William Higden 1662/3-1715

William HIGDEN 1662/3-1715

Biographical Note

Possibly the son of Lawrence Higden of Corfe Castle, Dorset, clergyman. BA King's College, Cambridge 1684, MA 1688. Curate of Camberwell, Surrey 1688, but became a nonjuror under William III; he subsequently conformed and took the oaths of allegiance to Anne, becoming rector of St Paul's, Shadwell in 1711 and a prebendary of Canterbury in 1713. His View of the English constitution, published in 1709 and subsequently reprinted through several editions, defended his change of views and was reputed to have been influential in shaping Wesley's Methodist thinking.

Books

Higden's will has no mention of books, but left all his estate to his wife. His library was sold by auction in London, beginning 17 October 1715; no catalogue survives, but the sale was advertised in the Daily Courant as "a collection of very valuable and curious books in Greek, Latin, French and English".

Characteristic Markings

None of Higden's books have been identified.

Sources

• Will of William Higden, The National Archives PROB 11/550/57.
• Alston, R. C. Inventory of sale catalogues 1676-1800. St Philip, 2010.
• Vallance, Edward. "Higden, William (1662/3–1715), Church of England clergyman." Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.