Thomas Parkyns, 2nd Baronet

Sir Thomas Parkyns, 2nd Baronet ( "Luctator" ) (born 1662 [1664 according to other sources] in Bunny , Nottinghamshire ; died March 29, 1741 ) was a British author and architect. He became known for his handbook on wrestling and was considered an eccentric because of his collection of stone coffins, among other things .

Life

Entrance to the old school house in Bunny with the Parkyns coat of arms in the gable

Parkyns was the second son of Sir Thomas Isham Parkyns, 1st Baronet (1639–1684) and his wife Anne, b. Cressey, born; he was baptized on November 10, 1662. He first attended Westminster School and then from 1680 Trinity College in Cambridge . In May 1682 he began his training at Gray's Inn . Parkyns was married twice: he had four children with his first wife Elisabeth. On February 17, 1728, he married his second wife Jane (d. 1740), with whom he had three children, including Thomas, who was to follow him as 3rd Baronet and who was the grandfather of Mansfield Parkyns . The family's written estate was given to Nottingham University .

Working as an architect

When his father died in July 1684, he inherited his title of nobility as 2nd Baronet , of Bunney Park in the County of Nottingham, and began directly with the expansion of the associated fief, the village of Bunny in Nottinghamshire. He renovated the church there, built four poor houses, the rectory and a school. Parkyns was particularly interested in mathematics and hydraulics and soon designed the building project himself; he built an aqueduct and for Bunny Hall the tower that is so distinctive for the property. To enclose the park at Bunny Hall, Parkyns designed a brick wall , the foundation of which contains arches that do not restrict the growth of the tree roots and should allow a more productive harvest. This construction method spread in the area. His extensive architectural knowledge was soon also in demand in other localities, for example he was employed as overseer for the reconstruction of the Trent Bridge in Nottingham after the former wooden bridge was completely destroyed after the floods in 1682/83. The neighboring village of Bunnys , Bradmore he rebuilt to a large extent after a devastating fire in 1705. The buildings that have been preserved are now listed. He expanded his family's estates considerably: he acquired the manors in Ruddington , Great Leake, Costock , Wysall , Thorpe , Willoughby and Gotham .

Parkyns had a great affinity for the Latin language and so there are Latin inscriptions on almost every of his buildings. He called himself Luctator (Latin luctare for to wrestle ). For his grandson, whom he raised after the death of his son, he wrote the Latin grammar Practical and Grammatical Introduction to the Latin Tongue in 1760 , which was also used for teaching in Bunny's school, although it was partially incorrect.

Act as a wrestler

Thomas Parkyns was best known in 1713 with his book The Inn-Play, or, Cornish-Hugg Wrestler , which was the earliest manual for fencing and wrestling. He wanted to use these "old sports" as a means of strengthening the army and also achieve that parliament set up stages for all men who carry swords in every market town so that they can settle their disputes there every month with the single stick . Parkyns recorded every lesson his teacher Cornish had taught him at Gray's Inn. The manual is particularly notable for the mix of practical tips with science; Parkyns saw it as necessary to apply the rules of mathematics in sport. For a long time, The Inn-Play was not only a manual that covered everything from clothing to nutrition to lessons, but also a set of rules that was still in use after Parkyn's death. A wrestler competition was held in Bunny Hall from 1712 and continued until 1810.

Parkyns had designed a memorial while he was still alive, showing him on the left in wrestling clothing and pose and on the right, lying on the ground, losing the fight against his opponent "Death". The memorial was erected in St Mary Church in Bunny and has been his tomb since his death. It bears the inscription:

At length by conquered Time subdued,
Lo! Here Britannia's wrester lies;
Till now he still unshaken stood
Where he strove to win the prize.

Thomas Parkyns collected stone coffins that he stored in the churchyard. After his death, the remaining coffins were available to the residents of Bunny.

Individual evidence

1. ^ ^{A b} Thomas Seccombe: Parkyns, Sir Thomas, second baronet. In: Oxford Dictionary of National Biography . Oxford University Press, version dated May 24, 2007, doi: 10.1093 / ref: odnb / 21381
2. ↑ ^{a b} Peter Townend: Burke's Peerage . Burke's Peerage Ltd, London 1970, p. 2068.
3. ↑ ^{a b} Baronetage: PARKYNS of Bunney Park, Notts on leighrayment.com, accessed on February 28, 2019
4. ^ Family and Estate Papers of the Parkyns family of Bunny, Nottinghamshire, c. 1250-1927. Manuscripts and Special Collections on the University of Nottingham website.
5. ^ John Potter Briscoe: History of the Trent Bridges at Nottingham. In: Transactions of the Royal Historical Society. , Issue 2, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge 1873, doi: 10.2307 / 3678008 , p. 218.
6. ^ Entry Tofts Farmhouse on historicengland.org.uk
7. ↑ ^{a b} Bunny and Bradford In: Transactions of the Thoroton Society. Issue 6, 1902, on the Nottinghamshire History website
8. ↑ cf. Entry in the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography : "[...] hoped parliament will establish a stage in every market-town at which gentlemen wearing swords can settle their affronts every month at single-stick"

predecessor	title	successor
Thomas Parkyns	Baronet, of Bunney Park 1684-1741	Thomas Parkyns