Brian Twyne: University History and the Traditions of English Antiquarianism

This chapter focuses on Brian Twyne, who, by 1625, was a recognized authority on Oxford’s medieval documents. In 1633, he would become Oxford University’s first archivist. Even more important were the archives themselves: especially his own collections, which would serve as the basis for every history of Oxford for centuries. Brian Twyne’s official education took place at Corpus Christi College, to which he came as a scholar in 1594, at the age of 14. From his twenties until his death in 1644, Twyne was fascinated by the history of Oxford. However, his training in the techniques of documentary scholarship had little to do with his official education. Rather, quite early in life, he encountered three distinct traditions of antiquarian scholarship. Each was embodied in a person or a text, and from each he took away ideas and practices that went into the finished body of his work.