Anthony À Wood was born on 17 December 1632. He was educated at New College School, Thame School, and Merton College, Oxford (Commoner 1647, BA 1652, MA 1655). He did not, however, distinguish himself in academic pursuits and published nothing until late in life. His manuscript 'History and Antiquities of the University of Oxford' was bought by the University Press, which published it in a Latin translation as Historia et Antiquitates Universitatis Oxoniensis (1674). Wood, dissatisfied with this, continued to work at the English copy, which was eventually published in a longer form by John Gutch in 1786-90. In 1691-2 he produced his Athenae Oxonienses, a biographical dictionary of Oxford writers and bishops. Next year he was exiled from the University for his libel on the Earl of Clarendon's father, but he recanted and was allowed to return. He died on 29 November 1695. Further details are given in the Dictionary of National Biography.