Record

StorageSiteUCL Special Collections
LevelItem
Reference Number MS OGDEN/40
TitleOverbury Manuscript
Datec1610s, 1883
DescriptionManuscript copy of Sir Thomas Overbury's 'Observations upon the state of the 17 provinces and France, and first upon that of the Provinces united', in a contemporary hand, by internal evidence dating from before 1619. With a letter from Edward Arber concerning this work, 1883.
Extent1 volume containing 75 pages
AdminHistorySir Thomas Overbury: born in Warwickshire, 1581; Queen's College Oxford, 1595; BA, 1598; entered the Middle Temple; became friends with Robert Carr and advised him in his political career, which arose from James I's favour; knighted, 1608; frustrated in his ambitions, visited the Low Countries, 1609; his opposition to Carr's (then Viscount Rochester) intention to marry the divorced Frances Howard, Countess of Essex, was resented; sent to the Tower of London, 1613; Frances Howard determined on his murder and he was gradually poisoned; a jury pronounced his death natural, 1613. Publications: 'A Wife now the Widdow of Sir T Overburye', a poem on marriage (London, 1614, and many later editions); 'Sir Thomas Overbury his Observations in his Travailes upon the state of the Seventeen Provinces in 1609' (1626 and later editions). Rochester (created Earl of Somerset) married the Countess; after nearly two years, warrants were issued for the their arrest and they were convicted, but pardoned and released in 1621.
CustodialHistoryPart 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. Formerly Ogden A195.
AcquisitionPart of the C K Ogden Library acquired by UCL in 1953.
AccessStatusOpen
AccessConditionsThe papers are available subject to the usual conditions of access to Archives and Manuscripts material, after the completion of a Reader's Undertaking.
Related MaterialUniversity College London Special Collections also holds an indenture, 1604, bearing Overbury's signature (Ref: MS OGDEN 39) and two accounts of the events surrounding Overbury's murder (Ref: MS OGDEN 7/42, 36/1).

The British Library, Manuscript Collections, holds a manuscript of Overbury's 'Observations'. A report of the trials relating to his poisoning, 1625, is held privately. Correspondence and papers of Edward Arber are held at the British Library, Manuscript Collections; Birmingham University Information Services, Special Collections Department; Edinburgh University Library, Special Collections. For further details see the National Register of Archives.
FindingAidsHandlist at University College London Special Collections.
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