Joseph Spence (28 April 1699 – 20 August 1768) was a historian, literary scholar and anecdotist, most famous for his collection of
anecdote
An anecdote is "a story with a point", such as to communicate an abstract idea about a person, place, or thing through the concrete details of a short narrative or to characterize by delineating a specific quirk or trait. Occasionally humorous ...
s (published in 1820) that are an invaluable resource for
historians
A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the stu ...
of 18th-century English literature (
Augustan literature
Augustan literature (sometimes referred to misleadingly as Georgian literature) is a literary genre, style of British literature produced during the reigns of Anne, Queen of Great Britain, Queen Anne, George I of Great Britain, King George I, an ...
).
Early life
Spence was born on 28 April 1699, at
Kingsclere
Kingsclere is a large village and civil parish in Hampshire, England.
Geography
Kingsclere is approximately equidistant ) from the towns of Basingstoke and Newbury on the A339 road.
History
Kingsclere can trace back its history to a p ...
, Hampshire, the son of Joseph (Rector of Winnal in
Winchester
Winchester is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city in Hampshire, England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government Districts of England, district, at the western end of the South Downs Nation ...
and
Precentor
A precentor is a person who helps facilitate worship. The details vary depending on the religion, denomination, and era in question. The Latin derivation is ''præcentor'', from cantor, meaning "the one who sings before" (or alternatively, "first ...
of
Winchester Cathedral
The Cathedral Church of the Holy Trinity,Historic England. "Cathedral Church of the Holy Trinity (1095509)". ''National Heritage List for England''. Retrieved 8 September 2014. Saint Peter, Saint Paul and Saint Swithun, commonly known as Winches ...
) and Mirabella (née Collier, granddaughter of Sir
Thomas Lunsford
Sir Thomas Lunsford (c. 1610 – c. 1653) was a Royalist colonel in the English Civil War.
Family
Lunsford was son of Thomas Lunsford of Wilegh, Sussex. His mother, Katherine, was daughter of Thomas Fludd, treasurer of war to Queen Elizabeth, a ...
).
In 1709, Spence attended school in Mortimer, near his birthplace, and later attended
Eton College
Eton College () is a public school in Eton, Berkshire, England. It was founded in 1440 by Henry VI under the name ''Kynge's College of Our Ladye of Eton besyde Windesore'',Nevill, p. 3 ff. intended as a sister institution to King's College, C ...
and then
Winchester College
Winchester College is a public school (fee-charging independent day and boarding school) in Winchester, Hampshire, England. It was founded by William of Wykeham in 1382 and has existed in its present location ever since. It is the oldest of the ...
. Spence matriculated to Magdalen Hall, Oxford on 11 April 1717, but did not go up until admitted as scholar or probationary fellow at
New College on 22 April 1720. On 30 April 1722, he received a full fellowship, taking his Bachelor of Arts degree on 9 March 1724 and Master of Arts on 2 November 1727. Spence was ordained in the
Oxford diocese on 5 June 1726. Early literary friends of Spence included fellow
Wykehamists Edward Rolle
Edward Rolle (27 April 1703 – 30 June 1791), known with affectionate admiration as the Captain or Captain Rolle, was an English author, poet, and Anglican vicar.
Rolle was "one of a little group of New College men whose essays in verse enjoyed ...
Robert Lowth
Robert Lowth ( ; 27 November 1710 – 3 November 1787) was a Bishop of the Church of England, Oxford Professor of Poetry and the author of one of the most influential
textbooks of English grammar.
Life
Lowth was born in Hampshire, England, G ...
,
Christopher Pitt
Christopher Pitt (1699 – 13 April 1748) was an English clergyman poet; he was also a translator whose performance was esteemed in his day.
Family connections
Christopher Pitt came from a family wide-spread in the West of England. Several o ...
, and
Edward Young
Edward Young (c. 3 July 1683 – 5 April 1765) was an English poet, best remembered for ''Night-Thoughts'', a series of philosophical writings in blank verse, reflecting his state of mind following several bereavements. It was one of the mos ...
.
Spence wrote an essay on
Alexander Pope
Alexander Pope (21 May 1688 O.S. – 30 May 1744) was an English poet, translator, and satirist of the Enlightenment era who is considered one of the most prominent English poets of the early 18th century. An exponent of Augustan literature, ...
's translation of
Homer
Homer (; grc, Ὅμηρος , ''Hómēros'') (born ) was a Greek poet who is credited as the author of the ''Iliad'' and the ''Odyssey'', two epic poems that are foundational works of ancient Greek literature. Homer is considered one of the ...
's ''
Odyssey
The ''Odyssey'' (; grc, Ὀδύσσεια, Odýsseia, ) is one of two major Ancient Greek literature, ancient Greek Epic poetry, epic poems attributed to Homer. It is one of the oldest extant works of literature still widely read by moder ...
'' in 1726 which gave rise to a friendship between Spence and Pope. In 1727 Pope published his comments on the second part of Spence's essay.
Later life
Spence was elected as the
Oxford Professor of Poetry
The Professor of Poetry is an academic appointment at the University of Oxford. The chair was created in 1708 by an endowment from the estate of Henry Birkhead. The professorship carries an obligation to lecture, but is in effect a part-time po ...
on 11 July 1728, holding the post for maximum term allowed (ten years). The older of the two, Spence had, more than once, Edward Rolle's as his deputy in the Poetry-Professorship at Oxford.
In the same month he was given the New College living of
Birchanger
Birchanger () is a village in Essex, England, northeast of Bishop's Stortford and northwest of the county town, Chelmsford. The village is in the district of Uttlesford and the parliamentary constituency of Saffron Walden. There is a Parish Co ...
, Essex, but continued to live in Oxford when not travelling abroad.
Recommended by Alexander Pope, Spence became a travelling companion of
Charles Sackville, 2nd Duke of Dorset
Charles Sackville, 2nd Duke of Dorset PC (6 February 17115 January 1769), styled as Lord Buckhurst from 1711 to 1720 and the Earl of Middlesex from 1720 to 1765, was a British politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1734 and 1765. He ...
and 1st Earl of Middlesex, on a
Grand Tour
The Grand Tour was the principally 17th- to early 19th-century custom of a traditional trip through Europe, with Italy as a key destination, undertaken by upper-class young European men of sufficient means and rank (typically accompanied by a tuto ...
lasting from December 1730 to July 1733. In 1731, while Spence was abroad, his ''Account'' of
Stephen Duck
Stephen Duck (c. 1705 – 21 March 1756) was an English poet whose career reflected both the Augustan era's interest in "naturals" ( natural geniuses) and its resistance to classlessness.
Biography
Duck was born at Charlton, near Pewsey, in Wi ...
was published. On his return to Oxford he lectured and made mundane contributions to poetry collections marking royal weddings, births, and deaths. In 1736 he published ''An Account of Lord Buckhurst'' and an edition of ''
Gorboduc
Gorboduc ('' Welsh:'' Gorwy or Goronwy) was a legendary king of the Britons as recounted by Geoffrey of Monmouth. He was married to Judon. When he became old, his sons, Ferrex and Porrex, feuded over who would take over the kingdom. Porrex tried ...
''.
Spence was a companion to
John Morley Trevor in his tour of the Netherlands, Flanders, and France between May 1737 and February 1738, and between September 1739 and November 1741 travelled in Italy with
Henry Pelham-Clinton, the Earl of Lincoln. Lord Lincoln then provided the scholar with appointments and incomes that ensured his financial security. While touring, Spence frequently wrote letters to his mother, which he later edited for publication but never published.
On 4 June 1742 Spence was appointed
Regius Professor of Modern History and exchanged Birchanger for
Great Horwood
Great Horwood is a small village and is also a civil parish within the unitary authority area of Buckinghamshire, England with a population of about 1025 people (2001 Census). It is about five miles ESE of Buckingham, six miles WSW of Milton ...
, Buckinghamshire, which he visited each year and distributed charity. Around 1742 he gave up his fellowship at New College and settled with his mother in London and often visited Alexander Pope.
After much work, Spence published ''Polymetis'' as an illustrated
folio
The term "folio" (), has three interconnected but distinct meanings in the world of books and printing: first, it is a term for a common method of arranging sheets of paper into book form, folding the sheet only once, and a term for a book ma ...
in February 1747. He had first thought of such a work during his first visit to Italy and used much of the material he had collected there, intending to demonstrate the relationship between the works of ancient artists and of Roman poets. The work was criticsed by
Gotthold Ephraim Lessing
Gotthold Ephraim Lessing (, ; 22 January 1729 – 15 February 1781) was a philosopher, dramatist, publicist and art critic, and a representative of the Enlightenment era. His plays and theoretical writings substantially influenced the developmen ...
in his 1766 work, ', which subsequently adversely affected its standing.
In 1748, Lord Lincoln gave Spence the use of a house he owned at
Byfleet
Byfleet is a village in Surrey, England. It is located in the far east of the borough of Woking, around east of West Byfleet, from which it is separated by the M25 motorway and the Wey Navigation.
The village is of medieval origin. Its winding ...
, Surrey, which Spence and his mother moved into. Having designed Birchanger's garden along the lines of Pope's garden in
Twickenham
Twickenham is a suburban district in London, England. It is situated on the River Thames southwest of Charing Cross. Historically part of Middlesex, it has formed part of the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames since 1965, and the boroug ...
, and planting extensively at Great Horwood, as well as designing gardens and making notes for friends London, Spence further explored his interest in landscape gardening at Byfleet – developing the estate as a ''
ferme ornée
The term ''ferme ornée'' as used in English garden history derives from Stephen Switzer's term for 'ornamental farm'. It describes a country estate laid out partly according to aesthetic principles and partly for farming. During the eighteenth ce ...
''. Though making extensive notes and translating
Jean Denis Attiret
Jean Denis Attiret (, 31 July 1702 – 8 December 1768) was a French Jesuit painter and missionary to Qing China.
Early life
Attiret was born in Dole, France. He studied art in Rome and made himself a name as a portrait painter. While ...
's account of the
Emperor of China
''Huangdi'' (), translated into English as Emperor, was the superlative title held by monarchs of China who ruled various imperial regimes in Chinese history. In traditional Chinese political theory, the emperor was considered the Son of Heave ...
's gardens, Spence left his gardening treatise, ''Tempe'', unfinished. His translation of Attiret was published in 1752 under the pen name of "Sir Harry Beaumont", which he also used for ''Crito'', published in 1752, and ''Moralities'', published in 1753.
In 1752-3 Spence published accounts of Robert Hill (tailor) and
Thomas Blacklock
Thomas Blacklock (10 November 1721 – 7 July 1791) was a Scottish poet who went blind in infancy.
Life
He was born near Annan, Dumfriesshire (now Dumfries and Galloway), of humble parentage, and lost his sight as a result of smallpox when s ...
, and promoted a subscription edition of Blacklock's poems. In 1758, Spence travelled with
Robert Dodsley
Robert Dodsley (13 February 1703 – 23 September 1764) was an English bookseller, publisher, poet, playwright, and miscellaneous writer.
Life
Dodsley was born near Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, where his father was master of the free school.
He ...
to visit Blacklock in Scotland, and en route, visited
William Shenstone
William Shenstone (18 November 171411 February 1763) was an English poet and one of the earliest practitioners of landscape gardening through the development of his estate, ''The Leasowes''.
Biography
Son of Thomas Shenstone and Anne Penn, d ...
at
The Leasowes
The Leasowes is a 57-hectare (around 141 acre) estate in Halesowen, historically in the county of Shropshire, England, comprising house and gardens. The parkland is now listed Grade I on English Heritage's Register of Parks and Gardens and the h ...
. Spence had his work ''Parallel in the Manner of Plutarch '' printed at
Horace Walpole
Horatio Walpole (), 4th Earl of Orford (24 September 1717 – 2 March 1797), better known as Horace Walpole, was an English writer, art historian, man of letters, antiquarian, and Whigs (British political party), Whig politician.
He had Strawb ...
's
Strawberry Hill Press
The Strawberry Hill Press was established on 25 June 1757 at Strawberry Hill, by the house's owner, Horace Walpole. He called it the ''Officina Arbuteana'', and many of the first editions of his own works were printed there. The first works pri ...
in 1758, to raise money for Hill. In 1753 Spence provided notes for an edition of
Virgil
Publius Vergilius Maro (; traditional dates 15 October 7021 September 19 BC), usually called Virgil or Vergil ( ) in English, was an ancient Roman poet of the Augustan period. He composed three of the most famous poems in Latin literature: t ...
written by
Joseph Warton
Joseph Warton (April 1722 – 23 February 1800) was an English academic and literary critic.
He was born in Dunsfold, Surrey, England, but his family soon moved to Hampshire, where his father, the Reverend Thomas Warton, became vicar of B ...
, and in 1768 edited the ''Remarks on Virgil'' by
Edward Holdsworth
Edward Holdsworth (1684–1746) was an English classical scholar, known as a neo-Latin poet.
Early life
The son of Thomas Holdsworth, rector of North Stoneham, Hampshire, he was born there on 6 August 1684, and baptised on 3 September. He was ed ...
, the authors being friends and
Old Wykehamists
Old Wykehamists are former pupils of Winchester College, so called in memory of the school's founder, William of Wykeham. He was Bishop of Winchester and Lord Chancellor of England. He used the wealth these positions gave him to establish both t ...
.
Spence was installed as 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 ...
of
Durham Cathedral
The Cathedral Church of Christ, Blessed Mary the Virgin and St Cuthbert of Durham, commonly known as Durham Cathedral and home of the Shrine of St Cuthbert, is a cathedral in the city of Durham, County Durham, England. It is the seat of t ...
on 24 May 1754, a posting on the generosity of the
Bishop of Durham
The Bishop of Durham is the Anglican bishop responsible for the Diocese of Durham in the Province of York. The diocese is one of the oldest in England and its bishop is a member of the House of Lords. Paul Butler has been the Bishop of Durham ...
,
Richard Trevor. Spence continued to live at Byfleet and spent more than the minimum time required for his prebendal duties of three weeks' residence at
Durham Durham most commonly refers to:
*Durham, England, a cathedral city and the county town of County Durham
*County Durham, an English county
*Durham County, North Carolina, a county in North Carolina, United States
*Durham, North Carolina, a city in No ...
. In Durham, he not only began to improve the garden of his prebendal estate, but also those of his neighbours, the bishop and the
Earl of Darlington
Earl of Darlington is a title that has been created twice, each time in the Peerage of Great Britain. Sophia von Kielmansegg, Countess of Darlington, Baroness von Kielmansegg, half-sister of George I of Great Britain, King George I, was made coun ...
,
Henry Vane, sometimes spending weeks at a time travelling to landscaped gardens where his advice had been sought.
Spence suffered a mild stroke during his annual journey north in June 1766, and made his will at
Sedgefield
Sedgefield is a market town and civil parish in County Durham, England. It had a population of 5,211 as at the 2011 census. It has the only operating racecourse in County Durham.
History Roman
A Roman 'ladder settlement' was discovered by C ...
, Durham, on 4 August 1766. On 24 March 1767, Spence sold the copyrights, including those on his unpublished works, to James Dodsley for £100. His executors, however, blocked publication of the ''Anecdotes''. On 20 August 1768 Spence was found lying face down in the shallow ornamental waters of his garden at Byfleet and was buried four days later at St Mary's, Byfleet.
Edward Rolle
Edward Rolle (27 April 1703 – 30 June 1791), known with affectionate admiration as the Captain or Captain Rolle, was an English author, poet, and Anglican vicar.
Rolle was "one of a little group of New College men whose essays in verse enjoyed ...
, his close friend, was one of three executors of his will.
Works
Spence's published works include ''An Essay on Pope's Odyssey'' (1726) and ''Polymetis'' (1747). Spence's unpublished works include his edition of ''travelling letters'', notes for a gardening treatise, notes for a biographical history of English poetry, and his ''anecdotes'', which include tales about
Alexander Pope
Alexander Pope (21 May 1688 O.S. – 30 May 1744) was an English poet, translator, and satirist of the Enlightenment era who is considered one of the most prominent English poets of the early 18th century. An exponent of Augustan literature, ...
and other literary figures such as
John Arbuthnot
John Arbuthnot FRS (''baptised'' 29 April 1667 – 27 February 1735), often known simply as Dr Arbuthnot, was a Scottish physician, satirist and polymath in London. He is best remembered for his contributions to mathematics, his membersh ...
,
Isaac Newton
Sir Isaac Newton (25 December 1642 – 20 March 1726/27) was an English mathematician, physicist, astronomer, alchemist, theologian, and author (described in his time as a "natural philosopher"), widely recognised as one of the grea ...
, and
Stephen Duck
Stephen Duck (c. 1705 – 21 March 1756) was an English poet whose career reflected both the Augustan era's interest in "naturals" ( natural geniuses) and its resistance to classlessness.
Biography
Duck was born at Charlton, near Pewsey, in Wi ...
.
Notes
References
*James Sambrook
Spence, Joseph (1699–1768) ''
Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
The ''Dictionary of National Biography'' (''DNB'') is a standard work of reference on notable figures from British history, published since 1885. The updated ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' (''ODNB'') was published on 23 September ...
'',
Oxford University Press
Oxford University Press (OUP) is the university press of the University of Oxford. It is the largest university press in the world, and its printing history dates back to the 1480s. Having been officially granted the legal right to print books ...
, 2004.
*Joseph Spence
Letters from the Grand Tour edited by Slava Klima'',
McGill Queens University Press, 1975.
Further reading
* Wright, Austin, ''Joseph Spence: A Critical Biography''. Chicago, Illinois, University of Chicago. 1950.
External links
Joseph Spenceat th
Eighteenth-Century Poetry Archive (ECPA)Brief biography of Joseph Spence*
*
*
Joseph Spence Papers. James Marshall and Marie-Louise Osborn Collection, Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Spence, Joseph
1699 births
1768 deaths
English writers
History of literature
British theologians
British historians
People educated at Eton College
Alumni of New College, Oxford
People educated at Winchester College
Oxford Professors of Poetry
Regius Professors of History (University of Oxford)
English male writers
People from Kingsclere