John Earle (1824–1903) was a British

Anglo-Saxon language Old English (, ), or Anglo-Saxon, is the earliest recorded form of the English language, spoken in England and southern and eastern Scotland in the early Middle Ages. It was brought to Great Britain by Anglo-Saxon settlers in the mid-5th cen ...

scholar. He was twice

Rawlinsonian Professor of Anglo-Saxon The Rawlinson and Bosworth Professorship of Anglo-Saxon, until 1916 known as the Rawlinsonian Professorship of Anglo-Saxon, was established by Richard Rawlinson of St John's College, Oxford, in 1795. The Chair is associated with Pembroke Colleg ...

in the

University of Oxford , mottoeng = The Lord is my light , established = , endowment = £6.1 billion (including colleges) (2019) , budget = £2.145 billion (2019–20) , chancellor ...

. Earle wrote more than a dozen books and was the author of ''Two Saxon Chronicles Parallel'' (1865), and ''Anglo-Saxon Literature'' (1884).

Charles Plummer Charles Plummer, FBA (1851–1927) was an English historian and cleric, best known as the editor of Sir John Fortescue's ''The Governance of England'', and for coining the term "bastard feudalism". He was the fifth son of Matthew Plummer of St ...

edited Earle's ''Two Saxon Chronicles Parallel'', producing a ''Revised Text'' with notes, appendices, and glossary in 1892.

Milestones in his life

Earle was born at Elston, Churchstow, S. Devon, on 29 January 1824, the oldest son of John Earle who was a farmer and landowner. Earle was educated at

Oriel College, Oxford Oriel College () is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in Oxford, England. Located in Oriel Square, the college has the distinction of being the oldest royal foundation in Oxford (a title formerly claimed by University College, wh ...

, where he obtained first-class honors in classics. Earle was elected a

fellow A fellow is a concept whose exact meaning depends on context. In learned or professional societies, it refers to a privileged member who is specially elected in recognition of their work and achievements. Within the context of higher education ...

in 1848 and in 1857 became

rector Rector (Latin for the member of a vessel's crew who steers) may refer to: Style or title *Rector (ecclesiastical), a cleric who functions as an administrative leader in some Christian denominations *Rector (academia), a senior official in an edu ...

of Swanswick, near Bath. In 1863, he married Jane Rolleston, the daughter of Rev. George Rolleston (rector and squire of Maltby, W. Riding, father of

George Rolleston George Rolleston MA MD FRCP FRS (30 July 1829 – 16 June 1881) was an English physician and zoologist. He was the first Linacre Professor of Anatomy and Physiology to be appointed at the University of Oxford, a post he held from 1860 until ...

). Earle became a

prebendary A prebendary is a member of the Roman Catholic or Anglican clergy, a form of canon with a role in the administration of a cathedral or collegiate church. When attending services, prebendaries sit in particular seats, usually at the back of the ...

Wells Wells most commonly refers to: * Wells, Somerset, a cathedral city in Somerset, England * Well, an excavation or structure created in the ground * Wells (name) Wells may also refer to: Places Canada *Wells, British Columbia England * Wells ...

, which was a small cathedral city of

Somerset ( en, All The People of Somerset) , locator_map = , coordinates = , region = South West England , established_date = Ancient , established_by = , preceded_by = , origin = , lord_lieutenant_office =Lord Lieutenant of Somerset , lord_ ...

, in 1871. His recreations were boating, riding and gardening. Earle held the position of Professor of Anglo-Saxon at Oxford as well as the rectory of Swanswick until his death in 1903. His address in the 1903 ''

Who's Who (UK) ''Who's Who'' is a reference work. It is a book, and also a CD-ROM and a website, giving information on influential people from around the world. Published annually as a book since 1849, it lists people who influence British life, according to i ...

'' is listed as Swanswick Rectory, Bath, 84 Banbury Road, Oxford.

Positions held

*Fellow of Oriel, 1848 *College Tutor, 1852 *Rector of Swanswick (near Bath) 1857 *Rawlinson and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon 1849–1854 *Rawlinson and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon 1876–1903 *Prebendary of

since 1871 *Select Preacher, Oxford University, 1873-1874 *Rural Dean of Bath, 1873-1877

Bibliography

*''Gloucester Fragments of St.

Swithun Swithun (or Swithin; ang, Swīþhūn; la, Swithunus; died 863 AD) was an Anglo-Saxon bishop of Winchester and subsequently patron saint of Winchester Cathedral. His historical importance as bishop is overshadowed by his reputation for post ...

'' (1861) *''Bath, Ancient and Modern'' (1864) *''Two Saxon Chronicles Parallel'' (1865) *''The

Philology Philology () is the study of language in oral and writing, written historical sources; it is the intersection of textual criticism, literary criticism, history, and linguistics (with especially strong ties to etymology). Philology is also defin ...

of the English Tongue'' (1871) *''A Book for the Beginner in Anglo-Saxon'' (1877) *''English Plant Names from the Tenth to the Fifteenth Century'' (1880) *''Anglo-Saxon Literature'' (1884) *''A Handbook to the Land Charters'' (1888) *''English Prose: its Elements, History, and Usage'' (1890) *''The Deeds of

Beowulf ''Beowulf'' (; ang, Bēowulf ) is an Old English epic poem in the tradition of Germanic heroic legend consisting of 3,182 alliterative lines. It is one of the most important and most often translated works of Old English literature. The ...

'' (1892) *''The

Psalter A psalter is a volume containing the Book of Psalms, often with other devotional material bound in as well, such as a liturgical calendar and litany of the Saints. Until the emergence of the book of hours in the Late Middle Ages, psalters we ...

of 1539'' (1894) *''A Simple Grammar of English Now in Use'' (1898) *''The

Alfred Jewel The Alfred Jewel is a piece of Anglo-Saxon goldsmithing work made of enamel and quartz enclosed in gold. It was discovered in 1693, in North Petherton, Somerset, England and is now one of the most popular exhibits at the Ashmolean Museum in Ox ...

: an Historical Essay'' (1901)

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Earle, John 1824 births 1903 deaths Anglo-Saxon studies scholars Translators from Old English Linguists from England Alumni of Oriel College, Oxford Rawlinsonian Professors of Anglo-Saxon 19th-century translators Rolleston family