Celebrating Hampshire Historians

Speed, John (Dr)

1703 - 1781

This John Speed was the last of four generations of the Speed family that made their mark on Southampton in various ways. Like his father (1671-1741) and grandfather (1628-1711), both named John, Speed studied medicine at Oxford and practised as a doctor in Southampton.

In 1741 he married Anna Maria Crosse and lived for many years at Holy Rood House next to the church of that name. Later he lived at 1 High Street and then at his own house in St Lawrence’s parish, where he died in 1781. He was buried in Holy Rood Church along with his forebears.

Although his medical practice was very busy, he found time to write a large number books, including satirical pieces on the local government of Southampton and on the history of Southampton (see below).

Sources

• http://sotonopedia.wikidot.com/page-browse:speed-family

Portrait

Contribution to county’s history

He was the author of the first comprehensive history of Southampton, written in c.1770 and entitled The History and Antiquity of Southampton. The work was an expansion of  The Charter of the Town of Southampton, which was presented to the corporation in 1759. After his death, his history of the town passed into the keeping of the corporation and in 1880s the Rev. J. Silvester Davies used it as the basis for his A History of Southampton. Speed’s work, edited by Elinor Aubrey, was published by the Southampton Record Society in 1909.   

Relevant published works

• The Charter of the Town of Southampton

• The History and Antiquity of Southampton.

• Southampton Record SocietySeries Vol 8: Speed’s History of Southampton (Southampton: Cox and Sharland, 1909)

Critical Comments

Other Comments

Speed’s great grandfather (1552-1629), another John, is well known for publishing a series of maps of England and Wales in 1612 entitled The Theatre of the Empire of Great Britaine. His town plans provide some of the earliest visual accounts of British towns, including Southampton:

His great grandson can be said to have been the first link in the chain of historians who have sought to write a definitive history of the town.

Contributor

Roger Ottewill (6 October 2023)

Key Words

Southampton, history of Southampton, Charter of Southampton

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