John Doderidge

, or Doddridg, was born at or near to, Barnstaple in Devonshire, became a Sojournour of Exeter coll. in 1572. took one degree in Arts about 4 years after, and compleated it by Determination. About that time being entred into the Middle Temple, he made great proficiency in the Common Law, became a noted Counsellour, and in 45. Eliz. Lent Reader of that Inn. In 1603. Jan. 20. he was made Serjeant at Law, being about that time Prince Henry’s Serjeant, but in the year following he was discharged of his Serjeantship, and became Solliciter Gen. to King James 1. In 1607. Jun. 25. he was constituted one of the Kings Serjeants, and on the 5. July following he received the honour of Knighthood from his Maj. at Whitehal. In 1612. Nov. 25. he was appointed one of the Justices of the Common Pleas, (afterwards of the Kings Bench,) and in Feb. 1613. he was actually created Master of Arts in Serjeants Inn by the Vicechanc. both the Proctors, and five other Academians. Which degree was conferred upon him in gratitude for his great service he had then lately done for the University, in several Law suits depending between the said University and City of Oxon. While he continued in Exeter coll. he was a severe Student, and by the help of a good Tutor he became a noted Disputant. So that by the foundation of learning which he had laid in that coll. forwarded by good natural parts and continual industry, he became not only eminent in his own profession, but in the Arts, Divinity, and Civil Law, insomuch that it was difficult with some to judge, in which of all those Faculties he excelled. But being mostly taken up with the Common Law, he could not be at leisure to honour the World with his great knowledge, only with these things following.

The Lawyers light; or due direction for the study of the Law, &c. Lond. 1629. qu.

A compleat Parson: or a description of Advowsons and Church-livings, &c. Lond. 1630. qu. Delivered in several readings in an Inn of Chancery called New Inn in Lond. 1602. and 1603.

History of the ancient and modern Estate of the Principality of Wales, Dutchy of Cornwal, and Earldom of Chester, &c. Lond. 1630. qu.

The English Lawyer: Being a treatise describing a method for the managing of the Laws of this Land, and expressing the best qualities requisite in the Student, Practicer, Judges, &c. Lond. 1631. qu.

Opinion touching the antiquity, power, order, state, manner, persons, and proceedings of the High Court of Parliament in England. Lond. 1658. oct. Published by John Doddridge. Esq; a Counsellour of the Middle Temple, and Recorder of Barnstaple; descended from, or at least near of kin to, our author Sir Joh. Doderidge. With the aforesaid Opinion, are published also the opinions of Arth. Agard, Joseph Holland, Francis Tate, and Will. Camden, all eminent Antiquaries and Historians; the two last of which I have before mentioned, and the two first I shall speake of anon.

Treatise of particular Estates. Lond. 1677. in twelv. printed at the end of the fourth edition of Will. Noy’s book, called, Grounds and Maxims of the Laws of this Nation.

A true presentation of fore-past Parliaments to the view of the present times and posterity.—This I saw in MS. in a thin fol. in the Library of Dr. Tho. Barlow now B. of Lincoln, but whether it was ever printed I know not. Our author Doderidge also did peruse and enlarge a book intit. The Magazine of Honour; or a treatise of the several degrees of the Nobility of this Kingdom, with their rights and privileges: Also of Knights, Esquires, &c. Lond. 1642. oct. The MS. of which I saw also in the said Library, fairly transcribed and dedicated by T. S. of Wycombe to John Lord Lovelace, an. 1637. This book which is the collection of Will, Bird, I take to be the same, which was afterwards published with a title something different from the former, under our author Doderidge’s name, running thus.

The Law of Nobility and Peerage; wherein the antiquities, titles, degrees, and distinctions, concerning the Peers and Nobility of this Nation, are excellently set forth, with the Knights, Esquires, Gent. &c. Lond. 1657. 58. oct. What else he hath written, (besides certain Speeches which are extant in books put out by others,) I know not; and therefore I shall only say of him, that he surrendred up his last breath at Forsters near to Egham in Surrey 13. Sept. in sixteen hundred twenty and eight, and that his body was carried to the City of Exeter, 1628 where ’twas reposed with great solemnity in our Ladies Chappel joyning to the Cath. Ch. there, 14. Oct. following; where at this time is visible a very fair monument over his grave, and that of his Wise. Now as for Arthur Agard, whom I have before mentioned, I desire the Reader to know of him these things, that he was the Son of Clem. Agard of Foston in Derbyshire, by his Wife Elianor Daughter of Tho. Middlemore of Edgbaston in Warwickshire, that he was bred up to the Law, got to be a Clerk in the Exchequer, and at length to be Deputy-chamberlian thereof; which office he held 45 years, while these persons following were successively Chamberlains, (a place formerly of great honour and worth,) viz. Sir Nich. Throckmorton, Sir Tho. Randolphe Postmaster, Sir Tho. West after Lord La Warr, Mr. George Young a Scot, Sir Will, Killigrew Knight, Sir Walt. Cope Knight, and in his last days, in 1615. to Sir Joh. Poyntz Knight. While he held that place, he learned and received all his knowledge and learning in Antiquities from his faithful and dear friend Sir Rob. Cotton, a singular lover of, and admirably well read in, English Antiquities; to whom when Agard died, he gave all his Leiger books and MSS. (at least 20 in number) to be reposed as choice things in his Library; among which was Agard’s book of his own writing, intit. Tractatus de usu & verbis obscurioribus libri de Domesday, which was afterwards put under the Effigies of Vitellius, nu. 9. The learned Camden stiles him (*)(*) In Annal. Reg. Jac. 1. MS. sub an. 161 [•] . Antiquarius insignis, as having been well acquainted with him, and his prodigious works collected with his own hand out of his Maj. Records in the Abbey of Westminster, (where the Exchequer-Office was,) and elsewhere. He died 22. Aug. 1615. and was buried in the Cloyster of St. Peters Church in Westminster, near to the Chapter-house door, where he had set up a monument in his life-time for himself and his Wife. At the time of his death, his will and desire was, that eleven Manuscripts of his writing and collection should (for a small reward given to his Executor) be reposed in the Exchequer, because they were necessary both for the Kings service, and readiness for the subject. Also a book of his collection in the Treasury, wherein is first contained what records are in the Kings Maj. four Treasuries, and how the same are placed, and especially how to be preserved: And after, is contained A collection of all leagues and treaties of Peace, entercourses and marriages with Foreign Nations. Which book was three years labour, and was (I think still) very carefully preserved for the Kings service. The writer and collector thereof took order that it should be preserved in his Maj. Court of Receipt, under the charge and custody of the Officers there, and to be delivered to them by Inventory, because it is very necessary for the Kings use, good of the Subject, and readiness and light to the Officers. As for the other person Joseph Holland, whose Opinion concerning the antiquity, power, &c. of Parliament, before-mentioned, which was also published, I can say only this of him, that he was a Devonian born, an excellent Herald, Genealogist, and Antiquary, as several things of his writing, now in being in the Coll. of Arms, commonly called the Heralds Office, shew: Among which is a very long roll of Parchment, containing the Arms of the Nobility and Gentry of Devon before, and to his time, made in 1585. There also goes from hand to hand a folio MS. of his collection, not only containing the Arms of the Nobility and Gentry of Devonshire, but also of Somersetshire and Cornwall.