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{{short description|British historian}}
'''Thomas Madox''' (1666–13 January 1727), was a legal [[antiquary]] and [[historian]], known for his publication and discussion of medieval records and charters; and in particular for his ''History of the [[Exchequer]]'', tracing the administration and records of that branch of the state from the [[Norman Conquest]] to the time of [[Edward II of England|Edward II]]. It became a standard work for the study of English medieval history.▼
{{EngvarB|date=September 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2014}}
▲'''Thomas Madox''' (
== Life ==
There he pursued his historical researches under the patronage of [[John Somers, 1st Baron Somers|Lord Somers]]. He made his first appearance as an author with the publication of ''Formulare Anglicanum'' in 1702, concerning ancient charters, which Madox introduced with a learned dissertation on the subject. The principal materials for this work were obtained from the archives of the [[court of augmentations]]. It is "justly" (according to the ''[[Dictionary of National Biography]]'') described by Bishop [[William Nicolson]] as
▲Born in 1666, Madox applied himself at an early age to the study of the common law, and was admitted to the [[Middle Temple]], though he was never [[called to the bar]].<ref name="DNB">[[Thompson Cooper]], [http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Madox,_Thomas_(DNB00) Thomas Madox], in [[Leslie Stephen]], ed. (1893), ''[[Dictionary of National Biography]]'', vol. 35, p. 305</ref> He became a sworn clerk in the [[Lord Treasurer]]'s remembrance office (ie official archives), and afterwards joint clerk in the [[court of augmentations|Augmentation Office]], which administered the crown estates; first with Charles Batteley, who died in May 1722, and afterwards with John Batteley.<ref>DNB cites ''Birch MS'', 4223, fol. 1</ref><ref name="DNB" />
In 1711 he published his ''History of the Exchequer'', with a dedication to the
▲There he pursued his historical researches under the patronage of [[John Somers, 1st Baron Somers|Lord Somers]]. He made his first appearance as an author with the publication of ''Formulare Anglicanum'' in 1702, concerning ancient charters, which Madox introduced with a learned dissertation on the subject. The principal materials for this work were obtained from the archives of the [[court of augmentations]]. It is justly (according to the [[Dictionary of National Biography]]) described by Bishop [[William Nicolson]] as 'of unspeakable service to our students in law and antiquities'.<ref>DNB cites ''English Hist. Libr.'' 1776, wp. 168-9</ref> On the motion of [[Peter Le Neve]], Madox was elected a member of the [[Society of Antiquaries]] in January 1707-8 ([[Old Style|O.S.]]/[[New Style|N.S.]]).<ref>DNB cites Nichols, ''Lit. Anecd.'' vi. 147, 148</ref><ref name="DNB" />
The last of his works Madox saw printed in his lifetime was ''Firma Burgi'', on early records concerning English towns and boroughs, dedicated to George I,
▲In 1711 he published his ''History of the Exchequer'', with a dedication to the queen and a long prefatory epistle to Lord Somers, giving an account of his researches among the public records in order to gather the materials for the work. Madox was subsequently sworn in and admitted to the office of [[historiographer royal]], in succession to [[Thomas Rymer]], on 12 July 1714,<ref>DNB cites ''Addit. MS.'' 4572, fol. 108</ref> with an attached salary of £200 a year.<ref name="DNB" />
A posthumous work, ''Baronia Anglica'', on the history and records of the [[feudal baron]]s, appeared in 1736.
▲The last of his works Madox saw printed in his lifetime was ''Firma Burgi'', on early records concerning English towns and boroughs, dedicated to George I, published in 1723. Madox died on 13 January 1726-7 ([[Old Style|O.S.]]/[[New Style|N.S.]]), and was buried at Arlesey, Bedfordshire.<ref>DNB cites ''Historical Register'', 1727, Chron. Diary, p. 6</ref> He was succeeded in the office of historiographer royal by Robert Stephens. By his wife Catharine, daughter of Vigarus Edwards, Esq., he had no issue.<ref name="DNB" />
==Personal life==
▲A posthumous work, ''Baronia Anglica'', on the history and records of the [[feudal baron]]s, appeared in 1736. A collection of further transcripts was bequeathed by his widow to the [[British Museum]], as an addition to the [[Sloane Library]]. It ran to ninety-four volumes,<ref>DNB cites British Library Additional MSS. 4479-4572</ref> folio and quarto, consisting chiefly of extracts of records from the Exchequer, the [[Patent Rolls|Patent]] and [[Close Rolls]] in the Tower, the [[Cottonian Library]], the archives of Canterbury and Westminster, and the library of [[Corpus Christi College, Cambridge]]; all that Madox had transcribed himself, intending them as materials for a ''Feudal History of England'' from the earliest times.<ref>DNB cites Nichols, ''Lit. Anecd.'' ix. 645</ref><ref name="DNB" />
Madox married Catharine, the daughter of Vigarus Edwards. He had no issue.<ref name="DNB" />
== Works ==
* ''Formulare Anglicanum, or a Collection of Antique Charters and Instruments of divers kinds, taken from the Originals, placed under several Heads, and deduced (in a Series according to the Order of Time) from the Norman Conquest to the End of the Reign of King Henry VIII''. London, 1702
* ''[
* ''An account of all the gold and silver coins ever used in England: particularly of their value, fineness, and allay, and the standards of gold and silver in all the respective reigns for the last six hundred years: likewise of it's plenty and scarcity'', London, 1718
* ''Firma Burgi, or an Historical Essay concerning the Cities, Towns, and Boroughs of England, taken from Records,'' London, 1723, and again 1726
* ''Baronia Anglica; an History of Land-honours and Baronies, and of Tenure in ''capite'' Verified by Records'', London, 1736
==
{{reflist|2}}
== References ==
*{{DNB|wstitle=Madox, Thomas}} The entry cites:
** [[British Library]] [[Additional manuscripts|Add MS]] 4572, art. 9; 32476 fol. 54;
**[[Samuel Ayscough]]'s ''Catalogue of MSS.'' Pref. p. vi and pp. 236, 239, 262, 280, 735;
**[[Egerton Brydges]] ''Restituta'', i. 67;
**[[John Nichols (printer)|John Nichols]]'s ''Literary Anecdotes'', vols. 1, p. 243; 7, p. 243; 9, p. 645;
**[[John Nichols (printer)|John Nichols]]'s ''Illustration of Literature'', vol. 4, pp. 155, 156;
**[[William Thomas Lowndes|W. T. Lowndes]]'s ''Bibliographer's Manual'' (Buhn), p. 1448;
**[[William Nicolson]]'s ''English Historical Library''.
== Further reading ==
* {{cite journal |first=Charlotte |last=Harrison
* {{cite book |first=Joseph M. |last=Levine |year=1991 |title=The Battle of the Books: History and Literature in the Augustan Age |pages=[https://archive.org/details/battleofbookshis00levi/page/368 368]–73 |url=https://archive.org/details/battleofbookshis00levi |url-access=registration |publisher=Cornell University Press |place=Ithaca, NY |isbn=0-8014-8199-6 }}
* Harold D. Hazeltine (1916), Thomas Madox as Constitutional and Legal Historian, [http://heinonline.org/HOL/LandingPage?collection=journals&handle=hein.journals/lqr32&div=30&id=&page= part 1] 32 ''L. Q. Rev.'', p. 268; [http://heinonline.org/HOL/LandingPage?collection=journals&handle=hein.journals/lqr32&div=37&id=&page= part 2], 32 ''L. Q. Rev'', p. 352▼
* [[David C. Douglas]] (1939 / 1951), ''English Scholars'', pp. 237–243. Eyre & Spottiswoode
* William Searle Holdsworth (1928), ''[http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=YeHqCWxC0-cC&pg=PA42 The historians of Anglo-American law]'', New York: Columbia University Press; pp.42-45▼
▲* Harold D. Hazeltine (1916), Thomas Madox as Constitutional and Legal Historian, [http://heinonline.org/HOL/LandingPage?collection=journals&handle=hein.journals/lqr32&div=30&id=&page= part 1] 32 ''L. Q. Rev.'', p.
▲* William Searle Holdsworth (1928), ''[
* {{cite journal |first=Catherine S. |last=Sims |year=1959 |title=An Unpublished Fragment of Madox' ''History of the Exchequer'' |journal=Huntington Library Quarterly |volume=23 |issue=1 |pages=61–94 |doi=10.2307/3816477 |jstor=3816477 }}
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{{succession box|title=English [[Historiographer Royal (England)|Historiographer Royal]]|before=[[Thomas Rymer]]|after=[[Robert Stephens (historian)|Robert Stephens]]|years=
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▲{{succession box|title=English [[Historiographer Royal (England)|Historiographer Royal]]|before=[[Thomas Rymer]]|after=[[Robert Stephens (historian)|Robert Stephens]]|years=1714–1727}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Madox, Thomas}}
[[Category:1666 births]]
[[Category:1727 deaths]]
[[Category:18th-century English historians]]
[[Category:British medievalists]]
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