Hooker, Richard (1554-04-01 - 1600-11-02)

Richard Hooker was born in April 1554 at Exeter. Although his family lacked the financial means to send him to the University of Oxford, he was able to attend owing to the influence of Bishop John Jewel. He graduated B.A. from Corpus Christi College on 14 January 1574 and proceeded M.A. on 29 March 1577. Hooker became a fellow of Corpus Christi in the same year, and deputy Regius Professor of Hebrew two years later. His first clerical post was at Drayton Beauchamp, Buckinghamshire, where he became rector in 1584. In 1585, Hooker was elected master of Temple Church in London. He left his post at Temple Church in 1591 to accept the living of Boscombe, Wiltshire. It was also at this time that he became subdean and canon of Salisbury. In 1595, he became vicar of Bishopsbourne, Kent, a post he held until his death on 2 November 1600. Of the Lawes of Ecclesiasticall Politie is his most famous work. For more information about Richard Hooker, see A Companion to Richard Hooker, ed. by Torrance Kirby (Leiden: Brill, 2008).