William Tooker

, second Son of Will. Tooker, (by Honora Eresey of Cornwall his Wife,) Son and Heir of Rob. Tooker, was born in the City of Exeter, educated in Wykehams School near to Winchester, admitted perpetual Fellow of New coll. in 1577. took the degrees in Arts, that of Master being compleated in 1583. in which year he shewd himself a ready Disputant before Albertus Alaskie Prince of Sirad, at his being entertained by the Oxonian Muses in S. Maries Church. In 1585. he left his Fellowship, being about that time promoted to the Archdeanconry of Barnstaple in his own Country. Afterwards he was made Chaplain to Q. Elizabeth and Prebendary of Salisbury, took the degrees in Divinity 1595. became Canon of Exeter, and at length Dean of Lichfield, on the death (as it seems) of Dr. George Boleyne, in the latter end of 1602. He was an excellent Grecian and Latinist, an able Divine, a person of great gravity and piety, and well read in curious and critical authors, as may partly appear by these books following, which he wrote and published.

Charisma, sive donum Sanati [•] nis, seu explicatio totius quaestionis de mirabilium Sanitatum gratiâ, &c. Lond. 1597. qu. In this book he doth attribute to the Kings and Queens of England a power derived into them, by Lawful Succession, of healing, &c. Which book is reflected upon by Mart. Anton. Delrius the Jesuit, who thinks it not true that Kings can cure the Evil. With him agrees most Fanaticks.

Of the Fabrick of the Church and Church mens livings Lond. 1604. oct.

Singulare certamen cum Martino Becano Jesuitâ, futiliter refutante apologiam & monitoriam praefationem ad Imperatorem, Reges, & Principes, & quaedam Orthodoxa dogmata Jacobi Regis Magnae Britaniae. Lond. 1611. oct. This learned author, Dr. Tooker, died at Salisbury on the 19. of March, or thereabouts, and was buried in the Cath. Ch. there 21. of the said month,1620-21. in sixteen hundred and twenty, leaving behind him a Son named Robert Tooker of East-Grinsteade in Surrey. In June following Dr. Walt. Curle of Cambridge succeeded him in the Deanry of Lichfield, and him Dr. Augustin Lindsell another Cantabrigian, an. 1630.