In 1603 he prepared two consultation papers for his new patron, Henry Howard, soon to be created earl of Northampton. 34 In 1601 he became a magistrate and entered Parliament for the first time, as Member for Newtown, Isle of Wight, a borough controlled by the Isle’s governor and Cotton’s earliest patron, the 2nd Lord Hunsdon (Sir George Carey†). 33Ĭotton succeeded to his father’s estates in 1592, and thereupon set about completely rebuilding Conington Hall. Surviving loan lists indicate that these records were heavily used, particularly during parliaments. 32 The collections relating to Parliament can be divided into six main categories: parliament rolls, statutes, writs of summons, powers and procedures, records of proceedings, and the Modus Tenendi Parliamentum, of which there were eight copies. Stephen’s Chapel to the Lords passed through Cotton’s courtyard. 31 Situated on the second floor, the library was easily accessible to Members of the Commons, since the path from St. From 1622 it was housed within the Palace of Westminster, as Cotton purchased a house in its precincts from the heirs of the late clerk of the Parliaments, Robert Bowyer*. 30 Initially located at Blackfriars, the library moved in 1614 to the New Exchange on the Strand. In 1606 Nicolas Claude Fabri de Peiresc visited him, 29 and in 1610-11 Isaac Causabon consulted his library. 28 His intellectual reputation extended overseas. 27 He also undertook etymological studies of Saxon and early English in order to establish the origins of offices such as the constable and earl marshal.

26 In 1600 Cotton spent six months touring the north with Camden, during which time he copied Roman inscriptions from around Hadrian’s Wall, collected coins and historical artefacts and made notes on topography. 25 He was involved in the foundation of the Society of Antiquaries, whose members also included Camden. From the age of 17 he kept a notebook containing material on his family background, and began collecting rare manuscripts. At Westminster school he studied under William Camden, who became a close friend. 24 Cotton’s interest in history and collecting were established in his youth. On the accession of James VI as king of England, Cotton, who was born at Denton, near Conington, added ‘Bruceus’ to his name, hoping thereby to draw attention to his own Scottish royal lineage. 23 This match brought the family Conington in Huntingdonshire and Exton in Rutland. The Cottons were descended from the Scottish royal line of Robert Bruce through the marriage in 1477 of William Cotton to Mary de Wesenham, the great-grandaughter and heir of Sir John Bruce. 22 He was also a political figure of moderate importance, although this aspect of his life is more difficult to document, as his personal papers and most of his outward correspondence are now lost. 20īest known for his collection of manuscripts, one of the foundation deposits of the British Library, Cotton was a significant early modern antiquary, whose library and antiquarian pursuits have attracted considerable scholarly attention. sewers, Fenland 1604-at least 1626, Hunts. of William Brocas of Theddingworth, Leics., 1s. of Francis Shirley of Staunton Harold, Leics. of Thomas Cotton of Conington and his 1st w.

Robert bruce williams portrait painter