The Digital Ark: Early Modern Collections of Curiosities in England and Scotland, 1580-1700
Dr. Woodward's Shield: History, Science, and Satire in Augustan England
Secondary Title (i.e. Proceedings Title): Periodical Title: Publication Type:Book, Whole Authors:Levine,Joseph M.Editors: Publisher:University of California Press Place of Publication:Berkeley Publication Date:c1977 Alternate Date (i.e. Conference Date): Volume: Issue: Start Page: End Page: Abstract: Descriptors/Keywords: ISBN:0520031326 URL:
Documents in Print Item: No Documents Listed in Print Item Attached People: Mentions or references - Courten, William (28 Mar 1642-26 Mar 1702)
Subject of/in a document - Woodward, John (1 May 1665 or 1668-25 Apr 1728)
Mentions or references - Thoresby, Ralph (1658-1725)
Mentions or references - Bagford, John (1650/1-5 May 1716)
Mentions or references - Hearne, Thomas (1678 [bap.]-1735)
Location(s): No Locations Attached To This
Bibliographic Source(s): No Bibliographic Sources Attached To This Item
Items Which List This As A Bibliographic Source: Collectanea..., page: 140, notes:
Historiae sive synopsis methodicae Conch..., page: 309, notes:
Epistola ad Amicum..., page: 123 and 323 n26, notes:
[Wanely to Charlett 22 Aug 1697]..., page: n. 14, p. 323, notes:
Images Contained: No Images Attached To This Item
Objects Contained: No Objects Attached To This Item
Annotation:Thoresby thought Courten's collection "perhaps the most noble collection of natural and artificial curiosities, of ancient and modern coins and medals, that any private person in the world enjoys" (Hunter, 1.297). Levine adds, "There was the greatest variety of insects and animals, corals, shells, and petrifactions, that Thoresby had ever seen. He spent most of his time with the coins, however, British and Saxon, Greek and Roman" (120). Quoting Thoresby again, "he has also a costly collection of medals of eminent persons in church and state, domestic and foreign reformers" (120, qtd 1.299). This all went to Sloane, "And yet Sloane had only just begun to accumulate the vast collections that subsequently became the foundation of the British Museum" (120).
John Bagford, friend of John Woodward and Thomas Hearne, and collector of prints and antiquities, and also an agent for other collectors, including Robert Harley, Dr. John Moore (Bishop of Ely), Hans Sloane, and John Woodward (139). In a letter to Thomas Hearne dated 1 Feb 1715, and printed in John Leland's Collectanea, he recalls the discovery of ancient coins between Kent and Surrey, some of which were "much esteem by the worthy Mr. Charleton" (140).