Sir Henry Spelman (born 1562 died 1641), a Norfork squire, was an eminent antiquary, whose learned works are still useful. Such are his “Glossarium Archæologicum,” his treatise on “Knight’s Tenures,” his “History of English Councils,” etc. A very strong Angelican, Spelman, wrote a “History of Sacrilege” to show the fate which holders of church lands were likely to incur, a “Treatise concerning Tithes,” and a book “De Non temerandis Ecclesiis.” The “Reliquiæ Spelmannianæ” contain a large number of his posthumous works. Spelman’s intimate knowledge of the works of earlier writers, and his acquaintance with the intricacies of English law and legal custom in the period in which he lived, make his works of considerable value to the student and antiquarian.

Personal

  From George Lee:—he was a handsome gentleman (as appeares by his picture in Bibliotheca Cottoniana), strong and valiant, and wore allwayes his sword, till he was about 70 or +, when, finding his legges to faulter through feeblenes as he was walking, “Now,” said he. “’tis time to leave off my sword.”… He lies buried in the south crosse-aisle of Westminister abbey, at the foot of the pillar opposite to Mr. Camden’s monument, but without any word of inscription or monument hitherto (1680). I very well remember his penon that hung-up there, but it was either taken downe or fell downe when the scaffolds were putt up at the coronation of his majestie King Charles II. Sir William Dugdale knew Sir Henry Spelman, and sayes he was as tall as his grandson, Harry Spelman.

  United the learning of a profound antiquary to the superstition of a narrow bigot.

  He was an orthodox antiquary, who had written in behalf of tithes when John Selden got into trouble for his account of them, and left behind him a valuable archæological glossary, and a collection in two folios, the first published in 1639, the second after his death, of British Ecclesiastical Laws, Concilia, Decreta, Leges, Constitutiones in Re Ecclesiastica Orbis Britannici. He had a son, Sir John Spelman, who inherited his tastes, wrote a life of King Alfred, and survived his father but two years. In 1640, Sir Henry Spelman, then eighty years old, founded a lectureship at Cambridge for the study of Anglo-Saxon or First English.

General

  Spelman’s “Glossary” is a very useful and learned book.

  This learned and industrious antiquary, to whom every writer of English history, since his time, is indebted, was one of the Antiquarian Society in the reign of James I. and the intimate friend of Camden and Sir Robert Cotton. He was not only well skilled in the learned languages, but was also a great master of the Saxon tongue; of which he is justly esteemed a chief restorer, and for which he settled a lecture in the university of Cambridge. His principal works, which are in Latin, will last as long as the language in which they are written: of these his “English Councils,” and his “Glossary,” hold the first place.

  Of all the writers on etymology whose works I have read or consulted, Spelman and Lluyd are almost the only ones in whose deductions much confidence can be placed.

  His works are almost all upon legal and ecclesiastical antiquities. Having, in the course of his investigations, found it necessary to study the Saxon Language, he embodied the fruits of his labour in his great work called “Glossarium Archæologicum,” the object of which is the explanation of obsolete words occurring in the laws of England. The writings of this author have furnished valuable materials to English historians, and he is considered as the restorer of Saxon literature, both by means of his own studies, and by founding a Saxon professorship at Cambridge.