Ambrose Ussher

Ambrose Ussher (1582?–1629) was an Irish Protestant clergyman and scholar, a fellow of Trinity College, Dublin and rector in the Church of Ireland, known as a biblical translator.[1]

Contents

Life

Born in Dublin about 1582, he was third but second surviving son of Arland Ussher and his wife Margaret. James Ussher, archbishop of Armagh, was his elder brother. He is said to have been for a time at Cambridge. He graduated M.A. and was elected fellow of the recently established Trinity College, Dublin.

He became learned in Hebrew and Arabic. Among his correspondents was Henry Briggs, the mathematician.

Ussher died at Dublin, unmarried, and was buried on 4 March 1629.

Works

Before the completion of the Authorised Version of the Bible, Ussher prepared a translation from the original Hebrew, which he dedicated to James I. It remained in manuscript in three volumes in the library of Trinity College, Dublin.[2] The only work he published was a ‘Brief Catechism very well serving for the Instruction of Youth,’ printed at Dublin without date. He left, however, thirty-four works in manuscript, preserved in Trinity College, Dublin. They included volumes of sermons, commentaries on scripture, and notes on classical authors. Besides the translation of the Bible, they included:

References

Notes

  1. ^ Ford, Alan, "Ussher, Ambrose", on the website of the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (Subscription or UK public library membership required), http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/ref:odnb/28031 
  2. ^ A long extract from the ‘Epistle Dedicatorie’ and Ussher's translation of Genesis, chap. i., are printed in the historical manuscripts commission's fourth report (App. pp. 598–9).
Attribution

 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: "Ussher, Ambrose". Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900.