John Leland (antiquary)
John Leland or Leyland (13 September, c. 1503 – 18 April 1552) was an English poet and antiquary.
John Leland | |
|---|---|
Line engraving by Charles Grignion the Elder (1772), purportedly taken from a bust of John Leland at All Souls College, Oxford. Sculptor Louis François Roubiliac (d. 1762) probably created the original bust. | |
| Born | 13 September c. 1503 London |
| Died | 18 April 1552 |
| Resting place | parish church of St Michael-le-Querne, London 51.512778°N 0.0975°W |
| Monuments | destroyed by fire in 1666 |
| Nationality | English |
| Other names | John Leyland, Layland |
| Education | St Paul's School (London) Christ's College, Cambridge All Souls College, Oxford |
| Known for | Latin poetry, antiquarianism |
| Notable work | include Cygnea cantio (1545) |
| Relatives | an elder brother called John |
Leland has been described as "the father of English local history and bibliography". His Itinerary provided a unique source of observations and raw materials for many subsequent antiquaries, and introduced the county as the basic unit for studying the local history of England, an idea that has been influential ever since.
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