

An Indian Arrow with a Flint Head, of an Orange Colour, in the Form of those called Elves-Arrows in Scotland. This Arrow (which is two Foot two Inches long) is only feathered on two Sides. It was brought from the Indies by Capt. John Wood, who presented the Bow and the Rest of the Arrows to King James II. Don. Step. Tempest de Broughton Arm.

Thoresby, Musaeum Thoresbyanum (1713)

Amongst the British Curiosities, I had formerly placed the Securis Lapidea, or rather Marmorea, sent me by Stephen Tempest, of Broughton, Esq; but the ingenious Mr. Hearne of Oxford hath bestowed a learned Dissertation upon it (premised to the 4th Vol. of Leland's Itinerary) to prove it rather Danish. It was found, An 1675, in an Urn ten Inches Diameter, and therewith a Brass Lance, and a Hone to sharpen it. The Mallet's Head is the most curious and entire that ever I beheld; it is of a speckled Marble polished, six Inches in Length, 3½ broad, and seven in Circumference, even in the Middle, where what is wanting in Breadth is made up in the Thickness, and is very artificially done, as if it had been a Roman Improvement of the British Work. It is wrought to an Edge at one End, though each of them is blunted with Use, and a sloping at the Side, in the Forms expressed in the Table adjoining, whereof one represents the full Side of it, the other the Edge, that the Eye for the Manubrium to pass thro' (which is near an Inch and Quarter Diameter) may be better discerned. I suppose it to have been a Mallet wherewith the Priests slew the Sacrifices, and fancied it to be the ancient British, rather than any later Inhabitants of this Island. It being reasonable to suppose, that the Aborigines in each Country, before the use of Metals was common, would make Use of Stones, Flints, Shells, Bones, &c. formed in the best Manner they could, to the various Uses they designed them. And it is usual for such Instruments or Utensils gratefully to retain even in different Languages, the Memory of the first Matter they were made of, as Cochleare a Spoon (though of Metal) because Cockle-shells were first used to the Purpose. So Candle-stick, or Staff, (for it is canδŗτæꝻ in the Saxon Monuments;) so likewise Hookes (Amos IV. 2.) in the Original is Thorns, with which they used to pierce Fish, before they had the Skill of applying Iron to that Use. And to give but one Instance more, the Sharp Knives (Joshua V. 2.) used in Circumcision, are by our Saxon Ancestors (who received their very Names from their Weapon Sex or Seax, culter, gladius) called ŗτœnene ŗæx (Mr. Thwait's Saxon Hept.) which in the Original is Knives of Flint, which is more agreeable both to those Parts of the World, where there was but little Iron, and to that Operation, wherein the Jewish Doctors say that sharp Flints or Stones were used. So, as to the Matter in Hand, the ancient Britains (with whom Iron was so rare, that Cæsar tells us, they used it for Money) made their Arrow Heads of Flint, and probably their Mallets for Sacrifice of Stone or Marble. But because I cannot easily allow my self to dissent from the learned Mr. Hearne, who argues that the Position of the Urn with the Mouth downwards is peculiarly used by the Danes, and that a Mallet instead of a Scepter was put into the Hand of their famous God Thor, "who was supposed to be a God of much greater Power than the rest, and therefore he was most esteemed, and the Honours paid him were more considerable than those paid to any besides. His Dominion was believed to be Universal, and the other Gods were look'd upon as subject to him. Nothing of Moment was undertaken or transacted without Addresses and Supplications first made to him. And it was reckoned a very great Honour to have Instruments made in such a Form as put them in Mind of him." Thus far I heartily concur with that learned and ingenious Author, and believe that their Sacrificing Mallets might be made in that Form, rather than any other Instruments, with respect to that great reputed Deity; and I do suppose this to be one of them, rather than a Battle-Axe belonging to a Soldier of inferiour Quality; for seeing their other Military Instruments in Metal are frequently met with, why should not also their Battle-Axes of Stone, the common Soldiers being the most numerous Part of an Army, it is therefore much more probable in my slender Opinion that it belonged to their Sacrifices before their Conversion to the Christian Faith. The Lance found in the same Urn is of Brass, scarce an Inch broad, but seems by its Tendency to a Point to have been three in Length. It is sharp enough to shave a Sabine Priest. The Cos Olearia is of a blewish Grey Hone, only half an Inch in Thickness, though three long, and near one broad, in all its Parts equal. There were also certain Instruments of Bone, but mostly reduced to Ashes, though not by the Force of Fire, but Effect of Time; the Ends of those that remained, were bored through with the same Instrument (as it seems by the Size) wherewith the Lance and Hone are, but for what Use they were originally designed I cannot divine, only an Inch in Length remaining; it tapers like a Bodkin, is but a Quarter of an Inch at the broader End. In the next Field was found near thirty Years afterwards an Iron Instrument half a Yard in Length, whether one of the Secespitæ of the Romans, who had several Stations in these Parts, or a Danish Weapon, I cannot determine. And of the same Metal an old Spur four Inches long; it was found 2½ Yards deep in digging for the Foundations of a Bridge. And in the Year 1700, a Brass Buckle or Fibula, with this peculiar, that the Acus is a fifth Part longer than the Diameter it is made for. All these Antiquities were sent me by the said worthy Gent. Ste. Tempest Esq;. Of a very curious Danish Spur, see the Description before, p. 482.