John Hooker

alias Vowell, sometimes written Vowell alias Hooker, was born within the City of Exeter, educated in Grammar and Logick for a time in this University, either in Exeter, or C. C. coll. but whether he took a degree, our Registers, which are in the time of K. Ed. 6. very imperfect, shew not. Afterwards retiring to his Native place, he became the first Chamberlain thereof, an. 1554. about which time applying himself to the study of Astronomy, and English History, became noted in his time for them, especially after he had published his labours for the benefit of Posterity in these books following.

Order and usage of keeping the Parliaments in England. Lond. 1572. qu.

The Events of Comets, or blazing Stars, made upon the sight of the Comet Pagonia, which appeared in the month of Nov. and Dec. 1577. Lond. in oct.

An addition to the Chronicles of Ireland from 1546. where they ended, to the year 1568. Lond. 1587. fol. This addition is in the second vol. of the Chronicles, first collected and published by Raphael Holinshed, Will. Harrison and others. The said Chronicles of Ireland did begin, an. 1186. about which time Giraldus Cambrensis concluded his Irish History, and were continued by several hands to the said year 1546.

A Catalogue or History of the Bishops of Exeter, from Werestan (as he calls him) to John Woolton, an. 1579.—Remitted into the third vol. of Ra. Holinshed’s Chronicles, Lond. 1587. fol. pag. 1300. He also translated into English the Irish History of Giraldus before-mentioned, and put Scholias to the same; which being by him dedicated to Sir Walt. Raleigh with a large Epistle, were remitted into the second vol. of the Chronicles of Ra. Holinshed, Will. Harrison and others. Lond. 1587. fol. He also took great pains in augmenting and continuing to the year 1586. the said first and second vol. of Chronicles, which were also printed at London 1587. fol. The first impression of the said Chronicles were made at Lond. 1577. in fol. by the said R. Holinshed, descended from those of his name that lived at Boseley in Cheshire, educated in one of the Universities, was a Minister of God’s Word, as I have heard, and died at Bramcote in Warwickshire, towards the latter end of 1580. Whereupon all or most of his notes, collections, books, and MSS. came into the hands of Thom. Burdet Esq; an inhabitant, if not Lord, of the said Town of Bramcote. As for our author John Hooker, he lived to a fair age, and dying in Nov. 1601 in sixteen hundred and one, was buried at Exeter. He gave up his Chamberlains place about a quarter of a year before he died, and was succeeded therein by Will. Tickell. There hath been two of the Hookers that have been Mayors of Exeter, viz. Joh. Hooker in 1490. and Rob. Hooker in 1529. from one, or both, of which, I presume, our author Joh. Hooker was descended, as also Rich. Hooker the eminent author of Eccles. Policy.