George Royse 1655/6-1708

George ROYSE 1655/6-1708

Biographical Note

Son of William Royse, of Martock, Somerset. BA St Edmund Hall, Oxford 1675, fellow of Oriel College, Oxford and MA 1678, BD and DD 1690; provost of Oriel College, Oxford from 1691. Rector of Newington, Oxfordshire 1691, Dean of Bristol 1694; chaplain in ordinary to William III, who he accompanied to Ireland in 1690. "In his latter years he sunk much into drinking, and kept an ill woman", according to Egerton Brydges's Restituta (1814).

Books

In his will, Royse bequeathed to Oriel College "all such books of mine the sorts whereof are not already in their public library"; the rest of his books and manuscripts were left to his cousin William Royse (b.1682/3, rector of Winsham, Somerset), except for his largest Bible in folio which was given to his sister in law. The number and subject of books taken by the College is not currently documented. His cousin did not keep the remainder, as a sale of Royse's books by Anthony Peisley in Oxford, beginning 13 March 1710, was advertised in The Daily Courant on 9 March 1710; this mentions a catalogue but no copy survives. Examples: in Oriel College.

Sources

• Alston, R. C. Inventory of sale catalogues 1676-1800. St Philip, 2010.
• Foster, J. Alumni Oxonienses: The Members of the University of Oxford 1500-1714/1715-1886, 8 vols, Oxford, 1891.