Joseph Bosworth
Encyclopedia
Joseph Bosworth English
scholar of Anglo-Saxon language and Anglo-Saxon literature
, was born in Derbyshire
.
, whence he proceeded to the University of Aberdeen
, he became in 1817 vicar of Little Horwood
, Buckinghamshire
, and devoted his spare time to literature and particularly to the study of Anglo-Saxon. In 1823 his Elements of Anglo-Saxon Grammar appeared, and he also matriculated at Trinity College, Cambridge
as a 'ten-year' student. In June 1829 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society
In 1829 Bosworth went to Holland as chaplain, first at Amsterdam
and then at Rotterdam
. He remained in Holland until 1840, working there on his Dictionary of the Anglo-Saxon Language (1838), his best-known work. Thomas Northcote Toller compiled the new edition of the dictionary based on Bosworth's work, both printed and in manuscript, and added a supplement (2 vols. 1898-1921).
In 1857 he became rector of Water Stratford
, Buckinghamshire, and in the following year was appointed Rawlinsonian Professor of Anglo-Saxon at Oxford
. He gave to the University of Cambridge
in 1867 £10,000 for the establishment of a professorship of Anglo-Saxon
. He died leaving behind him a mass of annotations on the Anglo-Saxon charters, and is buried in Water Stratford churchyard
. The Oxford professorship was held by J. R. R. Tolkien
from 1925 to 1945, by which time it was known as the Rawlinson and Bosworth Professorship of Anglo-Saxon (the name having been changed in 1916).
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
scholar of Anglo-Saxon language and Anglo-Saxon literature
Anglo-Saxon literature
Old English literature encompasses literature written in Old English in Anglo-Saxon England, in the period from the 7th century to the Norman Conquest of 1066. These works include genres such as epic poetry, hagiography, sermons, Bible translations, legal works, chronicles, riddles, and others...
, was born in Derbyshire
Derbyshire
Derbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. A substantial portion of the Peak District National Park lies within Derbyshire. The northern part of Derbyshire overlaps with the Pennines, a famous chain of hills and mountains. The county contains within its boundary of approx...
.
Biography
Educated at ReptonRepton School
Repton School, founded in 1557, is a co-educational English independent school for both day and boarding pupils, in the British public school tradition, located in the village of Repton, in Derbyshire, in the Midlands area of England...
, whence he proceeded to the University of Aberdeen
University of Aberdeen
The University of Aberdeen, an ancient university founded in 1495, in Aberdeen, Scotland, is a British university. It is the third oldest university in Scotland, and the fifth oldest in the United Kingdom and wider English-speaking world...
, he became in 1817 vicar of Little Horwood
Little Horwood
Little Horwood is a village and civil parish in the Aylesbury Vale district of Buckinghamshire, England. The village is about four miles ESE of Buckingham and two miles north east of Winslow....
, Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. The county town is Aylesbury, the largest town in the ceremonial county is Milton Keynes and largest town in the non-metropolitan county is High Wycombe....
, and devoted his spare time to literature and particularly to the study of Anglo-Saxon. In 1823 his Elements of Anglo-Saxon Grammar appeared, and he also matriculated at Trinity College, Cambridge
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...
as a 'ten-year' student. In June 1829 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society
In 1829 Bosworth went to Holland as chaplain, first at Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
and then at Rotterdam
Rotterdam
Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre...
. He remained in Holland until 1840, working there on his Dictionary of the Anglo-Saxon Language (1838), his best-known work. Thomas Northcote Toller compiled the new edition of the dictionary based on Bosworth's work, both printed and in manuscript, and added a supplement (2 vols. 1898-1921).
In 1857 he became rector of Water Stratford
Water Stratford
Water Stratford is a village and civil parish on the River Great Ouse in the Aylesbury Vale district of Buckinghamshire, England. It is about west of Buckingham, near the boundary with Oxfordshire.-Manor:...
, Buckinghamshire, and in the following year was appointed Rawlinsonian Professor of Anglo-Saxon at Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
. He gave to the University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
in 1867 £10,000 for the establishment of a professorship of Anglo-Saxon
Elrington and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon
The Elrington and Bosworth Professorship of Anglo-Saxon is the senior professorship in Anglo-Saxon at the University of Cambridge.The chair was founded in 1878 when an earlier gift from Joseph Bosworth, Rawlinsonian Professor of Anglo-Saxon at Oxford, had increased in value sufficiently to support...
. He died leaving behind him a mass of annotations on the Anglo-Saxon charters, and is buried in Water Stratford churchyard
Water Stratford
Water Stratford is a village and civil parish on the River Great Ouse in the Aylesbury Vale district of Buckinghamshire, England. It is about west of Buckingham, near the boundary with Oxfordshire.-Manor:...
. The Oxford professorship was held by J. R. R. Tolkien
J. R. R. Tolkien
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, CBE was an English writer, poet, philologist, and university professor, best known as the author of the classic high fantasy works The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion.Tolkien was Rawlinson and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon at Pembroke College,...
from 1925 to 1945, by which time it was known as the Rawlinson and Bosworth Professorship of Anglo-Saxon (the name having been changed in 1916).
External links
- His writings at the Internet Archive
- An Anglo-Saxon Dictionary, scanned page images and OCRed text. From the Germanic Lexicon Project.
- An Anglo-Saxon Dictionary, scanned page images. Digitized under the direction of Sean Crist.
- A Downloadable version of "An Anglo-Saxon Dictionary"