Provenance evidence for the history of Canterbury Cathedral Library (Jonas Owyn)

Jonas Owyn and Archbishop Juxon
The rebuilding of the Cathedral Library in Canterbury

15 December 2008, revised 28/01/2022

David J. Shaw

In 1668 the Rev. Jonas Owyn, rector of Wootton and vicar of Sibertswold cum Colred (Sheperdswell with Coldred), gave his copy of the Douai Bible to the newly re-opened Cathedral Library in Canterbury. On the front endpaper he inserted a note recording the career of his patron, Archbishop William Juxon, and his support for the rebuilding of the Cathedral Library.

Holie Bible : faithfully translated into English ... by the English College of Doway.

Printed at Doway by Laurence Kellam, 1609/1610. 4°.
STC 2207.
[CCL W/A-2-11/12/13]
Previous owners: Richard Pell, clerk, of Water Willoughby; Jonas Owyn, rector of Ruskington, Lincs. (1630), then rector of Wootton and vicar of Sibertswold cum Colred, Kent (1662).

Ownership inscriptions on the front endpaper of the Bible.

Jonas Owyn (c. 1600–1680)

1600 : birth, London [from date of matric., Foster], son of Jonas Owyn [Venn]
1618 : St John's Coll., matric. 16 Oct., aged 18 [Foster]
1625 : B.C.L. 18 Jan., 1624–5 [Foster]
1626 : LL.B., incorporated at Cambridge [Foster; Venn]
1628 : ordained, London (CCEd)
1630 : Rector of Ruskington, Lincs [Foster]
1662 : Vicar of Sibertswold cum Colred, Kent (Shepherdswell with Coldred) [Venn; CCL]
1663 : Rector of Wootton, Kent [Venn; CCEd]
1668 : gift of Bible to Canterbury Cathedral Library [CCL]
1680 : died [Venn]

Sources

J. Foster, Alumni Oxonienses, 1500–1714, p. 1100.
J. and J.A. Venn, Alumni Cantabrigienses, Part I, vol. III (1924) p. 290.
CCEd: Clergy of the Church of England Database.
Canterbury Cathedral Library: Holie Bible, Douai, 1610, front endpapers.

Jonas Owyn's account of the career of his patron William Juxon, 1662

Inscription by Jonas Owyn on second front endpaper of the Bible.
Donavit hæc tria volumina Jonas Owyn Londinensis LL.B. Coll. S.^cti Joan: olim Decemvir : nunc Rect^r de Woodton & Vicar. de Shepherdswell cum Colred ex collatione Reverendiss. in Christo Patris ac Domini Dⁿⁱ Guil: Juxon ex generos. parent. Nati Cicestriæ, & ibi p[er] Diploma Episcopale Reg[ist]rarij. Educati in Scholâ venerabilis Societatis S.^cti Joan. Bapt: London. Deinde Coll: S.^cti Joan: Bapt: Oxon. Socij. LL.B. Lectoris Rhetoricæ. Vicarij S.^cti Ægydij Civit. Oxon. Rectoris de Somerton Comitat. Oxon.

Post omnia in Coll: dict. Officia exoluta Præsidentis LL. Doctoris. Bis Vice-chancellarij. Decani Vigorniæ. CAROLO primo Beatiss. memoriæ ab intimis sacris. Electi Episcopi Herefordiensis Episcopi Londinensis in temporibus iniquissimis penitus Indemnati. Decani Sacelli Regij Honoratiss Totius Angliæ Archi-thesaurarij Approbatissimi Archiepiscopi CANTUAR. Prudentissimi Vtriq[ue] CAROLO a secretioribus concilijs fideliss. Dict: Coll: S.^cti Joan: Bapt: Oxon. vsq[ue] ad septem millia Libra[rum] munifici.
Huic civitati Benefactoris. Et hujus Bibliothecæ Fundatoris.
Donat. Anno Christi. 1662.
Ætatis suæ 81.

These three volumes were given by Jonas Owyn of London, Bachelor of Laws, a former fellow of St John's College, Oxford, and now Rector of Wootton and Vicar of Shepherdswell with Coldred, collated by the most reverend Father in Christ and Lord, my Lord William Juxon, born of a respectable father, a native of Chichester and Registrar there by episcopal certificate. He was educated at the School of the Fraternity of St John Baptist in the City of London [Merchant Taylors] and then [1598] at St John's College, Oxford, where he was Bachelor of Laws, Reader in Rhetoric, Vicar of St Giles in the city of Oxford [1609], Rector of Somerton in the county of Oxford [1615].

After fulfilling all these duties at the aforesaid College, he became President, Doctor of Laws, was Vice-Chancellor twice, Dean of Worcester, private chaplain to Charles I of blessed memory, he was elected Bishop of Hereford, then Bishop of London during the most terrible times and totally uncondemned. most honoured Dean of the Chapel Royal, most approved Arch-Treasurer of the whole of England, most prudent Archbishop of Canterbury, most faithful in the private councils of both Charles, he gave the aforesaid College of John the Baptist, Oxford, as much as seven thousand pounds.
A benefactor of this city [of Canterbury]. And Founder of this Library
by a gift made in A.D. 1662.
Aged 81.

Jonas Owyn gives his Bible to the Cathedral Library, 1668

Jonas Owyn's record of his gift of the Bible, dated 1668

Ex dono Jonæ Owyn LL.B. Coll. S.^cti Joan. Bapt. Oxon. olim Decemviri Nunc Rectoris de Woodton & Vicarij de Sibertswold cum Colred. A.Dni. 1668.

Given by Jonas Owyn, LL.B. of St John's College Oxford, formerly a decemvir [member of a council of ten?] and now Rector of Wootton and Vicar of Sheperdswell with Coldred. A.D. 1668.

The binding of Jonas Owyn's Douai Bible (front board)

Return to The Chapter Library of Canterbury Cathedral

Return to Home Page for David J. Shaw