David Parry (1682? – December 1714) was a

Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, referring or related to Wales * Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales * Welsh people People * Welsh (surname) * Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peop ...

scholar and assistant to the naturalist Edward Lhuyd. He was Keeper of the

Ashmolean Museum The Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology () on Beaumont Street, Oxford, England, is Britain's first public museum. Its first building was erected in 1678–1683 to house the cabinet of curiosities that Elias Ashmole gave to the University of ...

in Oxford from 1709 until his death in 1714.

Life

Parry, who was born in Cardigan,

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...

, in about 1682, was educated at the grammar school in Cardigan before coming to the attention of Edward Lhuyd in about 1695. Lhuyd took Parry on his travels in Wales, Ireland, Scotland and Brittany. They were imprisoned as spies for a time in Brittany, but returned to Oxford in April 1701. Parry then matriculated that year

Jesus College, Oxford Jesus College (in full: Jesus College in the University of Oxford of Queen Elizabeth's Foundation) is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. It is in the centre of the city, on a site between Turl Street, Ship St ...

. Lhuyd's efforts to obtain a scholarship for Parry were, however, thwarted by John Wynne, one of the

Fellows Fellows may refer to Fellow, in plural form. Fellows or Fellowes may also refer to: Places * Fellows, California, USA * Fellows, Wisconsin, ghost town, USA Other uses * Fellows Auctioneers, established in 1876. *Fellowes, Inc., manufacturer of wo ...

of the college. Parry obtained his

Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years ...

degree in 1705 and his

Master of Arts A Master of Arts ( la, Magister Artium or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA, M.A., AM, or A.M.) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Tho ...

degree in 1708, becoming the unpaid under-keeper of the

under Lhuyd. He succeeded Lhuyd as Keeper of the Ashmolean in 1709, still unpaid. He was regarded as capable but insufficiently hard-working: one report said that there was nobody more competent than Parry, "if he would set himself to work" and another said that Parry was "always in the tavern, guttling and guzzling". He died in December 1714, with it being said that he had "shortened his days" by being a "perfect sot".

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Parry, David 1680s births 1714 deaths People from Cardigan, Ceredigion Alumni of Jesus College, Oxford Welsh scholars and academics Welsh curators People associated with the Ashmolean Museum