Robert Dover (1575/82–1652) was an English attorney, author and wit, best known as the founder and for many years the director of the Cotswold Olimpick Games.

Family

Robert was probably born between 1575 and 1582 in

Norfolk Norfolk () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in East Anglia in England. It borders Lincolnshire to the north-west, Cambridgeshire to the west and south-west, and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the Nor ...

, one of four children sired by a John Dover, but as the parish registers in Great Ellingham did not begin until 1630 it is impossible to be certain. In 1610, Dover married Sibilla Sanford, daughter of William Cole, Dean of Lincoln and widow of John Sanford of

Stow on the Wold Stow-on-the-Wold is a market town and civil parish in Gloucestershire, England, on top of an 800-foot (244 m) hill at the junction of main roads through the Cotswolds, including the Fosse Way (A429), which is of Roman origin. The town was fou ...

; they had two sons (Robert, died in infancy, and John, 1614–1696) and two daughters (Sibella and Abigail).

Education and professional life

Dover was a scholar at the

University of Cambridge , mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts. Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge. , established = , other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...

in 1595, possibly as a sizar at

Queens' College Queens' College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Queens' is one of the oldest colleges of the university, founded in 1448 by Margaret of Anjou. The college spans the River Cam, colloquially referred to as the "light sid ...

: (one o
three entries under the name "Robert Dover"
during his time at Cambridge the " Gog Magog Games" were held on the Gog Magog Hills outside Cambridge, although it is not known whether these were already being termed "Olympik" as was the case by 1620. Dover left university early to avoid swearing the

Oath of Supremacy The Oath of Supremacy required any person taking public or church office in England to swear allegiance to the monarch as Supreme Governor of the Church of England. Failure to do so was to be treated as treasonable. The Oath of Supremacy was or ...

; and a "Robert Dover" was among those questioned by Lord Burghley's officers looking for recusants in Norfolk. On 27 February 1605, Dover was admitted to

Gray's Inn The Honourable Society of Gray's Inn, commonly known as Gray's Inn, is one of the four Inns of Court (professional associations for barristers and judges) in London. To be called to the bar in order to practise as a barrister in England and W ...

, and was probably called to the bar in 1611. Dover was known as a wit, and author of a lost poem ''The Wandering Jew'': according to

Peter Heylin Peter Heylyn or Heylin (29 November 1599 – 8 May 1662) was an English ecclesiastic and author of many polemical, historical, political and theological tracts. He incorporated his political concepts into his geographical books ''Microcosmu ...

, a pageant put on at

. In 1611, he moved to Saintbury, near Chipping Campden. After the inauguration of the Games, he obtained patronage from neighbour

Endymion Porter Sir Endymion Porter (1587–1649) was an English diplomat and royalist. Early life He was descended from Sir William Porter, sergeant-at-arms to Henry VII, and son of Edmund Porter, of Aston-sub-Edge in Gloucestershire, by his cousin Angela ...

, a well-connected courtier, who arranged for Dover to receive a cast-off set of royal garments to wear while presiding. Later in life he moved to Barton-on-the-Heath.

Cotswold Olimpick Games

Dover founded his annual Games held in the

Cotswold The Cotswolds (, ) is a region in central-southwest England, along a range of rolling hills that rise from the meadows of the upper Thames to an escarpment above the Severn Valley and Evesham Vale. The area is defined by the bedrock of Jur ...

hills above Chipping Campden in about 1612, and presided over them for forty years. A mixture of courtly and folk events, the Cotswold Olimpicks were so named in ''Annalia Dubrensia'', one of a series of literary celebrations of the events. The games consisted of cudgel-playing, shin-kicking, wrestling, running at the quintain, jumping, casting the bar and hammer, hand-ball, gymnastics, rural dances and games and horse-racing, the winners in which received valuable prizes. The Games, interrupted by the outbreak of the

English Civil War The English Civil War (1642–1651) was a series of civil wars and political machinations between Parliamentarians (" Roundheads") and Royalists led by Charles I (" Cavaliers"), mainly over the manner of England's governance and issues of r ...

in 1642, revived after the Restoration, and continued until 1852. They were revived, once more, in 1951.

Death

Robert Dover was buried at Barton on 24 July 1652 (the date of 6 June 1641 appears to be a mistake).

Remembered

There is a monument to Robert Dover at Dover's Hill, near Aston-sub-Edge.

Notes

References

Drayton, Michael, et al. (1636), ''Annalia Dubrensia: upon the yearly celebration of Mr. Robert Dovers Olimpick Games upon Cotswold-Hills'', London: Robert Raworth.
* Gandy, Rob (2021), "Bold Dover", ''The Fortean Times'', FT408, (August 2021), pp.46-50. {{DEFAULTSORT:Dover, Robert 16th-century births 1652 deaths People from Breckland District 16th-century English people 17th-century English people