Roger Morrice 1628/9-1702

Roger MORRICE 1628/9-1702

Biographical Note

Probably the son of a yeoman farmer of Leek, Staffordshire. BA St Catharine's College, Cambridge 1656, MA 1659. Vicar of Duffield, Derbyshire 1658 (ejected 1662); afterwards chaplain to Baron Holles. He established a profile in London as a chronicler and collector of manuscripts, and he was one of the people responsible for distributing Richard Baxter's library after his death. His Ent'ring book, a record of public affairs 1677-91, is now in Dr Williams's Library.

Books

Morrice's library catalogues of the 1680s and 90s reveal a collection of ca.1700 volumes, strong in doctrinal and controversial theology of the 16th and 17th centuries. His will includes detailed instructions regarding his books and historical collections, including the direction that duplicates from his study be given to poor students and ministers, and that Bibles in octave, catechisms, Mr Baxter's Calls and Practices of piety, and "other suchlike books that are useful for plain country folk" be given out to them. He also bequeathed money for the charitable giving of Bibles. Many of his manuscripts on puritan history are in Dr Williams's Library. Nearly 400 pamphlets (bound in 20 volumes) are now at Harris Manchester College; these volumes were given by John Stubbs (mentioned in Morrice's will) to his son Samuel, whose heirs gave them to the Warrington Academy.

Sources

• Will of Roger Morrice, The National Archives PROB 11/463/75.
• Cambers, A. Godly reading, Cambridge, 2011, 130-1.
• Goldie, Mark. "Morrice, Roger (1628/9–1702), diarist and historian." Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.
• Goldie, Mark, ed, The entring book of Roger Morrice, 1677-1691, 6 vols, Woodbridge, 2007.
• Matthews, A. G. Calamy revised. Oxford, 1934.