Dakins, William

, one of the translators of the Bible, of whose family history we have no account, was educated at Westminster school, whence being removed to Cambridge, he was admitted of Trinity college May 8, 1587; chosen junior fellow there Oct. 3, 1593, and senior fellow March 16th following. In 1601 he took the degree of B. D. and was sworn Greek lecturer of that college (an annual office) Oct. 2, 1602. In July 1604 he was chosen professor of divinity in Gresham college, to which he was recommended, in the most honourable terms, not only by the vice-chancellor and several heads of houses at Cambridge, but also by some of the nobility, and even by king James I. in a letter to the Gresham committee. His majesty’s object seems to have been that Mr. Dakins should not be without a suitable provision while employed on the new translation of the Bible, undertaken by royal order, and for a part of which important work Mr. Dakins was considered as excellently qualified by his skill in the Oriental languages. The translators being divided into six classes, two of which were to meet at Westminster, two at Oxford, and two at Cambridge, Mr. Dakins was one of those at Westminster, and his part was the Epistles of St. Paul and the canonical Epistles. He did not, however, live to see the work completed, as he died in Feb. 1607, a few months after being chosen junior dean of Trinity college. ²