Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Nash, Treadway Russell
NASH, TREADWAY RUSSELL, D.D. (1725–1811), historian of Worcestershire, born at Clerkenleap, in the parish of Kempsey, in that county, on 24 June 1725, was son of Richard Nash, esq., by Elizabeth, daughter of George Tread way, esq. At the age of twelve he was sent to the King's School at Worcester, and proceeded to Worcester College, Oxford, whence he matriculated on 14 July 1740. He graduated B.A. in 1744, and M.A. 20 Jan. 1746-7 (Foster, Alumni Oxon.) In March 1749 he started for the Continent, in company with his brother Richard, and made the 'grand tour,' returning to Oxford about 1751.
About this time he was presented to the vicarage of Eynsham, Oxfordshire, and became tutor at Worcester College, but resigned both positions on the death of his brother in 1767. In 1768 he cumulated the degrees of B.D. and D.D., and soon afterwards quitted Oxford. In October 1768 he married Margaret, youngest daughter of John Martin, esq., of Overbury , near Tewkesbury. Immediately afterwards he purchased an estate at Bevere, in the parish of Claines, Worcestershire.
On 18 Feb. 1773 he was elected a fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London (Gough, Chronological List, p. 26), and on 23 Aug. 1792 he was instituted to the vicarage of Leigh, Worcestershire. Some of his parishioners told 'Cuthbert Bede' (the Rev. Edward Bradley) that he used to preach at Leigh once a year, just before the tithe audit, his text invariably being 'Owe no man anything.’ On these occasions he drove from his residence at Bevere in a carriage-and-four, 'with servants afore him and servants ahind him' (Notes and Queries, 2nd ser. vii. 326).
On 23 Nov. 1797 he was collated to the rectory of Strensham, Worcestershire, and in 1802 he was appointed proctor to represent the clergy of the diocese. He died at Bevere on 26 Jan. 1811, and on 4 Feb. his remains were interred in the family vault at St. Peter's, Droitwich, of which rectory he and his ancestors had long been patrons. Margaret, his sole daughter and heiress, was married in 1785 to John Somers Cocks, who, on the death of his father in 1806, succeeded to the title of Lord Somers.
The doctor's penurious disposition gave rise to the following epigram:
The Muse thy genius well divines,
And will not ask for cash;
But gratis round thy brow she twines
The laurel, Dr. Nash.
Of his great topographical work, ‘Collections for the History of Worcestershire,’ the first volume appeared at London in 1781, fol., and the second in 1782, the publication being superintended by Richard Gough [q.v.] A ‘Supplement to the Collections for the History of Worcestershire’ was issued in 1799. To some copies a new title-page was affixed, bearing the date of 1799. To these an oval portrait of Nash is prefixed. A complete index to the work is about to be issued to members of the Worcestershire Historical Society as supplementary volumes of the society's publications during 1894 and 1895 (Athenæum, 2 Feb. 1894, p. 248).
In 1793 Nash published a splendid edition of Butler's 'Hudibras,' with entertaining notes, in three vols. 4to. His own portrait, engraved by J. Caldwell from a painting by Gardner, is prefixed. This edition is embellished with many engravings after Hogarth and John Skipp. It was republished in two vols., London, 1835-40; and again in two vols., London, 1847, 8vo. Nash communicated to the Society of Antiquaries papers 'On the Time of Death and Place of burial of Queen Catharine Parr ('Archæologia, ix. 1) and 'On the Death Warrant of Humphrey Littleton (ib. xv. 130).
[Addit. MSS. 29174 f. 283, 32329 ff. 92, 99, 101; Bromley's Cat. of Engr. Portraits, p. 366; Chambers's Biog. Illustr. of Worcestershire, p. 469: Gent. Mag. 1811, i. 190, 393; Gough's Brit. Topography, ii. 385; Granger Letters, p. 171; Lowwndes's Bibl. Man. (Bohn). pp. 336, 1653 ; Nash's Worcestershire, vol. ii.. Corrections and Additions, pp. 51, 72; Nichols's Lit. Anecd. vii. 282, viii. 103; Notes and Queries, 2nd ser. vii. 173, 326, 3rd ser. viii. 174. 4th ser. ix. 34, 96, xii. 87. 154, 6th ser. vii. 67. viii. 128; Pennant's Literary Life, pp. 23, 28; Upcott's Engl. Topography, iii. 1330.]