John Buckeridge 1562?-1631

John BUCKERIDGE 1562?-1631

Biographical Note

Born in Wiltshire, son of William (or possibly Thomas) Buckeridge. BA St John’s College, Oxford 1582, MA 1586, BD 1592, DD 1599. Buckeridge is credited with having had a significant influence on the thinking of William Laud, one of his students while he was a tutor at St John’s. He became chaplain to the Earl of Essex, and (by 1596) to John Whitgift; rector of North Fambridge, Essex 1596, of Kilworth, Leicestershire 1599.

Buckeridge’s anti-puritan sympathies and preaching abilities marked him out for further preferment. He became archdeacon of Northampton, and prebendary of Hereford, 1604, vicar of St Giles, Cripplegate 1605, canon of Windsor and President of St John’s, Oxford 1606. In 1611 he was made Bishop of Rochester, and during the following years was often associated with fellow bishops of similar theological views (Lancelot Andrewes, Richard Neile). His Sermon preached before his Majestie (1618) marked a milestone in the advancement of Arminian doctrine on the eucharist and its associated ceremony. He was translated to the diocese of Ely in 1628.

Besides a number of sermons, Buckeridge published De potestate pape (1614), a response to Bellarmine’s arguments about the temporal authority of the Pope, and co-edited with Laud the works of Lancelot Andrewes published shortly after his death.

Books

In his will, Buckeridge specified a bequest of 20 volumes to St John’s, “whereof Cornelius a Lapide in five volumes to be part, the residue in such com[m]ent[aries]s as they shall make their choice of”. These are listed in the College benefactors’ book (one manuscript and 17 printed books). His will has no other mention of books and the overall size of his library is unknown.

Sources

• Will of John Buckeridge, The National Archives PROB 11/160/4.
• McCullough, P. E. '"Buckeridge, John (d. 1631), bishop of Ely."' Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.
• Pearson, D., The libraries of English bishops, 1600-1640, The Library 6th ser 14 (1992), 221-257.
• Tyacke, N., Anti-Calvinists, 1987.