Joseph Bosworth

1789 (age 87)

He became a curate in Bunny, N ottinghamshire in 1814 and three years later became vicar of Little Horwood, Buckinghamshire. He was proficient in many European languages and made a particular study of Anglo-Saxon. This suggests that his years between leaving Repton and becoming a priest were spent working for someone whose own interests lay in these directions and who greatly encouraged Bosworth"s academic development. There is no proof as to who this was but a possible candidate is Sharon Turner, a London solicitor turned researcher Bosworth was awarded an Master of Arts in 1822 by the University of Aberdeen on the recommendation of three other Buckinghamshire clergymen. In 1823, his Elements of Anglo-Saxon Grammar appeared, and he also matriculated at Trinity College, Cambridge as a "ten-year" student. In 1829, Bosworth went to the Netherlands as a chaplain, first in Amsterdam and then in Rotterdam. In 1831, the degree of Doctor of Philosophy was conferred on him by the University of Leyden. Trinity College, Cambridge granted him the degree of B. Doctorate. in 1834 and Doctor of Divinity in 1839. He remained in the Netherlands until 1840, working on his A Dictionary of the Anglo-Saxon Language (1838), his best-known work. Thomas Northcote Toller later compiled a new edition of the dictionary based on Bosworth"s work, both printed and in manuscript, and added a supplement (2 vols 1898-1921). The University of Aberdeen granted him a Doctor of Laws in 1838 on the recommendation of two fellows of Trinity College. In 1858 Bosworth became Rector of Water Stratford, Buckinghamshire, and Rawlinsonian Professor of Anglo-Saxon at Oxford. He gave £10,000 to the University of Cambridge in 1867 for the establishment of the professorship of Anglo-Saxon. He died on 27 May 1876 leaving behind him a mass of annotations on the Anglo-Saxon charters and was buried on 2 June 1876 in Water Stratford churchyard. He is not buried at the Parish of the Ascension Burial Ground in Cambridge. Income from his estate was left to various relatives for their lifetimes but when the last one died it was added to the endowment of his Oxford professorship. Bosworth was succeeded by John Earle (1824–1903) and Arthur Sampson Napier (1853–1916). In 1916, the chair was renamed to Rawlinson and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon in honour of Bosworth, the first "Rawlinson and Bosworth" professor being Sir William Alexander Craigie (1867–1957), who in 1925 moved to a post at the University of Chicago (in order to work on his Dictionary of American English) and was succeeded by J. R. R. Tolkien who held the post from 1925 to 1945.

Joseph Bosworth

Edit Profile

linguist

Education

Born in Derbyshire in 1788, Bosworth was educated at Repton School as a "Poor Scholar" but left in his early teens and did not go to university.

Career

He became a curate in Bunny, N ottinghamshire in 1814 and three years later became vicar of Little Horwood, Buckinghamshire. He was proficient in many European languages and made a particular study of Anglo-Saxon. This suggests that his years between leaving Repton and becoming a priest were spent working for someone whose own interests lay in these directions and who greatly encouraged Bosworth"s academic development.

There is no proof as to who this was but a possible candidate is Sharon Turner, a London solicitor turned researcher

Bosworth was awarded an Master of Arts in 1822 by the University of Aberdeen on the recommendation of three other Buckinghamshire clergymen. In 1823, his Elements of Anglo-Saxon Grammar appeared, and he also matriculated at Trinity College, Cambridge as a "ten-year" student.

In 1829, Bosworth went to the Netherlands as a chaplain, first in Amsterdam and then in Rotterdam. In 1831, the degree of Doctor of Philosophy was conferred on him by the University of Leyden.

Trinity College, Cambridge granted him the degree of B. Doctorate. in 1834 and Doctor of Divinity in 1839.

He remained in the Netherlands until 1840, working on his A Dictionary of the Anglo-Saxon Language (1838), his best-known work. Thomas Northcote Toller later compiled a new edition of the dictionary based on Bosworth"s work, both printed and in manuscript, and added a supplement (2 vols 1898-1921). The University of Aberdeen granted him a Doctor of Laws in 1838 on the recommendation of two fellows of Trinity College.

In 1858 Bosworth became Rector of Water Stratford, Buckinghamshire, and Rawlinsonian Professor of Anglo-Saxon at Oxford.

He gave £10,000 to the University of Cambridge in 1867 for the establishment of the professorship of Anglo-Saxon. He died on 27 May 1876 leaving behind him a mass of annotations on the Anglo-Saxon charters and was buried on 2 June 1876 in Water Stratford churchyard.

He is not buried at the Parish of the Ascension Burial Ground in Cambridge. Income from his estate was left to various relatives for their lifetimes but when the last one died it was added to the endowment of his Oxford professorship.

Bosworth was succeeded by John Earle (1824–1903) and Arthur Sampson Napier (1853–1916).

In 1916, the chair was renamed to Rawlinson and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon in honour of Bosworth, the first "Rawlinson and Bosworth" professor being Sir William Alexander Craigie (1867–1957), who in 1925 moved to a post at the University of Chicago (in order to work on his Dictionary of American English) and was succeeded by J. R. R. Tolkien who held the post from 1925 to 1945.

Membership

Royal Society]

In July 1825 he was elected a member of the American Antiquarian Society, and in June 1829, he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society.

Main Photo

School period

College/University

Career

Achievements

Membership

Awards

Other Photos

Connections

Connections

Joseph Bosworth

Education

Career

Membership

Born

Died

Nationality

Education

Awards

Fellow of the Royal Society