John Duncumb
Encyclopedia
John Duncumb (occasionally spelled Duncomb) was an English clergyman and antiquary
. He is best known as the author of an unfinished county history
of Herefordshire
.
, under a clergyman named Cole; and at Trinity College
, Cambridge. He graduated B.A. in 1787, and proceeded M.A. in 1796. In 1788 he settled at Hereford
, in the dual capacity of editor and printer of Pugh's Hereford Journal.
Duncumb's journalistic career ended in 1791, when he was ordained. He was instituted to the rectory of Talachddu, Brecknockshire in 1793, and to Frilsham
, Berkshire, in the same year. In 1809 he became vicar of Tortington
, Sussex, but resigned the living soon afterwards on his institution as rector of Abbey Dore
, Herefordshire (the Duke of Norfolk
being patron of both benefices). In 1815 he obtained the vicarage of Mansel Lacy
, Herefordshire, from Mr. (afterwards Sir) Uvedale Price
, and he held both these Herefordshire benefices at his death.
Duncumb was secretary to the Herefordshire Agricultural Society from its formation in 1797, and in 1801 he published an Essay on the Best Means of Applying Pasture Lands, &c., to the Production to Grain, and of reconverting them to Grass. Another treatise was a General View of the Agriculture of the County of Hereford (1805), written for the consideration of the Board of Agriculture and Internal Improvement. He also published two sermons, one preached on 7 March 1796 (the day appointed for a general fast); the other preached in Hereford Cathedral
on 3 August 1796, at the annual meeting of the subscribers to the General Infirmary in Hereford (printed in 1797 for the benefit of the charity). By 1809 he had been elected a fellow of the Society of Antiquaries
. He also served as a magistrate
for Herefordshire.
In 1792 Duncumb married Mary, daughter of William Webb of Holmer
, near Hereford, by whom he had three children: Thomas Edward (died 1823), William George (died 1836), and a daughter. He was never resident in any of his various parishes, but lived from 1788 until his death in Hereford, where he died on 19 September 1839, aged 74. He was buried in the church of Abbey Dore
, where a monument survives.
Mrs. Duncumb died in 1841, and the couple's children all died unmarried.
Duncumb's manuscript collections were sold by his widow to a local bookseller.
, owner (through his wife) of extensive estates in the county, to compile and edit a county history
of Herefordshire. The terms were £2 2s. per week for collecting materials, with extra payment for journeys out of the county, the work to become the property of the Duke. The Duke had bought several collections of antiquarian material for the history of the county, and Duncumb drew on these, and on his own researches in the British Museum
, Bodleian Library
, Tower of London
and elsewhere. He also distributed questionnaire
s, but received few returns.
The first volume of the Collections towards the History and Antiquities of the County of Hereford, containing a general history of the county and an account of the city, was published as a quarto in Hereford in 1804; and the first part of a second volume, containing the hundreds of Broxash and Ewyas Lacy, with a few pages of Greytree hundred, appeared in 1812.
On the death of the Duke in December 1815 the payments ended, and Duncumb stopped work on the project. The unsold portions of the Collections, along with the pages of Greytree hundred (pp. 319-58) which had been printed but not yet published, were regarded as part of the Duke's personal estate: they were taken from Hereford to a warehouse in London, where the parcels lay undisturbed and forgotten until 1837, when the whole stock was acquired by Thomas Thorpe, bookseller. Thorpe put the two volumes and the pages of Greytree on sale, adding an index. Volume 2 from p. 358 onwards was completed, with an index, in 1866 by Judge William Henry Cooke. Cooke issued a third volume containing the remainder of Greytree in 1882; and another volume, covering parishes in the hundred of Grimsworth, in two parts in 1886 and 1892.
About 1896, a committee was formed to continue the history, and under its auspices two more volumes edited by Rev. Morgan G. Watkins and covering Huntington and Radlow hundreds, appeared in 1897 and 1902 respectively. Another volume, edited by John H. Matthews and covering Wormelow hundred, was published in two parts in 1912 and 1913. The project proved impossible to continue, and the residual funds were passed to the Woolhope Club
, which established the Duncumb Fund to assist the publication of research.
A facsimile reprint of Duncumb's first two volumes was published by the Merton Priory Press in 1996.
George Strong's Heraldry of Herefordshire (London, 1848) was arranged by families, with brief accounts of their seats, and claimed to be "Adapted to form a Supplement to 'Duncumb's County History'".
The completed volumes contain much useful material, but have also been criticised for numerous inaccuracies on points of detail. Janet Cooper describes them as "collections of material rather than finished histories".
Antiquarian
An antiquarian or antiquary is an aficionado or student of antiquities or things of the past. More specifically, the term is used for those who study history with particular attention to ancient objects of art or science, archaeological and historic sites, or historic archives and manuscripts...
. He is best known as the author of an unfinished county history
English county histories
English county histories, in other words historical and topographical works concerned with individual ancient counties of England before their reorganisation, were produced by antiquarians from the late 16th century onwards...
of Herefordshire
Herefordshire
Herefordshire is a historic and ceremonial county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire" NUTS 2 region. It also forms a unitary district known as the...
.
Life
Duncumb was the second son of Thomas Duncumb, rector of Shere, Surrey. He was educated at a school in GuildfordGuildford
Guildford is the county town of Surrey. England, as well as the seat for the borough of Guildford and the administrative headquarters of the South East England region...
, under a clergyman named Cole; and at Trinity College
Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Trinity has more members than any other college in Cambridge or Oxford, with around 700 undergraduates, 430 graduates, and over 170 Fellows...
, Cambridge. He graduated B.A. in 1787, and proceeded M.A. in 1796. In 1788 he settled at Hereford
Hereford
Hereford is a cathedral city, civil parish and county town of Herefordshire, England. It lies on the River Wye, approximately east of the border with Wales, southwest of Worcester, and northwest of Gloucester...
, in the dual capacity of editor and printer of Pugh's Hereford Journal.
Duncumb's journalistic career ended in 1791, when he was ordained. He was instituted to the rectory of Talachddu, Brecknockshire in 1793, and to Frilsham
Frilsham
Frilsham is a village and civil parish, near Newbury, in the English county of Berkshire.It is a village near the Berkshire Downs, lying on a hill surrounded by woods and meadows. Neighbouring villages include Yattendon, Hermitage, Stanford Dingley and Hampstead Norreys. There are views over the...
, Berkshire, in the same year. In 1809 he became vicar of Tortington
Tortington
Tortington is a small village in the Arun district of West Sussex, England. It lies just off the Arundel to Ford road southwest of Arundel. It had an Augustinian priory, Tortington Priory, but little evidence of this remains. The village's former parish church, St Mary Magdalene's Church, was...
, Sussex, but resigned the living soon afterwards on his institution as rector of Abbey Dore
Abbey Dore
Abbey Dore is a village and civil parish in Herefordshire, England, known for Dore Abbey, a 12th century Cistercian abbey, expanded in the 13th century. The village is situated in the Golden Valley, and has a population of 342. Abbey Dore Court has large gardens open to the public in spring and...
, Herefordshire (the Duke of Norfolk
Duke of Norfolk
The Duke of Norfolk is the premier duke in the peerage of England, and also, as Earl of Arundel, the premier earl. The Duke of Norfolk is, moreover, the Earl Marshal and hereditary Marshal of England. The seat of the Duke of Norfolk is Arundel Castle in Sussex, although the title refers to the...
being patron of both benefices). In 1815 he obtained the vicarage of Mansel Lacy
Mansel Lacy
Mansel Lacy is a small village in Herefordshire, England. It is located north west of Hereford, close to the A480 road.The church of St Michael and All Angels dates from between the 11th and 13th centuries....
, Herefordshire, from Mr. (afterwards Sir) Uvedale Price
Uvedale Price
Sir Uvedale Price, 1st Baronet , author of the Essay on the Picturesque, As Compared With The Sublime and The Beautiful , was a Herefordshire landowner who was at the heart of the 'Picturesque debate' of the 1790s...
, and he held both these Herefordshire benefices at his death.
Duncumb was secretary to the Herefordshire Agricultural Society from its formation in 1797, and in 1801 he published an Essay on the Best Means of Applying Pasture Lands, &c., to the Production to Grain, and of reconverting them to Grass. Another treatise was a General View of the Agriculture of the County of Hereford (1805), written for the consideration of the Board of Agriculture and Internal Improvement. He also published two sermons, one preached on 7 March 1796 (the day appointed for a general fast); the other preached in Hereford Cathedral
Hereford Cathedral
The current Hereford Cathedral, located at Hereford in England, dates from 1079. Its most famous treasure is Mappa Mundi, a mediæval map of the world dating from the 13th century. The cathedral is a Grade I listed building.-Origins:...
on 3 August 1796, at the annual meeting of the subscribers to the General Infirmary in Hereford (printed in 1797 for the benefit of the charity). By 1809 he had been elected a fellow of the Society of Antiquaries
Society of Antiquaries of London
The Society of Antiquaries of London is a learned society "charged by its Royal Charter of 1751 with 'the encouragement, advancement and furtherance of the study and knowledge of the antiquities and history of this and other countries'." It is based at Burlington House, Piccadilly, London , and is...
. He also served as a magistrate
Magistrates of England and Wales
In the legal system of England and Wales, there is a history of involving lay people, namely people from the local community who hold no legal qualifications, in the judicial decision-making process of the courts...
for Herefordshire.
In 1792 Duncumb married Mary, daughter of William Webb of Holmer
Holmer and Shelwick
Holmer and Shelwick is a civil parish in Herefordshire, England. It is immediately to the north of Hereford, and includes Holmer, Munstone, Shelwick, Shelwick Green....
, near Hereford, by whom he had three children: Thomas Edward (died 1823), William George (died 1836), and a daughter. He was never resident in any of his various parishes, but lived from 1788 until his death in Hereford, where he died on 19 September 1839, aged 74. He was buried in the church of Abbey Dore
Abbey Dore
Abbey Dore is a village and civil parish in Herefordshire, England, known for Dore Abbey, a 12th century Cistercian abbey, expanded in the 13th century. The village is situated in the Golden Valley, and has a population of 342. Abbey Dore Court has large gardens open to the public in spring and...
, where a monument survives.
Mrs. Duncumb died in 1841, and the couple's children all died unmarried.
Duncumb's manuscript collections were sold by his widow to a local bookseller.
Collections towards the History and Antiquities of the County of Hereford
In 1790, Duncumb accepted an invitation from Charles, Duke of NorfolkCharles Howard, 11th Duke of Norfolk
Charles Howard, 11th Duke of Norfolk , styled Earl of Surrey from 1777 to 1786, was a British peer, the son of Charles Howard, 10th Duke of Norfolk and Catherine Brockholes....
, owner (through his wife) of extensive estates in the county, to compile and edit a county history
English county histories
English county histories, in other words historical and topographical works concerned with individual ancient counties of England before their reorganisation, were produced by antiquarians from the late 16th century onwards...
of Herefordshire. The terms were £2 2s. per week for collecting materials, with extra payment for journeys out of the county, the work to become the property of the Duke. The Duke had bought several collections of antiquarian material for the history of the county, and Duncumb drew on these, and on his own researches in the British Museum
British Museum
The British Museum is a museum of human history and culture in London. Its collections, which number more than seven million objects, are amongst the largest and most comprehensive in the world and originate from all continents, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its...
, Bodleian Library
Bodleian Library
The Bodleian Library , the main research library of the University of Oxford, is one of the oldest libraries in Europe, and in Britain is second in size only to the British Library...
, Tower of London
Tower of London
Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, more commonly known as the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London, England. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, separated from the eastern edge of the City of London by the open space...
and elsewhere. He also distributed questionnaire
Questionnaire
A questionnaire is a research instrument consisting of a series of questions and other prompts for the purpose of gathering information from respondents. Although they are often designed for statistical analysis of the responses, this is not always the case...
s, but received few returns.
The first volume of the Collections towards the History and Antiquities of the County of Hereford, containing a general history of the county and an account of the city, was published as a quarto in Hereford in 1804; and the first part of a second volume, containing the hundreds of Broxash and Ewyas Lacy, with a few pages of Greytree hundred, appeared in 1812.
On the death of the Duke in December 1815 the payments ended, and Duncumb stopped work on the project. The unsold portions of the Collections, along with the pages of Greytree hundred (pp. 319-58) which had been printed but not yet published, were regarded as part of the Duke's personal estate: they were taken from Hereford to a warehouse in London, where the parcels lay undisturbed and forgotten until 1837, when the whole stock was acquired by Thomas Thorpe, bookseller. Thorpe put the two volumes and the pages of Greytree on sale, adding an index. Volume 2 from p. 358 onwards was completed, with an index, in 1866 by Judge William Henry Cooke. Cooke issued a third volume containing the remainder of Greytree in 1882; and another volume, covering parishes in the hundred of Grimsworth, in two parts in 1886 and 1892.
About 1896, a committee was formed to continue the history, and under its auspices two more volumes edited by Rev. Morgan G. Watkins and covering Huntington and Radlow hundreds, appeared in 1897 and 1902 respectively. Another volume, edited by John H. Matthews and covering Wormelow hundred, was published in two parts in 1912 and 1913. The project proved impossible to continue, and the residual funds were passed to the Woolhope Club
Woolhope Naturalists' Field Club
The Woolhope Naturalists' Field Club is a local society devoted to the natural history, geology, archaeology, and history of Herefordshire, England...
, which established the Duncumb Fund to assist the publication of research.
A facsimile reprint of Duncumb's first two volumes was published by the Merton Priory Press in 1996.
George Strong's Heraldry of Herefordshire (London, 1848) was arranged by families, with brief accounts of their seats, and claimed to be "Adapted to form a Supplement to 'Duncumb's County History'".
The completed volumes contain much useful material, but have also been criticised for numerous inaccuracies on points of detail. Janet Cooper describes them as "collections of material rather than finished histories".