Treadway Russell Nash
Encyclopedia
Treadway Russell Nash was English clergyman, now known as an early historian of Worcestershire, and the author of Collections for the History of Worcestershire, an important source document for Worcestershire county histories. He was a fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London
. He was buried at St Peter’s, Droitwich in the family vault.
. His family were from Ombersley
. They had lands there and at Claines
, and had later bought lands in the Reformation
around St Peter’s, Droitwitch. He was related to James Nash and John Nash
, both MPs for Worcester. His father Richard died in 1740, and Richard’s eldest son in 1757. As a result, Treadway Russell Nash inherited the Russell's Strensham estates from his brother, as well as the Nash estates, and took both names.
He was educated from the age of 12 at King’s College, Worcester and became a scholar at Worcester College, Oxford
at age 15. In March 1749, he accompanied his brother on a trip to the continent, to aid Richard’s health. They visited Paris for about six weeks, before spending the summer “on the banks of the Loire” They then visited “Bourdeaux, Thoulouse, Montpelier, Marseilles, Leghorn, Florence, Rome, Naples, Bologna, Venice, Padua, Verona, Milan, Lyons, and again Paris”; such expeditions are often known as the Grand Tour
.
On his return in late summer 1751, Nash took up a post as Vicar of Ensham through his friend and future brother in law, John Martin. He also had an income as a tutor at Oxford. He took his Doctor of Divinity
and left Oxford, having “gone out grand compounder”, following the death of his brother. He also left his post at Ensham in 1757. While at Oxford he had proposed a road from there to Witney, and also stood for Parliament.
Nash married Margaret Martin in 1758, the daughter of John Martin of Overbury
. Nash and his wife moved to Claines
where Nash had bought an estate and leased at house at Beveré. He later bought a house there. Then:
The reception to his work can be seen to be generally very positive. However, they were primarily source material, rather than a true history:
"s Hudibras, a satirical poem about Cromwell’s Protectorate
written after the Restoration
. In 1797, Nash became Rector of Strensham
, where Butler had grown up. It was reprinted extensively into the nineteenth century. The edition includes illustrations after William Hogarth
.
in 1785.
At his death, he left around £60,000, excluding his estate. He left his artistic collection from his travels in Italy and France to Worcester College, where it remains. His personal papers are at Eastnor Castle
, except for his personalised volumes of the Collections, which had been sold and subsequently lost in a fire.
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 was buried at St Peter’s, Droitwich in the family vault.
Early life
He was born at Clerkenleap, in KempseyKempsey, Worcestershire
Kempsey is a village and civil parish in the Malvern Hills District in the county of Worcestershire, England. It is bounded by the River Severn on the west, and the A38 main road runs through it and is about 3 miles south of Worcester....
. His family were from Ombersley
Ombersley
The village of Ombersley is in the Wychavon District Council area of Worcestershire.The first known reference to the village was the granting of a Charter to Abbot Egwin, later Saint Egwin, of Evesham Abbey in 706 AD. This was the Charter of King Æthelweard of the Hwicce, which granted twelve...
. They had lands there and at Claines
Claines
Claines is a small village just to the north of Worcester, England, on the left bank of the River Severn. Claines is situated in the heart of Worcestershire on the A449 between Worcester and Kidderminster. It has a church which dates from the 10th Century....
, and had later bought lands in the Reformation
Reformation
- Movements :* Protestant Reformation, an attempt by Martin Luther to reform the Roman Catholic Church that resulted in a schism, and grew into a wider movement...
around St Peter’s, Droitwitch. He was related to James Nash and John Nash
John Nash (MP)
John Nash was an English merchant and politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1640 and 1648. He fought on the Parliamentary side in the English Civil War....
, both MPs for Worcester. His father Richard died in 1740, and Richard’s eldest son in 1757. As a result, Treadway Russell Nash inherited the Russell's Strensham estates from his brother, as well as the Nash estates, and took both names.
He was educated from the age of 12 at King’s College, Worcester and became a scholar at Worcester College, Oxford
Worcester College, Oxford
Worcester College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. The college was founded in the eighteenth century, but its predecessor on the same site had been an institution of learning since the late thirteenth century...
at age 15. In March 1749, he accompanied his brother on a trip to the continent, to aid Richard’s health. They visited Paris for about six weeks, before spending the summer “on the banks of the Loire” They then visited “Bourdeaux, Thoulouse, Montpelier, Marseilles, Leghorn, Florence, Rome, Naples, Bologna, Venice, Padua, Verona, Milan, Lyons, and again Paris”; such expeditions are often known as the Grand Tour
Grand Tour
The Grand Tour was the traditional trip of Europe undertaken by mainly upper-class European young men of means. The custom flourished from about 1660 until the advent of large-scale rail transit in the 1840s, and was associated with a standard itinerary. It served as an educational rite of passage...
.
On his return in late summer 1751, Nash took up a post as Vicar of Ensham through his friend and future brother in law, John Martin. He also had an income as a tutor at Oxford. He took his Doctor of Divinity
Doctor of Divinity
Doctor of Divinity is an advanced academic degree in divinity. Historically, it identified one who had been licensed by a university to teach Christian theology or related religious subjects....
and left Oxford, having “gone out grand compounder”, following the death of his brother. He also left his post at Ensham in 1757. While at Oxford he had proposed a road from there to Witney, and also stood for Parliament.
Nash married Margaret Martin in 1758, the daughter of John Martin of Overbury
Overbury
Overbury is a village and civil parish in the English county of Worcestershire.It is located midway between the towns of Evesham and Tewkesbury to the south of Bredon Hill....
. Nash and his wife moved to Claines
Claines
Claines is a small village just to the north of Worcester, England, on the left bank of the River Severn. Claines is situated in the heart of Worcestershire on the A449 between Worcester and Kidderminster. It has a church which dates from the 10th Century....
where Nash had bought an estate and leased at house at Beveré. He later bought a house there. Then:
in the year 1759, as the furniture, &c. of Dr. Nash were being conveyed from London, an accident, as extraordinary as it was unfortunate, occurred. A bottle of aqua-fortis, which was in the waggon, being ill corked, opened, and the spirit running over some deal boxes which took fire and set the whole in a flame, property to the amount of 2000l. belonging to Dr. Nash, was unfortunately burnt, besides a good collection of books, and a very curious and valuable selection of drawings and prints, which he and his brother had purchased in France and Italy
Work as an antiquary
In 1773, Nash determined that someone should collect together papers and records relating to Worcestershire. He later related that:Above twenty years ago, coming into possession of a considerable real estate in this my native county, I determined, as far as was consistent with a proper attention to my own affairs, to serve my countrymen and neighbours by every means in my power. Thus I became a mere provincial man, confining my ambition within the ancient province of Wiccia, now commonly known by the name of Worcestershire. I had oftentimes wished that some one would write the history and antiquities of the county. I proposed the undertaking to several persons, offering them all the assistance in my power. I invited the Society of Antiquaries to choose a proper person, promising to open a subscription with three or four hundred pounds. Failing in success in all my applications, I offered my own shoulders, however unequal to the burthen, reflecting that though very little had been published, yet this work was in some degree made easy, because materials had been collecting for near 200 years.
The reception to his work can be seen to be generally very positive. However, they were primarily source material, rather than a true history:
Dr Nash's volumes are indeed worthy of high praise, and contain materials for a valuable history,—they preserve and render accessible many important documents, but can be considered only as a work of reference. Like a sinuous but unnavigable river wandering through a great extent of country, that would form an excellent reservoir to a canal, so the Doctor's work, though itself unreadable, might be made the source of a very interesting volume.
Republishing Samuel Butler
Nash produced a volume with a “literary memoir” of Samuel ButlerSamuel Butler (poet)
Samuel Butler was a poet and satirist. Born in Strensham, Worcestershire and baptised 14 February 1613, he is remembered now chiefly for a long satirical burlesque poem on Puritanism entitled Hudibras.-Biography:...
"s Hudibras, a satirical poem about Cromwell’s Protectorate
Protectorate
In history, the term protectorate has two different meanings. In its earliest inception, which has been adopted by modern international law, it is an autonomous territory that is protected diplomatically or militarily against third parties by a stronger state or entity...
written after the Restoration
Restoration (1660)
The term Restoration in reference to the year 1660 refers to the restoration of Charles II to his realms across the British Empire at that time.-England:...
. In 1797, Nash became Rector of Strensham
Strensham
Strensham is a village in the Wychavon district of Worcestershire. In the 2001 census, the civil parish of Strensham had a population of 314 across 127 households...
, where Butler had grown up. It was reprinted extensively into the nineteenth century. The edition includes illustrations after William Hogarth
William Hogarth
William Hogarth was an English painter, printmaker, pictorial satirist, social critic and editorial cartoonist who has been credited with pioneering western sequential art. His work ranged from realistic portraiture to comic strip-like series of pictures called "modern moral subjects"...
.
Death and legacy
Nash died in 1811, at his house in Beveré. He was buried in the family vault at St Peter's Church, Droitwich. His wife, Margaret, died a few months later, aged 78 on 21 May 1811. They were survived by their daughter Margaret, who had married John SomersJohn Cocks, 1st Earl Somers
John Somers Cocks, 1st Earl Somers , known as The Lord Somers between 1806 and 1821, was a British peer and politician.-Background and education:...
in 1785.
At his death, he left around £60,000, excluding his estate. He left his artistic collection from his travels in Italy and France to Worcester College, where it remains. His personal papers are at Eastnor Castle
Eastnor Castle
Eastnor Castle is a 19th century mock castle, two miles from the town of Ledbury in Herefordshire, England, by the village of Eastnor. It was founded by John Cocks, 1st Earl Somers as his stately home and continues to be inhabited by his descendents. Currently in residence is the family of...
, except for his personalised volumes of the Collections, which had been sold and subsequently lost in a fire.
Further reading
- Brian S. Smith, ‘Nash, Treadway Russell (1725–1811)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, May 2005, accessed 6 Feb 2011