Higford, William

, a polite writer in the seventeenth century, was born in 1580, at or near Alderton, Gloucestershire, and became a gentleman commoner of Oriel college, Oxford, in 1595. He was soon, however, removed to Corpus Christi, where his father William Higford, esq. and his grandfather sir John Higford, had both studied, the latter under the celebrated bishop Jewell, and both, as well as the subject of the present article, became zealous puritans. At Corpus Christi, Mr. Higford was placed under the tuition of Seb. Benefield, and was accounted an accomplished scholar and gentleman. After | taking a degree in arts, he went home, was admitted into the commission of the peace, and was much respected by the lord Chandois, and other persons of quality in his country. He died at his house at Dixton, near Alderton, April 6, 1657. He left behind him some things fit for the press, but which were lost. A manuscript, however, was preserved, entitled “Institution, or Advice to his Grandson,” of which an abridgment was published by Barksdale, 1660, 12mo. This sensible volume is amply described in the “Censura Literaria.” A descendant of the author’s, the rev. Henry Higford, died at Dixton, aged eighty-six, March 25, 1795. ¹