Laurence Womock d.1686

Laurence WOMOCK or WOMACK d.1686

Biographical Note

Born at Lopham, Norfolk, son of Laurence Womock, Rector of North and South Lopham. BA Corpus Christi, Cambridge 1632, MA 1639, DD 1661. Apparently based in Hereford during the Civil War, as a royalist chaplain. Rector of Icklingham, Suffolk 1654. Prebendary of Hereford 1660, Archdeacon of Suffolk 1660, Prebendary of Ely 1660; Rector of Horningsheath, Suffolk 1662, and Boxford 1663. “He made his way in the church through his dogged self-promotion and his relentlessly controversial writings” (ODNB) – published numerous pamphlets and sermons advocating establishment Anglican policies. Bishop of St David’s 1683 (although never apparently resident there).

Books

Womock’s library was sold by auction in Cambridge by Edward Millington, together with the stock of the Cambridge bookseller John Creed, 23 May 1687. The catalogue lists 2844 lots, together with 63 bound volumes of pamphlets and 12 bundles of stitched pamphlets; the division is Latin theology (734), Latin miscellaneous (843), English divinity (811), English miscellaneous (456). The catalogue does not distinguish as to which books came from which source. Womock directed in a codicil to his will that all his books should go to his nephew’s son Laurence once he reached the age of 21, "or have any occasion before that time to use any", if he went to university, but that if not the collection should be divided between his two nephews.

Characteristic Markings

None of Womock’s books have been identified.

Sources

• Bibliotheca Womockiana, 1687, ESTC r217184.
• Spurr, John. '"Womock, Laurence (d. 1686), bishop of St David's and religious controversialist."' Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.