Robert Wachefield or Wakefield , a Northern man, was one of the greatest linguist of his time.
He took one or more degrees in Arts at Cambridge University.
But his main desire was to improve his natural gift in languages. He travelled
considerably and attained great proficiency in Greek, Hebrew, Chaldaic, and
Syrian tongues.
When he returned to England he was made one of Henry the Eighth’s Chaplains
and was loved by many.
In 1536 when he saw the King start to cause havoc in the religious houses,
he carefully started to remove various books on Greek and Hebrew especially
those in the Library of Ramsey Abbey and kept them
in his own personal stock. One of these being the Ramsey Hebrew Dictionary,
composed by Laurence Holbeach, in the reign of Henry IV.
Wakefield died in London in 1537 .