Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 02.djvu/85

  by the author's son, George R. Wykeham Archer.



ARCHER, SYMON (1581–1662), an industrious and learned antiquary, who laid the foundation of Dugdale's 'History of Warwickshire,' was born at Umberslade, near Tanworth, in that county, 21 Sept. 1581, being descended from an old family of that name seated there in the time of Henry III. His life was uneventful. He was knighted on 21 Aug. 1624; sheriff of his county in 1628; and M.P. 1640. He married Ann, daughter of Sir John Ferrars, of Tamworth Castle. He formed one of a body of enthusiastic antiquaries who devoted themselves to the elucidation of the history of their country in its minor details. He was the friend of Burton, Spelman, Cotton, Dodsworth, and others. The first letter of Dugdale to Archer in the published correspondence of that herald is dated 16 Nov. 1635; and the last is 9 Sept. 1657. Very early in the letters a history of Warwickshire was under discussion; it was first intended to be Archer's book, who had collected the materials: it was next arranged that the two friends were to be partners in the undertaking; but it was ultimately published as Dugdale's, who said that he had made special use of Archer's manuscripts on every page of the book.

Sir Symon amassed a large quantity of choice manuscripts and other rarities, which he freely imparted to the younger race of antiquaries, including Fuller, the author of the ‘Church History,’ and Webb, the editor of ‘Vale Royal.’ In 1658 he was at the expense of engraving Dean Nowell's monument for his friend's ‘History of St. Paul's.’ Fuller, in the ‘Worthies,’ refers to his great age. He died in June 1662, and was buried at Tamworth on the 4th of that month. He had two sons who had the same affection for antiquarian pursuits as distinguished himself.



ARCHER, THOMAS (1554–1630?), divine, was born at Bury St. Edmunds 12 Aug. 1554, and educated at Trinity College, Cambridge, where he was elected to a fellowship. He took his master's degree in 1582, and in November 1584 became chaplain to his kinsman, Dr. John May, bishop of Carlisle. In 1588 he was public preacher to the university, and in May 1589 was inducted rector of Houghton Conquest and Houghton Gildable, in Bedfordshire. He served as chaplain in 1599 to Archbishop Whitgift, and in 1605 was made one of the king's chaplains in ordinary. In 1623 he made a vault for himself in the chancel of Houghton Conquest Church, and five years later added his epitaph in English and Latin. He kept an obituary of all the eminent persons who died in his time, and also wrote an account (extracts from which are preserved among the Baker MSS. at Cambridge) of the parish and neighbourhood of Houghton Conquest. His manuscripts were lent in 1760 by Dr. Zachary Grey, then rector of Houghton Conquest, to Cole, the author of 'Athenæ Cantabrigienses,' who describes the collection as one of much interest and value. Archer is supposed to have died about 1630, as the obituary notices do not go beyond that date. Cole mentions also a manuscript diary of Archer's, which contained some curious anecdotes.

[Cole's MS. Athenæ; Catalogue of MSS. in the University Library, Cambridge, v. 421.]



ARCHER, THOMAS (d. 1743), architect, was the son of Thomas Archer, M.P. for Warwick in the time of Charles II. He was a pupil of Sir John Vanbrugh, and had considerable practice in the first half of the eighteenth century. He held the office of ‘groom porter’ under Queen Anne, George I, and George II, and he is so styled in the ‘Gentleman's Magazine,’ where his death is recorded (23 May 1743). About 1705 he built Heythorpe Hall, in Oxfordshire, said to have been his first work; St. Philip's Church, Birmingham, begun in 1711 and finished in 1719; St. John's Church, Westminster, consecrated in 1728; Cliefden House, which was destroyed by fire; and many other buildings, of which there is sufficient record in the ‘Dictionary of the Architectural Publication Society.’ The date of his birth is not known; but at his death, in 1743, he must have reached an advanced age. He is said to have left above 100,000l. to his youngest nephew, H. Archer, Esq., member for Warwick.



ARCHER, THOMAS (d. 1848), actor and dramatist, was the son of a watchmaker, and acted at Bath and Birmingham. He made his first appearance at Drury Lane in 1823, as the King in the 'First Part of King Henry the Fourth.' In the same season he 