Anthony Wood (antiquary)
1632-1695 English antiquarian
Anthony Wood (17 December 1632 – 28 November 1695), who styled himself Anthony à Wood in his later writings, was an English antiquary. He was responsible for a celebrated Hist. and Antiq. of the Universitie of Oxon.
He meticulously researched and documented the history of Oxford, producing significant works such as the Historia et Antiquitates Universitatis Oxoniensis and the Athenae Oxonienses. Despite criticism for errors and suspected biases, his works remain invaluable. Wood had free access to university records, consulted with notable scholars, and faced controversy, including banishment from the University of Oxford. Unmarried, he led a life devoted to scholarship and antiquarian pursuits.
Early life
Anthony Wood was born in Oxford on 17 December 1632, as the fourth son of Thomas Wood (1581–1643), BCL of Oxford, and his second wife, Mary (1602–1667), daughter of Robert Pettie and Penelope Taverner. His father, who was born in Islington and attended Broadgates Hall, Oxford, was 'fairly wealthy', having married well and invested in property in Oxford.
“Anthony Wood (antiquary)” enters the record as 1632-1695 English antiquarian. Crown Archives preserves that source wording while asking what Anthony, Wood and antiquary can confirm, complicate or overturn.
Why this record matters
“Anthony Wood (antiquary)” is worth following because a concise public description often conceals a longer documentary argument. Here, Anthony, Wood and antiquary provides the most credible route into that argument.
Named sources, stable identifiers and responsible institutions provide the strongest route from overview to verifiable evidence. The source revision retrieved here is dated Aug 3, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q691873. VIAF identifies the subject as 14803186. The Library of Congress control number is n85084702. 3 of 3 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1632, 1695, 1581 and 1643.
Overview language is designed for orientation and should not be treated as a substitute for the evidence cited beneath it. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.
- Subject orientation
- Search vocabulary
- Locating named sources
The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Anthony Wood (antiquary)”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Anthony Wood (antiquary) primary sources, Anthony Wood (antiquary) archive and Anthony research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Anthony Wood (antiquary)”?
- What terminology or title could unlock a more precise catalogue search?
- Which institution is responsible for the underlying evidence?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Anthony Wood (antiquary)” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.