WOOD, ANTHONY A' (1632-1695), English antiquary, was the fourth son of Thomas Wood (158o-1643), B.C.L. of Oxford, where Anthony was born on Dec. 17, 1632. He was sent to New College school in 1641, and at the age of twelve was removed to the free grammar school at Thame, where his studies were interrupted by civil war skirmishes. He was then placed under the tuition of his brother Edward (1627-1655), of Trinity college. He was entered at Merton college in 1647, and made postmaster. In 1652 he amused himself with ploughing and bell ringing, and "having had from his most tender years an extraordi nary ravishing deiight in music," began to teach himself the violin, and was examined for the degree of B.A. He engaged a music-master, and obtained permission to use the Bodleian, "which he took to be the happiness of his life." He was admitted M.A. in 16.565, and in the following year published a volume of sermons by his late brother Edward. He began systematically to copy monumental inscriptions and to search for antiquities in the city and neighbourhood. He went through the Christ Church registers, "at this time being resolved to set himself to the study of antiquities." Dr. John Wallis, the keeper, allowed him free access to the university registers in 166o; "here he layd the foundation of that book which was fourteen years afterwards published, viz., Hist. et Antiq. Univ. Oxon." He also came to know the Oxford collections of Brian Twyne to which he was greatly indebted. He steadily investigated the muniments of all the colleges, and in 1667 made his first journey to London, where he visited Dugdale, who introduced him into the Cottonian library, and Prynne showed him the same civility for the Tower records.
'In the Life he speaks of himself and his family as Wood or a Wood, the last form being a pedantic return to old usage adopted by himself. A pedigree is given in Clark's edition.
condemned in the vice-chancellor's court for certain libels against the late earl of Clarendon, fined, banished from the university until he recanted, and the offending pages burnt. Wood died on Nov. 28, 1695, and was buried in the outer chapel of Si. John Baptist (Merton college), in Oxford, where he superintended the digging of his own grave but a few days before.
Wood's original manuscript (purchased by the Bodleian in 1846) was first published by John Gutch as The History and Antiquities of the Colleges and Halls in the University of Oxford, with a con tinuation (1786-90, 2 vols. 4to), and The History and Antiquities of the University of Oxford (1792-96, 3 vols. 4to), with portrait of Wood. To these should be added The Antient and Present State of the City of Oxford, chiefly collected by A. a Wood, with additions by the Rev. Sir J. Peshall (1773, 4to ; the text is garbled and the editing very imperfect). An admirable edition of the Survey of the Antiquities of the City of Oxford, composed in 1661-66 by Anthony Wood, edited by Andrew Clark, was issued by the Oxford Historical Society (1889-99, 3 vols. 8vo.). Wood bequeathed his library (127 MSS. and 97o printed books) to the Ashmolean Museum, and the keeper, William Huddesford, printed a catalogue of the MSS. in 1761. In 1858 the whole collection was transferred to the Bodleian, where 25 volumes of Wood's MSS. had been since 1690.
We are intimately acquainted with the most minute particulars of Wood's life from his Diaries (1657-95) and autobiography ; all earlier editions are now superseded by the elaborate work of Andrew Clark, The Life and Times of Anthony Wood, Antiquary, of Oxford, 1632-1695, described by himself (Oxford Historical Society, 1891-1900, 5 vols. 8vo). See also Reliquiae Hearnianae, ed. Bliss (2nd ed., 1869, 3 vols. 12mo.) ; Hearne's Remarks and Collections (Oxford Historical Society, 1885-1907), vols. i.-viii.; Macray's Annals of the Bodleian Library (2nd ed., 1890) ; Nichols's Literary Anecdotes (g vols., 1812-15), i. iv. v. viii. ; T. Granger's Biogr. History of England (3 vols., 1806, ed. by Noble), i.