Sanderson, Robert

, an antiquary of considerable note, was a younger son of Christopher Sanderson, a justice of the peace for the county palatine of Durham, who had suffered for his attachment to the Stuart family during the civil war. He was born July 27, 1660, at Egglestonhall, in that county, and entered a student of St. John’s college, Cambridge, under the tuition of Dr. Baker, April 7, 1683. He remained in the university several years, and was contemporary with the celebrated Matthew Prior. Removing to London, he afterwards turned his attention to the law, and was appointed clerk of the rolls, in the Rolls chapel. He contributed largely to the compilation of Rymer’s Fcedera, and was exclusively concerned in arranging the three concluding volumes, from 18 to 20, which he successively dedicated to kings George I. and II. (See Rymer.)

In 1704 he published a translation of “Original Letters from William III. whilst Prince of Orange, to Charles II., Lord Arlington, and others, with an Account of the Prince’s Reception at Middleburgh, and his Speech on that occasion;” dedicating the book to lord Woodstock. He also wrote “A History of Henry V.” in the way of annals, in nine volumes, of which the first four have been lost, and the others still remain in manuscript amongst his papers. In 1714 he became a candidate for the place of | historiographer to queen Anne, and received a very handsome offer of assistance from Matthew Prior, at that time ambassador to the court of France. His success, however, was prevented by the change of ministry which succeeded on the queen’s death. On the 28th of November, 1726, he was appointed usher of the high court of chancery, by sir Joseph Jekyll, the master of the rolls. He succeeded, in 1727, by the death of an elder brother, to a considerable landed property in Cumberland, the north riding of Yorkshire, and Durham. After this, though he continued chiefly to reside in London, he occasionally visited his country seat at Armathwaite castle, a mansion pleasantly situated on the banks of the Eden, about ten miles from Carlisle. He was married four times; for the last time to Elizabeth Hickes of London, when he had completed his 70th year. He died Dee. 25, 1741, at his house in Chancery-lane, in the 79th year of his age, and was buried in Red-Lion-Fields. He was a devout man, well read in divinity, attached to the forms of the church of England, and very regular in his attention to public and private worship. He was slightly acquainted with the Hebrew language, and conversant in the Greek, Latin, Spanish, Italian, and French. He made a choice collection of books in various languages, and left behind him several volumes of Mss. relating chiefly to history, and the court of chancery, and including a transcript of Thurloe’s State Papers. He kept a diary, in which he noted down, with minute attention, the slightest occurrences of his life. As he left no issue, his estates d^cended, on the death of his last wife, in 1753, to the family of Margaret, his eldest sister, married to Henry Milbourne, of Newcastle-upon-Tyne; whose great grandson, William Henry Milbourne, was high sheriff of Cumberland in 1794.¹