Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Rawlinson, Christopher (1677-1733)
RAWLINSON, CHRISTOPHER (1677–1733), antiquary, born at Springfield, Essex, on 13 June 1677, was the second son of Curwen Rawlinson of Carke Hall in Cartmell, Lancashire, and M.P. for Lancaster in 1688, by his wife Elizabeth, daughter of Dr. Nicholas Monck [q. v.], bishop of Hereford, and brother of George Monck, duke of Albemarle. He matriculated from Queen's College, Oxford, on 14 June 1695, and, devoting himself to Anglo-Saxon studies, published in 1698, with assistance from Edward Thwaites [q. v.], fellow of Queen's College, Alfred's Saxon version of Boethius (‘Consolationis Philosophiæ Libri V,’ 1698, 8vo), from a transcript at Oxford made by Francis Junius. This was printed with the Junian types. He inherited his father's estates, and died in Holborn Row, London, on 8 Jan. 1733. He was buried in the abbey church of St. Albans, Hertfordshire. His portrait, engraved by J. Nutting, with those of other members of his family, is in the Bodleian Library (Bromley).
Rawlinson died unmarried and intestate, and his landed estates passed to the issue of his father's sisters Anne and Katherine. The furniture of Carke Hall was sold by auction at his death, and his manuscripts were at the same time disposed of in bundles, and were bought for pence by the villagers. Rawlinson had made valuable collections for the history of Lancashire, Westmoreland, and Cumberland, all of which have probably perished. Sir Daniel Fleming had, however, copied extracts from the portion relating to Westmoreland, and these extracts were deposited in the collection of manuscripts at Rydal Hall, and were used about 1777 by Nicolson and Burn for their ‘Westmoreland and Cumberland.’
[Whitaker's Whalley, ed. Lyons, ii. 591; Foster's Alumni Oxon.; Gent. Mag. 1733, p. 45; Nichols's Lit. Anecd. iv. 146; Baines's Lancaster, ii. (ed. 1870), p. 668; Nicholson and Burn's Westmoreland and Cumberland, i. 500.]