Bray, Robyn (2013) ‘A Scholar, a Gentleman, and a Christian’: John Josias Conybeare (1779-1824) and his 'Illustrations of Anglo-Saxon Poetry' (1826). PhD thesis. http://theses.gla.ac.uk/4709/ Copyright and moral rights for this thesis are retained by the author A copy can be downloaded for personal non-commercial research or study, without prior permission or charge This thesis cannot be reproduced or quoted extensively from without first obtaining permission in writing from the Author The content must not be changed in any way or sold commercially in any format or medium without the formal permission of the Author When referring to this work, full bibliographic details including the author, title, awarding institution and date of the thesis must be given Glasgow Theses Service http://theses.gla.ac.uk/ [email protected] ‘A Scholar, a Gentleman, and a Christian’: John Josias Conybeare (1779-1824) and his Illustrations of Anglo-Saxon Poetry (1826) Volume One by Robyn Bray Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. University of Glasgow English Language, College of Arts School of Critical Studies September 2013 © Robyn Bray 2013 Abstract This thesis contextualises the life and work of John Josias Conybeare (1779-1824), one of the first to hold the Rawlinson chair of Anglo-Saxon at the University of Oxford, and considers his contribution to the development of Old English studies as a discipline. I argue that he has been unduly marginalised as a result of posthumous criticism that has failed to acknowledge the extent of his contribution to Old English scholarship. Part I of the thesis considers this issue from the perspective of John Josias himself, setting him in the context of the period in which he lived and the longer continuum of Old English studies as a whole. It also reconstructs what is known of his associates and friends, illustrating that he occupied a central position among the literati of his day alongside figures such as Thomas Gaisford (1779-1855), Joseph Hunter (1783-1861), Robert Southey (1774-1843), and Sharon Turner (1768-1847). Part II focuses on Illustrations of Anglo-Saxon Poetry (1826), the scholar’s most well-known and significant contribution to Old English studies, which was published posthumously by John Josias’ brother, William Daniel (1787-1857), and widow, Mary (1790-1848). This section traces the composition of the book from its first conception through to its final publication and critical reception, using previously unpublished correspondence to disambiguate the contribution of the author from that of his editors. This is followed by an examination of John Josias’ ability as an early editor of Old English, which critically evaluates some of his transcriptions, translations, and interpretations as they appeared in Illustrations of Anglo-Saxon Poetry, with particular attention to his work on Widsith and the Exeter Book. Part III contains transcripts of unpublished correspondence and other documents that provide details about John Josias’ life and, in particular, about the preparation and posthumous publication of his Illustrations of Anglo-Saxon Poetry. This thesis, which brings together genealogical, scholarly, and archival materials, constitutes the first comprehensive study of his life and work. My reassessment of his scholarship concludes that John Josias in fact made a substantial and influential contribution to the discipline, deserving of greater recognition today. 1 Table of Contents VOLUME ONE Abstract _____________________________________________________________________________________ 1 Table of Contents __________________________________________________________________________ 2 Acknowledgements ________________________________________________________________________ 4 Introduction ________________________________________________________________________________ 5 Research Questions and Thesis Structure _____________________________________________________________ 6 Methodology __________________________________________________________________________________ 11 Previous Literature Concerning John Josias Conybeare _________________________________________________ 16 PART I: JOHN JOSIAS CONYBEARE AND OLD ENGLISH STUDIES ____ 21 Chapter One: The Author and Editor of Illustrations of Anglo-Saxon Poetry ____ 22 Biographical Sketch of John Josias Conybeare ________________________________________________________ 23 Biographical Sketch of William Daniel Conybeare _____________________________________________________ 41 Conclusions ___________________________________________________________________________________ 49 Chapter Two: Old English Studies Before 1800 ______________________________________ 51 Approaching the History of Old English Studies _______________________________________________________ 52 The Historical Role of the Church __________________________________________________________________ 52 From Antiquarian to Academic ____________________________________________________________________ 58 Enlightenment _________________________________________________________________________________ 75 Romanticism ___________________________________________________________________________________ 82 Conclusions ___________________________________________________________________________________ 88 Chapter Three: Old English at the Beginning of the Nineteenth Century ________ 90 The Role of the Church __________________________________________________________________________ 92 Old English Studies at Oxford in the Early Nineteenth Century __________________________________________ 105 Sharon Turner, the Romantics, English Philologists, and Women ________________________________________ 122 Conclusions __________________________________________________________________________________ 146 PART II: ILLUSTRATIONS OF ANGLO-SAXON POETRY (1826) _______ 148 Chapter Four: The Preparation of Illustrations of Anglo-Saxon Poetry _________ 149 John Josias Conybeare’s Plans for Illustrations _______________________________________________________ 149 Progress Made on Illustrations during John Josias Conybeare’s Life ______________________________________ 159 The Decision to Publish Illustrations Posthumously ___________________________________________________ 178 Conclusions __________________________________________________________________________________ 181 Chapter Five: The Publication of Illustrations of Anglo-Saxon Poetry __________ 182 The Editing Process ____________________________________________________________________________ 182 The Published Version of Illustrations ______________________________________________________________ 204 Reception ____________________________________________________________________________________ 217 Conclusions __________________________________________________________________________________ 233 Chapter Six: John Josias Conybeare as Old English Editor and Scholar_________ 235 John Josias and the Exeter Book __________________________________________________________________ 235 John Josias’ Study of Widsith _____________________________________________________________________ 248 John Josias’ Transcription and Translation of Old English ______________________________________________ 259 More Recent Reception of John Josias’ Research on Old English ________________________________________ 286 Conclusions __________________________________________________________________________________ 294 Research Conclusions __________________________________________________________________ 296 2 VOLUME TWO PART III: APPENDICES AND BIBLIOGRAPHY __________________________ 299 Table of Contents _______________________________________________________________________ 300 Appendix 1: Correspondence and Reviews _________________________________________ 302 Appendix 1:1 – Letter, John Josias (Christ Church) to William Daniel (Pentonville), 1800 _____________________ 305 Appendix 1:2 – Letter, John Josias (Batheaston) to Mary (Oxford), [~December 1812 - February 1814] _________ 309 Appendix 1:3 – Image, John Josias (Batheaston) to Mary (Oxford), [~December 1812 - February 1814] _________ 313 Appendix 1:4 – Letter, John Josias (Batheaston) to Sylvanus Urban, 10 July 1817 ___________________________ 318 Appendix 1:5 – Notes, John Josias in his Copy of Thorkelin’s De Danorum rebus gestis secul. […], [~1817-1821] __ 322 Appendix 1:6 – Letter, Thomas Gaisford (Oxford) to John Josias (Batheaston), 25 February 1823 ______________ 325 Appendix 1:7 – Note, John Josias (Gower Street) to Samuel Collingwood, 1 June 1824 _______________________ 329 Appendix 1:8 – Fragmentary Letter, Mary [?] to William Daniel (Blackheath), 15 June 1824 __________________ 331 Appendix 1:9 – Letter, William Daniel (Blackheath/London) to Sarah Anne (Bristol), 16 June 1824 _____________ 333 Appendix 1:10 – Letter, William Buckland (Ch. Ch.) to William Daniel (Brislington), 27 June 1824 ______________ 337 Appendix 1:11 – Image, William Buckland (Ch. Ch.) to William Daniel (Brislington), 27 June 1824 ______________ 341 Appendix 1:12 – Fragmentary Letter, William Daniel to Mary, no date [~1824-1826] ________________________ 344 Appendix 1:13 – Image of Letter, William Daniel to Mary, no date [~1824-1826] ___________________________ 347 Appendix 1:14 – Letter, William Daniel to Mary, no date [~1825-1826] ___________________________________ 350 Appendix 1:15 – Letter, William Daniel to Mary, June [~1825-1826] _____________________________________ 353 Appendix 1:16 – Image, William