Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Sandsbury, John
SANDSBURY or SANSBURY, JOHN (1576–1610), Latin poet, was born in London in 1576. He was admitted at Merchant Taylors' school in May 1587, and matriculated, aged seventeen, as scholar of St. John's College, Oxford, 6 July 1593. In 1596 he was elected to one of the exhibitions given by St. Paul's school for the support of poor scholars at the university (Gardiner, St. Paul's Reg. pp. 29, 399). He graduated B.A. in 1597, M.A. in 1601, B.D. in 1608. In 1607 he became vicar of St. Giles's, Oxford. In 1608 he published Latin hexameters, entitled ‘Ilium in Italiam. Oxonia ad Protectionem Regis sui omnium optimi filia, pedisequa,’ Oxford, 8vo (Bodl. Libr.). The dedication to James I shows that the poems were written in 1606. Of this rare and valuable work there is no copy in the British Museum Library. Each page contains the arms of one of the colleges, and beneath are nine hexameters giving an explanation of them, and containing a compliment to the king. Sandsbury also wrote verses in the university collection on the death of Elizabeth, and Latin tragedies, which were performed by the scholars of the college at Christmas. He died in January 1609–10, and was buried in St. Giles's Church.
[Wood's Athenæ Oxon. (Bliss), ii. 58; Foster's Alumni Oxon. 1500–1714, iv. 1308; Robinson's Merchant Taylors' School Reg. i. 30; Cat. Bodleian Libr.; Madan's Early Oxford Press, p. 72; Lowndes's Bibliogr. Man. iii. 1753.]