Richard Symonds (diarist)
Encyclopedia
Richard Symonds was an English royalist and antiquary, now remembered for an eye-witness diary he wrote of events of the First English Civil War
.
, Essex
, where he was born in 1617. His mother, who brought the Notley property into the family, was Anne, daughter of Joshua Draper of Braintree
. Like his father and grandfather, as well as several of his uncles and cousins, Symonds became a cursitor of the chancery court
.
He was committed a prisoner by Miles Corbet
as a delinquent on 25 March 1643, but escaping on 21 October he joined the royalist army, becoming a member of the troop of horse which formed the king's lifeguard, under the command of Lord Bernard Stuart, afterwards Earl of Lichfield. He was with the king’s forces in most of his movements during the ensuing two years, being present at the engagements of Cropredy Bridge
, Newbury
, Naseby
, and at the relief of Chester, where the Earl of Lichfield was killed.
He was subsequently with Sir William Vaughan
at Denbigh
and elsewhere. After the king's surrender, in the autumn of 1646, he applied on 17 December to be allowed to compound for his delinquency, On 1 January 1648 he left London and travelled, first to Paris, and then to Rome and Venice, where he stayed till about the end of 1652, when he returned again to England. In 1655 he was implicated in the abortive plot
for restoring the monarchy, and was one of a batch of over seventy persons who were on that account arrested in the eastern counties, but were subsequently released on bond in October.
). These were frequently quoted by county historians, and in 1859 were edited for the Camden Society
by Charles Edward Long
, under the title Diary of the Marches of the Royal Army during the Great Civil War. London, Most of his diary entries about the war are accurate but terse, but his description of the second battle of Newbury
is very detailed.
Three volumes of genealogical collections for the county of Essex, compiled by Symonds, were preserved at the Heralds' College, to which they were presented in 1710 by Gregory King
, into whose possession they came in 1685. In the second volume Symonds gives the pedigree of his own family, and near his own name is an impression, in red wax, of an engraved head in profile, probably that of Symonds himself, by Thomas Simon
, the medallist. These collections were used by Philip Morant
in his History of Essex. Other notes were used by Horace Walpole in his Anecdotes of Painting in England.
First English Civil War
The First English Civil War began the series of three wars known as the English Civil War . "The English Civil War" was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations that took place between Parliamentarians and Royalists from 1642 until 1651, and includes the Second English Civil War and...
.
Life
He was the eldest son of Edward (or Edmund) Symonds of Black NotleyBlack Notley
Black Notley is a village and civil parish in Essex, England. It is located approximately south of Braintree and is north-northeast from the county town of Chelmsford. The village is in the district and parliamentary constituency of Braintree...
, Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
, where he was born in 1617. His mother, who brought the Notley property into the family, was Anne, daughter of Joshua Draper of Braintree
Braintree, Essex
Braintree is a town of about 42,000 people and the principal settlement of the Braintree district of Essex in the East of England. It is northeast of Chelmsford and west of Colchester on the River Blackwater, A120 road and a branch of the Great Eastern Main Line.Braintree has grown contiguous...
. Like his father and grandfather, as well as several of his uncles and cousins, Symonds became a cursitor of the chancery court
Chancery Court
The Chancery Court of York is an ecclesiastical court for the Province of York of the Church of England.The presiding officer, the Official Principal and Auditor, has been the same person as the Dean of the Arches since the nineteenth century . The Court comprises the Auditor, two clergy and two...
.
He was committed a prisoner by Miles Corbet
Miles Corbet
Miles Corbet was an English politician, recorder of Yarmouth and Regicide.-Life:He was the son of Sir Thomas Corbet of Sprowston, Norfolk and the younger brother of Sir John Corbet, 1st Baronet, MP for Great Yarmouth from 1625 to 1629...
as a delinquent on 25 March 1643, but escaping on 21 October he joined the royalist army, becoming a member of the troop of horse which formed the king's lifeguard, under the command of Lord Bernard Stuart, afterwards Earl of Lichfield. He was with the king’s forces in most of his movements during the ensuing two years, being present at the engagements of Cropredy Bridge
Battle of Cropredy Bridge
The Battle of Cropredy Bridge was a battle of the English Civil Wars, fought on 29 June 1644 between a Parliamentarian army under Sir William Waller and the Royalist army of King Charles...
, Newbury
Second Battle of Newbury
The Second Battle of Newbury was a battle of the English Civil War fought on 27 October, 1644, in Speen, adjoining Newbury in Berkshire. The battle was fought close to the site of the First Battle of Newbury, which took place in late September the previous year.The combined armies of Parliament...
, Naseby
Battle of Naseby
The Battle of Naseby was the key battle of the first English Civil War. On 14 June 1645, the main army of King Charles I was destroyed by the Parliamentarian New Model Army commanded by Sir Thomas Fairfax and Oliver Cromwell.-The Campaign:...
, and at the relief of Chester, where the Earl of Lichfield was killed.
He was subsequently with Sir William Vaughan
William Vaughan (royalist)
Sir William Vaughan was an English royalist commander in the First English Civil War. He was killed at the Battle of Rathmines.-Life:...
at Denbigh
Denbigh
Denbigh is a market town and community in Denbighshire, Wales. Before 1888, it was the county town of Denbighshire. Denbigh lies 8 miles to the north west of Ruthin and to the south of St Asaph. It is about 13 miles from the seaside resort of Rhyl. The town grew around the glove-making industry...
and elsewhere. After the king's surrender, in the autumn of 1646, he applied on 17 December to be allowed to compound for his delinquency, On 1 January 1648 he left London and travelled, first to Paris, and then to Rome and Venice, where he stayed till about the end of 1652, when he returned again to England. In 1655 he was implicated in the abortive plot
Penruddock uprising
The Penruddock uprising was one of a series of coordinated uprisings planned by the Sealed Knot for a Royalist insurrection to start in March 1655 during the Protectorate of the Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell....
for restoring the monarchy, and was one of a batch of over seventy persons who were on that account arrested in the eastern counties, but were subsequently released on bond in October.
Works
From an early age Symonds evinced strong archaeological tastes, and in all his wanderings he seems never to have lost an opportunity for jotting down in his notebook such topographical or genealogical memoranda as he came across. So he kept a diary of the marchings of the royal army from 10 April 1644 to 11 February 1646 (four notebooks preserved at the British MuseumBritish 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...
). These were frequently quoted by county historians, and in 1859 were edited for the Camden Society
Camden Society
The Camden Society, named after the English antiquary and historian William Camden, was founded in 1838 in London to publish early historical and literary materials, both unpublished manuscripts and new editions of rare printed books....
by Charles Edward Long
Charles Edward Long
Charles Edward Long , was an English genealogist and antiquary.-Life:Born at Benham Park, Berkshire, he was the elder and only surviving son of Charles Beckford Long of Langley Hall, Berkshire, and his wife, Frances Monro Tucker...
, under the title Diary of the Marches of the Royal Army during the Great Civil War. London, Most of his diary entries about the war are accurate but terse, but his description of the second battle of Newbury
Second Battle of Newbury
The Second Battle of Newbury was a battle of the English Civil War fought on 27 October, 1644, in Speen, adjoining Newbury in Berkshire. The battle was fought close to the site of the First Battle of Newbury, which took place in late September the previous year.The combined armies of Parliament...
is very detailed.
Three volumes of genealogical collections for the county of Essex, compiled by Symonds, were preserved at the Heralds' College, to which they were presented in 1710 by Gregory King
Gregory King
Gregory King was an English genealogist, engraver and statistician.-Life:Gregory King was born at Lichfield, England. His father was a surveyor and landscape gardener. Gregory was a very bright boy and his father used him as an assistant in his surveying work. At 14 Gregory became a clerk to...
, into whose possession they came in 1685. In the second volume Symonds gives the pedigree of his own family, and near his own name is an impression, in red wax, of an engraved head in profile, probably that of Symonds himself, by Thomas Simon
Thomas Simon
Thomas Simon , English medalist, was born, according to Vertue, in Yorkshire about 1623.He studied engraving under Nicholas Briot, and about 1635 received a post in connection with the Royal Mint...
, the medallist. These collections were used by Philip Morant
Philip Morant
Philip Morant was an English clergyman, author and historian.He was educated at Abingdon School and Pembroke College, Oxford, eventually taking his Masters Degree at Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge in 1729.Ordained in 1722, he began his association with the county of Essex with a curacy at Great...
in his History of Essex. Other notes were used by Horace Walpole in his Anecdotes of Painting in England.