Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Ruding, Rogers
RUDING, ROGERS (1751–1820), author of the ‘Annals of the Coinage,’ was second son of Rogers Ruding of Westcotes, Leicestershire, by Anne, daughter of James Skrymsher. The family had been settled at Westcotes since the beginning of the sixteenth century (see Visitation of Leicester, Harl. Soc. p. 104). Rogers Ruding was born at Leicester on 9 Aug. 1751. Matriculating from Merton College, Oxford, on 21 June 1768, he graduated B.A. in 1772, proceeded M.A. in 1775 and B.D. in 1782. He was elected fellow of his college in 1775. He was presented to the college living of Maldon, Surrey, in 1793, and afterwards became fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London and an honorary member of the Philosophical Society at Newcastle-on-Tyne. He married, on 16 May 1793, Charlotte, fourth daughter of his uncle, John Ruding, and by her had three sons, none of whom survived him, and two daughters. He died at Maldon, Surrey, on 16 Feb. 1820.
Ruding published: 1. ‘A Proposal for restoring the Antient Constitution of the Mint, so far as relates to the Expense of Coinage, together with a Plan for the Improvement of Money, and for increasing the Difficulties of Counterfeiting,’ 1798. 2. ‘Some Account of the Trial of the Pix’ (‘Archæologia,’ xvii. 164.). 3. ‘Memoir of the Office of Cuneator’ (ib. xviii. 207). 4. ‘The Annals of the Coinage of Britain and its Dependencies,’ &c., 3 vols., London, 1817–19, 4to; 2nd edit. enlarged and continued to the close of 1818, &c. (Appendix), 5 vols., London, 1819, 8vo; vol. vi., plates, 1819, 4to; 3rd edit., enlarged, to which is added an entirely new index of every coin engraved, 3 vols., London, 1840, 4to. For the first edition, which was sold off in six months, the Society of Antiquaries permitted Folkes's plates to be used [see Folkes, Martin]. The third edition was edited by J. Y. Akerman, with the aid of other numismatists. Ruding also contributed numerous articles on the coinage to the ‘Gentleman's Magazine.’
[Gent. Mag. 1793 i. 479, 1820 i. 16, 190, 285; Nichols's Lit. Anecdotes, ix. 218; Penny Cyclopædia, xx. 216; English Cyclopædia; Nichols's Leicestershire, iv. 568; McCulloch's Literature of Political Economy; Foster's Alumni Oxon. 1715–1886, iii. 1234.]