Christopher Wase

Christopher WASE 1627-90

Biographical Note

Born at Hackney, son of John Wase. Fellow of King's College, Cambridge 1648, BA 1649; he was ejected in 1650 and spent time travelling in Europe. In 1652 he became tutor to William Herbert, son of the Earl of Pembroke, and from 1654 he was successively headmaster of Dedham and Tonbridge schools. With patronage from John Evelyn he became historiographer for Sir Joseph Williamson in 1669, and in 1671 he was elected supervisor of the University Press at Oxford. He was noted particularly for his classical learning and skill with languages, and he published numerous translations, grammars and dictionaries as well as his Considerations concerning free schools (1678).

Books

Many of Wase's books were subsequently acquired by Francis Yarborough, Principal of Brasenose (d.1770), who bequeathed his books to that college. His manuscripts went to Corpus Christi College, Oxford. Bodleian Library ms Rawl.poet.117 contains an inventory of some of his books.

Sources

• Hodges, Richard E. "Wase, Christopher (1627–1690), schoolmaster and classical scholar." Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.
• Morgan, P. Oxford libraries outside the Bodleian. 2nd edn, Oxford, 1980.