George Hickes (divine)
George Hickes arrived in the world on the 20th of June 1642 at Newsham near Thirsk. He attended school at Thirsk before moving to Northallerton Grammar School in 1652. Thomas Rymer sat beside him as a classmate during those early years. The young scholar entered St John's College, Oxford, in 1659. Following the Restoration he transferred to Magdalen College and then to Magdalen Hall. Lincoln College elected him fellow in 1664. He earned his Master of Arts degree the following year. Divinity graduation came in 1673. He became rector of St Ebbes, Oxford, in 1675.
Hickes served as vicar of All Hallows, Barking, London, starting in 1680. King Charles II appointed him chaplain in 1681. The crown promoted him to deanery of Worcester in 1683. He opposed James II's declaration of indulgence while also opposing Monmouth's rising. His nonconformist brother John Hickes faced execution after the Sedgemoor battle. Alice Lisle harbored refugees including that brother. The revolution of 1688 changed everything for the dean. He declined to take the oath of allegiance required by the new regime. Authorities suspended him first before depriving him of his deanery. He affixed a protestation and claim of right to cathedral doors upon hearing about his successor. Hickes remained in concealment within London for some time.
Sancroft sent Hickes to France on matters connected with episcopal succession. He traveled there alongside other nonjurors during the early 1690s. James II resided in exile at Saint-Germain-en-Laye when Hickes arrived. The envoy returned to England in 1694 carrying news from the French court. Church leaders consecrated him as suffragan bishop of Thetford within the non-juring church. Later years involved extensive controversies and writing projects. Two Scottish bishops named James Gadderar and Archibald Campbell assisted him in 1713. They helped consecrate Jeremy Collier, Samuel Hawes, and Nathaniel Spinckes among the non-jurors. These men formed part of an alternative episcopal line outside official Anglican structures.
Hickes published Institutiones Grammaticae Anglo-Saxonicae et Moeso-Gothicae in 1689. This work examined ancient northern languages including Old English and Gothic. His monumental Linguarum veterum septentrionalium thesaurus appeared between 1703 and 1705. The volume contained grammatical and critical analysis of multiple ancient tongues. Scholars today remember him chiefly for this pioneering linguistic work. Harris documented correspondence with collaborators on the Thesaurus project. The Bodleian Library holds manuscripts sketching his life through 1689. Many letters remain extant across various collections. He dedicated decades to studying texts that had been largely ignored by contemporaries.
Anonymous writings emerged from contemporary events in Scotland during the late 1670s. James Mitchell faced execution for attempting to murder Archbishop James Sharp. Presbyterian ministers John Kid and John King died for high treason and rebellion. Hickes authored Ravillac Redivivus in 1678 regarding these executions. The Spirit of Popery speaking out of the Mouths of Phanatical Protestants followed in 1680. His Jovian answered Samuel Johnson's Julian the Apostate published in 1682. Two treatises about Christian Priesthood and Episcopal Order appeared in 1707. Bishop Hoadly attacked these high-church views in a Preservative Against the Principles of the Nonjurors. A famous sermon titled The Nature of the Kingdom of Christ arrived in 1717. These works provoked what became known as the Bangorian Controversy.
Posthumous Discourses appeared in 1726 after his death on the 15th of December 1715. The Constitution of the Catholick Church and the Nature and Consequences of Schism surfaced in 1716. This text gave rise to the Bangorian Controversy following publication. Collections of Controversial Letters emerged in 1705 and again in 1710. Sermons collected in 1711 remain part of his literary legacy. Three volumes form part of the Library of Anglo-Catholic Theology from 1847. Overton documented nonjuring history extensively in 1902. Modern linguistics traces its roots partly through Hickes' northern language studies. His theological writings continue shaping discussions within high-church Anglican circles today.
Continue Browsing
Common questions
When was George Hickes born and where did he arrive in the world?
George Hickes arrived in the world on the 20th of June 1642 at Newsham near Thirsk. He attended school at Thirsk before moving to Northallerton Grammar School in 1652.
What happened to George Hickes after the revolution of 1688 changed everything for him?
George Hickes declined to take the oath of allegiance required by the new regime. Authorities suspended him first before depriving him of his deanery and he remained in concealment within London for some time.
Which languages did George Hickes examine in his monumental Linguarum veterum septentrionalium thesaurus published between 1703 and 1705?
The volume contained grammatical and critical analysis of multiple ancient tongues including Old English and Gothic. Scholars today remember him chiefly for this pioneering linguistic work.
Who assisted George Hickes in consecrating non-juring bishops in 1713?
Two Scottish bishops named James Gadderar and Archibald Campbell assisted him in 1713. They helped consecrate Jeremy Collier, Samuel Hawes, and Nathaniel Spinckes among the non-jurors.
When did George Hickes die and what posthumous works appeared after his death on the 15th of December 1715?
Posthumous Discourses appeared in 1726 after his death on the 15th of December 1715. The Constitution of the Catholick Church and the Nature and Consequences of Schism surfaced in 1716.