Anthony Wood (1632-1695)

In 1644, Anthony Wood and his brother Christopher were sent to Thame by their widowed mother because of the Civil War in Oxford. The boys stayed until 1646, studying at the Grammar School and lodging with the vicar. Both the headmaster and vicar were relatives of Wood’s mother. The boys witnessed clashes between the Royalists and Parliamentarians, including the surrender of Boarstall Tower.

Wood spent the rest of his life in Oxford, as a historian. He wrote his ‘Life and Times’, a detailed record of events during the period 1632-95. This book is the main source for information about Thame during the Civil War.