| AdminHistory | William Lambarde, historian of Kent: born in the parish of St Nicholas Acon, London, 1536; eldest son of John Lambarde, draper, alderman, and sheriff of London; on his father's death, inherited the manor of Westcombe in Greenwich, Kent, 1554; admitted to Lincoln's Inn, 1556; studied Anglo-Saxon and history with Laurence Nowell; his first work, a collection and paraphrase of Anglo-Saxon laws undertaken at Nowell's request, was published, 1568; completed the first draft of his 'Perambulation of Kent', 1570; sent it to his friend Thomas Wotton, who printed it, 1576; it constitutes the earliest known county history; second edition published, 1596; later editions were also produced; apparently intended a general account of England, but abandoned the project on learning of Camden's work; founded almshouses at East Greenwich called the College of the Poor of Queen Elizabeth, granted letters patent in 1574 and opened in 1576; chosen a bencher of Lincoln's Inn, 1579; appointed a justice of the peace for Kent, 1579; published 'Eirenarcha: or of the Office of the Justices of Peace', 1581; later editions were also produced; appointed a master in chancery, 1592; made keeper of the records at the Rolls Chapel, 1597; nominated by William Brooke, Lord Cobham, an executor and trustee for establishing his college for the poor at Cobham, Kent, 1597; drew up the rules for the government of the charity; appointed keeper of the records in the Tower, 1601; presented Queen Elizabeth with an account of the Tower records; died at Westcombe, 1601; buried in Greenwich church. |
| CustodialHistory | Part of the library of Charles Kay Ogden (1889-1957), linguistic psychologist, founder of the Orthological Institute and originator of the language system Basic English, whose interests in language systems are reflected in the subject matter of his collection, which comprised individual manuscripts and manuscript collections dating from the 14th to the 20th century. |