John Aubrey

Born in Wiltshire in 1626, John Aubrey became an English antiquary, biographer, and writer whose curiosity seems to have stretched in every direction. He studied at Oxford and later at the Middle Temple, but he is remembered less for a conventional career than for the notes, sketches, and observations he gathered about the people and places around him.

Aubrey is best known for Brief Lives, his wonderfully vivid collection of short biographical portraits. The book’s charm comes from its mix of anecdote, character study, and sharp detail, giving readers a more intimate picture of 17th-century figures than formal histories usually do. His writing can feel conversational and spontaneous, which is part of why it has endured.

He also played an important role in early archaeology and antiquarian study, recording sites such as Avebury and taking a serious interest in Britain’s prehistoric remains. Although some of his work was unfinished or published long after his death in 1697, Aubrey’s restless, observant mind left behind a rich record of English literary, social, and historical life.