View source for Henry Aldrich

{{Short description|English academic, architect and composer (1648–1710)}}
{{EngvarB|date=February 2018}}
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{{for-multi|the radio show and film character|The Aldrich Family|the American mycologist|Henry Carl Aldrich}}
[[Image:Henry Aldrich after Kneller.jpg|thumb|right|Henry Aldrich (circa 1689)]]

'''Henry Aldrich''' (15 January 1648 – 14 December 1710) was an English theologian, philosopher, architect, and composer.

==Life==
Aldrich was educated at [[Westminster School]] under [[Richard Busby|Dr Richard Busby]]. In 1662, he entered [[Christ Church, Oxford]], and in 1689 was made [[Dean (college)|Dean]] in succession to the [[Roman Catholic]] [[John Massey (Dean)|John Massey]], who had fled to the [[Continental Europe|Continent]].<ref name="salter">{{cite book | editor=Salter, H. E. |editor2=Lobel, Mary D. | title=A History of the County of Oxford: Volume 3: The University of Oxford | publisher=[[Victoria County History]] |year=1954 | pages=228–238 |url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=63884|chapter=Christ Church | access-date=27 July 2011}}</ref><ref name="horn">{{cite book | editor=Horn, Joyce M. | title=Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae 1541–1857: volume 8: Bristol, Gloucester, Oxford and Peterborough dioceses | publisher=[[Institute of Historical Research]] | year=1996 | pages=80–83 |url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=35322|chapter=Deans of Christ Church, Oxford | access-date=27 July 2011}}</ref> In 1692, he became Vice-Chancellor of the [[University of Oxford]] until 1695.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.admin.ox.ac.uk/vc/position/previousvice-chancellors/ | title=Previous Vice-Chancellors | publisher=[[University of Oxford]], UK | access-date=27 July 2011 | archive-date=19 April 2014 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140419085125/https://www.admin.ox.ac.uk/vc/position/previousvice-chancellors/ | url-status=dead }}</ref> In 1702, he was appointed [[Rector (ecclesiastical)|Rector]] of [[Wem]] in Shropshire, but continued to reside at [[Oxford]], where he died on 14 December 1710.<ref name="Harvard Bio">{{cite book|editor-last=Randel|editor-first=Don Michael|title=The Harvard biographical dictionary of music|year=1996|publisher=Belknap Press of Harvard Univ. Press|location=Cambridge, Mass.|isbn=0-674-37299-9|pages=[https://archive.org/details/harvardbiographi00rand/page/12 12–13]|chapter=Aldrich, Henry|chapter-url-access=registration|chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/harvardbiographi00rand/page/12}}</ref> He was buried in [[Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford|Christ Church Cathedral]] without any memorial, at his own request.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911}} However, a medallion portrait memorial was erected to his memory in 1732 in [[Oxford Cathedral]] sculpted by [[Henry Cheere]].<ref>Dictionary of British Sculptors 1660-1851 by Rupert Gunnis</ref>

==Works==
[[File:Henry Aldrich - Give ear, O Lord - British Library - Add MS 30931 f161r.jpg|thumb|A folio from ''Give ear, O Lord'' by Aldrich, written in his own hand.]]
Henry Aldrich was a man of unusually varied gifts. A [[classical scholar]] of fair merits, he is best known as the author of a little book on [[logic]]{{sfn|Chisholm|1911}} (''Artis Logicæ Compendium''<ref name="a_l_c">{{cite book| last=Aldrich | first=Henry | title=Artis logicæ compendium | year=1750 | publisher=[[Oxford University]] | pages=147 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lxoFAAAAQAAJ | access-date=22 July 2011 }}</ref>). Although not innovative in the field of Logic itself (it closely follows [[Peter of Spain (author)|Peter of Spain]]'s ''Summulae Logicales''), its insistent use by generations of Oxford students has shown it to be of great synthetic and didactic value: the Compendium continued to be read at Oxford (in [[Henry Longueville Mansel|Mansel]]'s revised edition) until long past the middle of the 19th century.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911}}

Aldrich also composed a number of anthems and church services of high merit, and adapted much of the music of [[Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina|Palestrina]] and [[Giacomo Carissimi|Carissimi]] to English words with great skill and judgment. To him we owe the well-known catch, "Hark, the bonny Christ Church bells."{{sfn|Chisholm|1911}}

[[Image:All Saints Church Oxford (1).jpg|thumb|upright|[[All Saints Church, Oxford|All Saints Church]] on the north side of the [[High Street, Oxford|High Street]], designed by Henry Aldrich and completed in 1720.]]
[[File:Oxford's Christ Church Cathedral, memorial (31) - geograph.org.uk - 2352885.jpg|thumb|Oxford's Christ Church Cathedral, memorial to Henry Aldrich]]
[[Image:Christ Church (Oxford).jpg|thumb|[[Peckwater Quadrangle]] of Christ Church, Oxford, designed by Henry Aldrich.]]
Evidence of his skill as an architect may be seen in the church and [[campanile]] of [[All Saints Church, Oxford]], and in three sides of the so-called [[Peckwater Quadrangle]] of Christ Church, which were erected after his designs. He bore a great reputation for conviviality', and wrote a humorous [[Latin]] version of the popular ballad ''A soldier and a sailor, A tinker and a tailor'', etc.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911}}

Another specimen of his wit is furnished by the following epigram of the five reasons for drinking:{{sfn|Chisholm|1911}}

:If on my theme I rightly think,
:There are five reasons why men drink:—
:Good wine; a friend; because I'm dry;
:Or lest I should be by and by;
:Or — any other reason why.

This epigram is a translation of the following Latin dictum attributed by the [[Gilles Ménage|Menagiana]] to [[Jacques Sirmond]]:

:''Si bene quid memini, causae sunt quinque bibendi;''
:''Hospitis adventus, praesens sitis atque futura,''
:''Aut vini bonitas, aut quaelibet altera causa.''
Aldrich had a large personal library of ca. 3000 books, 8000 pieces of music, and 2000 engravings which he bequeathed to Christ Church upon his death. His engravings constitute one of the earliest surviving English collections in this field.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Henry Aldrich 1648-1710 - Book Owners Online |url=https://www.bookowners.online/Henry_Aldrich_1648-1710 |access-date=2022-09-20 |website=www.bookowners.online |language=en-GB}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Sources==
*{{EB1911|wstitle=Aldrich, Henry|volume=1|page=536}}

== External links ==
{{Wikiquote}}
{{wikisource|works=or}}
* {{MacTutor Biography|id=Aldrich}}
* {{ChoralWiki}}

{{s-start}}
{{s-aca}}
{{succession box
| title=[[Dean of Christ Church, Oxford]]
| years=1689–1710
| before=[[John Massey (Dean)|John Massey]]
| after=[[Francis Atterbury]]
}}
{{succession box
| title=[[Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University]]
| years=1692–1695
| before=[[Jonathan Edwards (academic)|Jonathan Edwards]]
| after=[[Fitzherbert Adams]]
}}
{{s-end}}

{{Deans of Christ Church, Oxford}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Aldrich, Henry}}
[[Category:1648 births]]
[[Category:1710 deaths]]
[[Category:People educated at Westminster School, London]]
[[Category:Alumni of Christ Church, Oxford]]
[[Category:17th-century English Christian theologians]]
[[Category:English Baroque composers]]
[[Category:English logicians]]
[[Category:17th-century English architects]]
[[Category:Fellows of Christ Church, Oxford]]
[[Category:Deans of Christ Church, Oxford]]
[[Category:Vice-chancellors of the University of Oxford]]
[[Category:Burials at Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford]]
[[Category:17th-century English philosophers]]
[[Category:18th-century English philosophers]]
[[Category:English male poets]]