Edward Maynard

Edward Maynard (1654–1740) was an English priest and antiquarian.

Early life Born at Daventry, Northamptonshire, in 1654, he was the son of William Maynard of Daventry. He was educated at Magdalen College, Oxford, and graduated B.A. on 7 July 1674, and M.A. 22 May 1677.

Maynard was a Fellow of Magdalen College, 1678–94, and bursar 1687–8.

Maynard then withdrew from college life, moving to Coleshill, Warwickshire, seat of William Digby, 5th Baron Digby, where he had a position as Lord Digby's chaplain. He was absent for the confrontation of November 1687 between the Fellows and the king, which saw most of the Fellows expelled, and Samuel Parker imposed as president. He revised and expanded the original addresses at Coleshill.

Legacy

From 1719 Maynard was Master of Hospital of St John Baptist without the Barrs, Lichfield. He found the buildings in a ruinous state. He repaired them and left them in good condition.

Maynard contributed £697 to the construction of the New Building at Magdalen College. He made a bequest to its library, which included about 20 volumes on the religious controversy in James II's reign, the sum of £500 and a silver flagon presented to him at Lincoln's Inn in 1700. He also made charitable bequests to Daventry and Boddington and to the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel. Maynard was also a benefactor of the Coleshill lending library founded by Lord Digby in 1698, in a group including Dugdale (died 1696) and Thomas Bray.

Family Maynard married Elizabeth (died 1736), daughter of William Hastings of Hinton. He had no surviving children.