Aspects of Kentish Local History

IV

Numerous miscellaneous notes in Oxinden's handwriting appear on the fly-leaves of Dr. Cock's copy, made at various dates up to 1667. One of these says that "Edmund Paxton in Paul's Chaine, at the Castle (i.e. the Castle Tavern), bound these books". Paxton was also a bookseller.¹ Another has, "The edition of Feild 1648, in quarto, is 1s price". This probably refers to the quarto edition of the Bible published in 1648 by John Field, the London and Cambridge printer, at that date living in Addle Hill, near Baynard's Castle. Henry may have consulted the book for information about the history of Job.²
   Among the notes there is also a long poem in Latin addressed "Ad clarissimum virum Henricum Oxinden" by John Peirce, dated March 20th, 1657. He may have been the "Mr. Pierce" whom Thomas Williams "satisfied" by the payment of 4s. 3d., possibly for this very poem (Letter CLII). Another manuscript Latin poem signed H.B. may be assigned to Henry Bradshaw, Headmaster of Wye Grammar School, while yet a third was written by Richard Oxinden, Henry's grandson, a pupil of Mr. John Reader's at Faversham. It is entitled "Ad Zoilum et Momum, ut parcerent avo suo, Henrico Oxinden Armigero, Jobi Triumphantis autori Ric. Oxinden Exhortatio", and has corrections byt he proud grandfather.
   The authorship of the numerous printed dedicatory 

verses is of interst in connection with the correspondence. Alexander Ross leads off, followed by William Nethersole, of the Inner Temple and of Womenswould, and by another neighbour, Francis Howard ("Ad vere Nobilem ducem Henricum Oxinden") who lived at Barham Court. "H. Jacob", author of the succeeding verses, was Henry Jacob, Fellow of Merton College, Oxford,³ son of Henry Jacob, pastor of the first congregation of Independants in England, who went to America and died there in 1624. The younger Henry was the friend of Selden, and was expelled from his office in 1648. He was buried in All Saints' Church, Canterbury (now demolished). Henry Birkhead published a collection of his Greek and Latin verses.
   John Neale, who contributed four lines of eulogy, was probably curate of Guston, near Dover. John Ludd who wrote a longer poem "ad Virum vere Philomusum de Tempestiva", was Headmaster of King's School, Canterbury, 1615-1649; "E.B." who has two poems to his credit dated in 1649, was undoubtedly Edward Browne, Ludd's successor at that date to the headship of the school, where he had been for sixteen years Lower Master.⁴ There are references to both
  ¹ Plomer, loc. cit. p. 146.
   ²  Ibid., p. 74.
   ³ So D.N.B.; Foster, Alumn. Oxon., p. 797, has Queen's.
   ⁴ Woodruff and Cape, Schola Regia Cantuariensis, p. 110.