Hannibal Baskerville

Who was Hannibal Baskerville?

Hannibal Baskerville, was an English antiquary.

Baskerville was the son of Sir Thomas Baskerville, a knight and commander of the English army in France, by Mary, daughter of Sir Thomas Throgmorton. He was born at Saint-Valery, in Picardy in northern France, on 5 April 1597. He himself states: ‘I was christened by one Mr. Man, the preacher, and I had all the captains, about thirty-two, to be my godfathers, it being the custome so of the wars, when the generall hath a son; but two only stood at the font or great bason: one was Sir Arthur Savage, the other I cannot remember his name.’ His father died when he was only nine weeks old. He was instructed under the care of Henry Peacham, author of The Compleat Gentleman, and afterwards became a student of Brasenose College, Oxford.

He travelled a good deal on the continent, and spent the latter part of his life on his estate at Sunningwell, Berkshire. Anthony à Wood, who visited him there in February 1658–9, found him to be a melancholy and retired man, and was told that he gave the third or fourth part of his estate to the poor.