Antiquarian collections of Christopher Towneley

This material is held atBodleian Library, University of Oxford

  • Reference
    • GB 161 MSS. Top. Lancs. c. 6; Top. Yorks. c. 12
  • Dates of Creation
    • 17th century
  • Name of Creator
  • Language of Material
    • English, and Latin.
  • Physical Description
    • 2 shelfmarks

Scope and Content

Antiquarian collections of Christopher Towneley including (c. 6) transcripts of documents relating to the Houghton and Talbot families, temp. Henry V-Edward VI, with a schedule of deeds relating to property in Hapton, Cliviger and Towneley in Lancashire, temp. Edward I-Elizabeth I; and (c. 12) transcripts of documents, mainly temp. Elizabeth I, relating to the manor of Wakefield, the Earls of Derby, and the manor of Ightenhill in Lancashire, with extracts from a cartulary of Whalley abbey.

Administrative / Biographical History

Christopher Towneley (1604-74) was a member of a Catholic gentry family from Towneley in Lancashire. He is known as an antiquary but also had an interest in scientific research, particularly astronomy. See the Dictionary of National Biography for further details.

Access Information

Entry to read in the Library is permitted only on presentation of a valid reader's card (for admissions procedures see http://www.bodley.ox.ac.uk).

Acquisition Information

Bought by the Library from Gwendoline Bertie, Countess of Abingdon in 1933.

Note

Collection level description created by Susan Thomas, Department of Special Collections and Western Manuscripts.

Other Finding Aids

M. Clapinson and T.D. Rogers, Summary Catalogue of Post-Medieval Western Manuscripts in the Bodleian Library Oxford. Acquisitions 1916-1975. (Oxford, 1991), vol. II, nos. 54409-10.

Related Material

See also the scientific and antiquarian Papers of Christopher and Richard Towneley (MSS. Eng. c. 7031-2, Eng. d. 3537-40, Eng. e. 3387-93, French e. 41, Lat. misc. d. 100, Lat. misc. e. 133-4).

Subjects

Corporate Names