John Squier ca.1587-1653

John SQUIER or SQUIRE ca.1587-1653

Biographical Note

Son of Adam Squier, Master of Balliol College, Oxford. BA Jesus College, Cambridge 1605, MA 1608, fellow 1606-12. Vicar of St Leonard, Shoreditch 1612-46; imprisoned in London 1642-46, after being accused of scandalous conduct, sequestrated 1643, formally ejected 1646. After being released he moved to Richmond, where he ran a private school until his death.

Books

Dring his time in prison he assembled a collection of ca. 260 contemporary political and theological pamphlets, subsequently acquired by Edward Waddington (d.1732), Bishop of Chichester, who bequeathed his library to Eton College. The material at Eton is bound in 8 volumes but was originally bound in 12 or more by Squier. It is evident that he had a pre-1642 library but its fate is unknown. His will makes no reference to books or papers though it is assumed that they were inherited in the first instance by his son John (1621-63), Rector of Barnes, Surrey. Examples: numerous at Eton College.

Characteristic Markings

The pamphlets are typically inscribed by Squier with his name, a date, and the motto Δοξα τώ Θεώ Content Courage Amen. He commonly annotated the texts with notes, references, underlinings and comments on the content.

Sources

• Connor, T. P., Malignant reading: John Squier’s Newgate Prison library, The Library 7th ser 7 (2006), 154-184.
• Finlayson, J. Caitlin, '"Squire/Squier, John (c. 1587–1653), Church of England clergyman and author.'" Oxford Dictionary of National Biography"