Meric Casaubon 1599-1671

Meric CASAUBON 1599-1671

Biographical Note

Born in Geneva, son of Isaac Casaubon, classical scholar. He moved to London with his father in 1610, and shortly after his death in 1614 he was sent to Christ Church, Oxford, where he graduated BA in 1618, MA 1621. He decided to settle in England, and continue his father's work of doctrinal defence of the Church of England (and to defend his legacy against polemical attacks); he published several theological and classical works during the 1620s and 30s. He was appointed vicar of Bledon, Somerset in 1626, and a prebendary of Canterbury in 1628; livings in Kent followed in the 1630s. He was ejected from these in 1643 and spent much of the Interregnum in retirement at West Ashling, Sussex, continuing to write and publish (his Treatise concerning enthusiasm appeared in 1655). He was restored to his prebendal stall and living at Minster, Kent in 1660, and continued his scholarly work until the end of his life.

Books

Casaubon inherited many of the books of his father Isaac Casaubon, bringing back from Paris books which had been left there when Isaac moved to England; he added his own books to this patrimony throughout his life. During the 1640s he sold some books to relieve his financial difficulties, "which he never ceased to regret" (ODNB). Edward Stillingfleet bought many of his books after his death, which are now in Archbishop Marsh’s Library, Dublin. Some other volumes from his library came into Canterbury Cathedral Library through gifts to William Somner. He bequeathed 61 volumes of the elder Casaubon's adversaria to the Bodleian Library.

Sources

• Meric Casaubon at Canterbury Cathedral Library.
• Serjeantson, R. W. '"Casaubon, (Florence Estienne) Meric (1599–1671), scholar and divine."' Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.