Thomas Tanner, bishop of St. Asaph and antiquarian, was both an important bibliographer of monastic writings and also the possessor of a large and valuable collection of printed books and manuscripts, particularly relating to the English Civil War. He published only one major work in his lifetime, but he left another in an advanced state of readiness at his death and made many contributions to other scholarly works, which sometimes went unacknowledged.

Thomas Tanner was born at Market Lavington, Wiltshire, on 25 January 1674, the eldest child and namesake of the vicar of that parish. He was initially educated at home by his father, and then spent two years at the Free School in Salisbury. Later he was a student at Queen's College, Oxford, matriculating in November of 1689 and graduating with a bachelor of arts degree in 1693. He received his master of arts degree in April 1696, and in November of...