Thornhagh Gurdon,
F.S.A. (1663 – November 1733) was an English
antiquarian
An antiquarian or antiquary () is an aficionado or student of antiquities or things of the past. More specifically, the term is used for those who study history with particular attention to ancient artefacts, archaeological and historic si ...
.
Gurdon, born in 1663, was the son of Brampton Gurdon of
Letton, Norfolk
Letton, a former village civil parish, is now part of the parish of Cranworth, in the Breckland district of Norfolk, England. The settlement is south-east from Shipdham and about south-west from East Dereham. In 1931 the parish had a population ...
, and his wife Elizabeth, and the elder brother of
Brampton Gurdon ( – 20 November 1741). As a member of
Caius College, Cambridge
Gonville and Caius College, commonly known as Caius ( ), is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1348 by Edmund Gonville, it is the fourth-oldest of the University of Cambridge's 31 colleges an ...
, he received the degree of
M.A.
A Master of Arts ( or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA or AM) 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. Those admitted to the degree have ...
''comitiis regiis'' in 1682, and in the reign of
Queen Anne was appointed receiver-general of Norfolk. He resided mostly at
Norwich
Norwich () is a cathedral city and district of the county of Norfolk, England, of which it is the county town. It lies by the River Wensum, about north-east of London, north of Ipswich and east of Peterborough. The population of the Norwich ...
, where in 1728 he published anonymously a valuable ''Essay on the Antiquity of the Castel of Norwich, its Founders and Governors from the Kings of the
East Angles
The Kingdom of the East Angles (; ), informally known as the Kingdom of East Anglia, was a small independent kingdom of the Angles during the Anglo-Saxon period comprising what are now the English counties of Norfolk and Suffolk and perhaps ...
down to modern Times'' (
octavo
Octavo, a Latin word meaning "in eighth" or "for the eighth time", (abbreviated 8vo, 8º, or In-8) is a technical term describing the format of a book, which refers to the size of leaves produced from folding a full sheet of paper on which multip ...
). Another work of great merit was his ''History of the High Court of Parliament, its Antiquity, Preheminence, and Authority; and the History of Court Baron and Court Leet, ... Together with the Rights of Lords of Manors in Common Pastures, and the Growth of the Privileges the Tenants Now Enjoy There'' (2 vols., octavo, 1731).
[.] Gurdon was elected a Fellow of the
Society of Antiquaries of London
The Society of Antiquaries of London (SAL) is a learned society of historians and archaeologists in the United Kingdom. It was founded in 1707, received its royal charter in 1751 and is a Charitable organization, registered charity. It is based ...
in March 1718.
Gurdon died in November 1733 aged 70, and was buried in the church of
Cranworth
Cranworth is a village and civil parish in the Breckland district of the English county of Norfolk.
Cranworth is located north-east of Watton and west of Norwich.
History
Cranworth's name is of Anglo-Saxon origin and derives from the Old ...
with Letton, Norfolk. By his wife Elizabeth, one of the daughters and coheirs of Sir William Cooke, Baronet of
Brome, Suffolk
Brome is a village and former civil parish in the Mid Suffolk district, in the north of the English county of Suffolk. It lies on the A140 Norwich to Ipswich road around northwest of Eye and southeast of Diss near the border with Norfolk. In ...
, he had two sons, Brampton, who died before him, and Thornhagh; and three daughters, Jane, Elizabeth, and Letitia. Mrs. Gurdon survived until 1745.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gurdon, Thornhagh
1663 births
1733 deaths
17th-century English male writers
17th-century English historians
18th-century English male writers
18th-century English historians
Alumni of Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge
English antiquarians
Fellows of the Society of Antiquaries of London
Thornhagh
Antiquarians from Norwich