Robert Shirwode

received his first breath in the City of Coventry, whence being translated to the University of Oxon, made a considerable progress in Logicals, but more by far in the Hebrew and Greek Languages. Thence, in his mature Years, he went to Lovaine in Brabant, where about the Year 1519. he (a)(a) Valer. Andreas in Fastis Acad. Lovain. Edit. 1650. p. 284. succeeded Rob. Wakfeld an English Man in the reading the Hebrew Lecture to the Academians of that place. But he reading there only for a Month, went to other Universities, and had a Book of his composition published bearing this title.

Liber Hebraeorum Concionatoris, seu Ecclesiasticen, nuper ad veritatem Hebraicam recognitus, cum nonnullis annotationibus Chaldaicis, & quorundam Rabbinorum sententiis, textus obscuros aliquos litteraliter explanantibus. Antw. 1523. qu. Dedicated to one Joh. Webe (whom he calls Monachorum decus) Prior of the Monastery of the Benedictins at Coventry. In the title of which Booke he is not stiled Doctor, and therefore I presume he had that degree conferr’d on him after that, time but in what University, I cannot yet tell. Job. (b)(b) In cent. 11. num. 90. Baleus and his follower (c)(c) In Aet. 16. nu. 934. Pitseus do stile him Doctor Oxoniensis, but the truth is, in all my researches, I cannot find that he took that degree there, unless under another name. He the said Dr. Shirewood hath also various Sermons extant, as those Authors report,Clar. 1530. who also tell us that he was in high esteem among learned Men in Fifteen hundred and thirty, but when he died, or where he was buried, I am altogether as yet ignorant.