John Barcham

second son of Laur. Barcham of S. Leonards in Devonshire (by Joan his wife dau. of Edw. Bridgman of the City of Exeter) Son of Will. Barcham of Meerfield in Dorsetshire (where his ancestors had lived more than three generations before him) was born in the parish of S. Mary the Moore within the said City, entred a sojourner of Exeter Coll. in Michaelm. Term, 1587, aged 15 years, admitted scholar of Co. Ch. Coll. 24 Aug. in the year following, Probationer-Fellow 21 June 1596. being then M. of A. and in orders. Afterwards, being Bach. of Div. he was made Chaplain to Dr. Bancroft Archb. of Cant. (as afterwards he was to his successour) Rector and Dean of Bockyng in Essex, and Doctor of his faculty. He was a person very skilful in divers Tongues, a curious Critick, a noted Antiquary, especially in the knowledge of Coins, an exact Historian, Herald, and, as ’tis said, an able Theologist. He was also a strict man in his life and conversation, charitable, modest, and reserv’d in his behaviour and discourse, but above all he was remarkable for those good qualities which became a man of his profession. He hath written,

The history or life of John King of England—which is the same that is in the History of Great Britaine, published by John Speed, and the same which sheweth more reading and judgment, than any life besides in that History. ’Tis reported also ((e))((e)) By Anon. in a book intit. The surfeit to A. B. C. Lond. 1656. in tw. p, 22. that he wrot, or at least had a chief hand in composing

The hist. or life of Hen. 2. K. of Engl.—Remitted by Speed also in his said History. Which Hist. or Life, Dr. Barcham wrot (as my Author ((*))((*)) Id. Anon. says) in opposition, or rather to suppress the same, written by one Boulton a Rom. Catholick, who did too much favour the haughty carriage of Thomas Becket, &c. This Boulton was the same with Edmund Boulton, who wrot The elements of Armorie. Lond. 1610. qu. and the Carmen gratulatorium ((f))((f)) Ms. in bib. Cottoniana, sub Tito. A. 13. de traductione corporis Mariae Reginae Scotorum à Petroburgo ad Westmonasterium. Dr. Barcham hath also written,

The display of Heraldry. Lond. 1610. &c. fol. much used by Novices, and the best in that kind for method that ever before was published. This book being mostly composed in his younger years, he deemed it too light a subject for him to own, being then (when published) a grave Divine, Chapl. to an Archb. and not unlikely a Dean. Wherefore being well acquainted with John Guillim an Officer of Arms, he gave him the copy, who adding some trivial things to it, published it, with leave from the Author, under his own name, and it goeth to this day under the name of Guillims Heraldry. Our Author also published Crackanthorps book against Marc. Ant. de Dominis and wrot a preface to it. He also wrot a book concerning coins, in Ms. but where it is now I know not. Sure I am that he had the best collection of coines of any Clergyman in England, which being given by him to Dr. Laud Archb. of Cant. (who much desired them) they came soon after, by his gift, to Bodlies library, and are at this day repos’d in the Gallery adjoining. At length our Author surrendring up his pious soul to him that first gave it, in the Parsonage house in Bockyng before mention’d,1642. on the 25 of Mar. (the Annuntiation) in sixteen hundred forty and two, was buried in the chancel of the Church there: over whose grave, tho there be no memory put, yet it is contained in a book entit. Affaniae: sive Epigrammatum libri tres. Oxon. 1601. He had issue by Anne Rogers of Sandwich in Kent his wife, George, Henry, &c. In his Deanery of Bocking succeeded Dr. Joh. Gauden, but whether in the year 1642, or in the year after, I cannot be positive.