Person Thoresby; Ralph (1658 - 1725); antiquary and topographer Thoresby Ralph antiquary and topographer 1658 - 1725 British Male Leeds, Yorkshire, England 16 August 1658 16580816 16 October 1725 17251016 Burial: Chancel, St Peter's, the parish church, Leeds, Yorkshire, England

Antiquary Botany Antiquities Education: Leeds Grammar School; in the household of his relative, John Dickenson, Merchant of London Career: Travelled to Rotterdam (1678); carried on the family business after the death of his father (1679); Member of the Incorporated Society of Merchant Adventurers trading to Hamburg (1684); a Nonconformist as a young man, he conformed to the Church of England (1699); retired from business (1705); assembled a 'Museum of Rarities' which, with his library, was sold at auction after the death of his son, Ralph Parents: John Thoresby, Wool and Cloth Merchant, of Leeds and Ruth, daughter of Ralph Idle of Bulmer, Yorkshire Spouse: Anna, daughter of Richard Sykes of Leeds Children: 10 children Known for his work the Ducatus Leodiensis, or, The Topography of Leedes (1715). There is a Thoresby Society in Leeds. Thoresby was elected a fellow of the Royal Society on the strength of an account of some Roman antiquities he had discovered in Yorkshire, communicated to the society by his correspondents Martin Lister and Dr Gale. Following his election, at least thirty of his communications to the society were published in the Philosophical Transactions. These deal with Roman and Saxon monuments in the north of England, with inscriptions on coins, or with accounts of uncommon accidents. Thoresby expanded his correspondence to include the prominent antiquarians and collectors within the Royal Society of the day, including Sir Hans Sloane. Fellow 30/11/1697 39 Sources: Bulloch's Roll; DNB References: W H G Armytage, 'Sir Godfrey Copley, FRS (1653-1709). Some Tercentenary Glimpses through Letters to his Friends' in NR 1954-55 vol 11 pp 54-74 P Fontes da Costa, 'The Culture of Curiosity at The Royal Society in the first half of the eighteenth century', NR 2002 vo l56 pp 147-166 International Standard Archival Authority Record for Corporate Bodies, Persons and Families - ISAAR(CPF) - Ottawa 1996 ISBN 0-9696035-3-3 National Council on Archives, Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997 RCN R64902 RCN R66153 RCN R66150 https://pictures.royalsociety.org/results?mi_search_type=adv&mi_adv_search=yes&adv_person_id=AUTH8424 16 Aug 1658 - 16 Oct 1725 The past Fellows entries are under continuous revision. If you have queries or additional information to contribute, please contact Library@royalsociety.org. Content in external sources is not controlled by the Royal Society and historical sources may include content that is now unacceptable. Reviewed on 13/12/2023 as part of the Name Authority Project update. NA4383 21/11/2001 Andyg Martind 02/04/2026 RS_NET\VirginiaM Yes a402a2c0-afb3-4290-b5af-955b588b7cf9