Wiltshire and the World: John Aubrey and the Quest for Knowledge
This exhibition celebrates the life and work of John Aubrey, born 400 years ago in Easton Piercy, near Kington St Michael.
John Aubrey was born in the small hamlet of Easton Piercy, near Kington St Michael. Four hundred years later, this exhibition celebrates the life and work of this extraordinary individual.
When Aubrey was born in 1626, it seemed that life would never change. But when he was just sixteen, the English Civil War broke out, and things changed rapidly. As old certainties unravelled, space was created for an explosion of new ideas. Not all of this change was positive, however. Advances in some areas were met with destruction in others.
Throughout his life, Aubrey was on a quest for knowledge. He wanted to learn everything he could. He grew up in Wiltshire, but his vision was global. What he observed in the local countryside, its people and places, he expanded into a wider, interconnected view of the world. From the ancient monuments of prehistoric peoples to contemporary ballads sung in the streets, nothing escaped his notice. Seeing and doing things for himself, rather than relying on what had been done before, was central to his understanding.
When Aubrey could not gain first-hand experience, he sought out those who could. He consulted and collaborated with a wide range of people. He was not concerned with their background; instead, he proudly credited and celebrated the knowledge and experiences they held.
Aubrey’s insatiable thirst for knowledge left an extraordinary legacy. When he saw historically important places and objects being destroyed, he recorded them before it was too late. He gathered the unfiltered life stories of both the important and the not so important people of his time. He also looked to the future, with plans to create an environment in which science and learning could flourish in the Wiltshire countryside.
This exhibition brings original manuscripts, paintings and books back to Wiltshire and the area Aubrey knew for the first time since his death in 1697. Through them, we can witness John Aubrey’s quest for knowledge and be inspired to begin our own. The exhibition forms part of the Chippenham - Our History project.
