GEMMS IDGEMMS-PERSON-003117
NameElias Ashmole
TitleMr.
Gendermale
Denomination
Livedb. 1617-05-23 - d. 1692-05-18 (old)
Linked Manuscriptsmanuscript owner - Medical recipes and diary entries: MS. Ashmole 204manuscript owner - Napier Casebooks, Vol. 2: MS. Ashmole 182manuscript owner - Napier Casebooks, Vol. 24: MS. Ashmole 196manuscript owner - Napier Casebooks, Vol. 36: MS. Ashmole 222manuscript owner - Napier Casebooks, Vol. 49: MS. Ashmole 232manuscript owner - Napier Casebooks, Vol. 9: MS. Ashmole 415manuscript owner - Napier Papers: MS. Ashmole 181
Linked Sermons
Linked Reports
Associated PlacesBrasenose College -- Place of Study
Source of DataAO (Foster); ODNB (Article: 764); Hannah Yip
Biographical Sources ConsultedAO (Foster); ODNB (Article: 764)
Other NoteElias Ashmole was born in Lichfield, Staffordshire, the son of a saddler. He attended Lichfield Grammar School and served as a chorister at Lichfield Cathedral. In 1638, he qualified as a solicitor owing to the influence of James Pagit, a Baron of the Exchequer. A staunch Royalist, he was appointed King's Commissioner of Excise at Lichfield. In 1645, he enrolled at Brasenose College, Oxford, where he studied natural philosophy, mathematics, astronomy, and astrology. In the Interregnum, he became increasingly interested in antiquarianism and particularly heraldry. His Royalist leanings were rewarded in the Restoration, and he served as a courtier. In 1663, he became one of the first Fellows of the Royal Society. In 1669, he was awarded the degree of MD from the University of Oxford. Having acquired the collection of the Tradescants, and having continued to collect voraciously himself, he proposed to bequeath these collections to the University of Oxford on the condition that they would erect a bespoke building to house them. In 1683, the Ashmolean Museum, the first public museum in modern Europe, was thus opened. His collections included the entire writings of astrologers such as Simon Forman, Richard Napier, and William Lilly, in addition to several illuminated medieval manuscripts. Ashmole died at his house at Lambeth on 18/19 May 1692, and was buried at St Mary's Church, Lambeth, on 26 May.
Attached URLs:
| URL | Notes |
|---|---|
| emlo-portal.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/collections/?catalogue=elias-ashmole | 'The Correspondence of Elias Ashmole', EMLO. |
| archives.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/repositories/2/resources/666 | Information about the Ashmole MSS, Bodleian Library. |
GEMMS record createdSeptember 19, 2020
GEMMS record last editedSeptember 19, 2020