Thomas Vicars

Topic: Thomas Vicars

1. Verified Sourced Facts

• F. Schurink writes:

“in the third edition of the manual, published in 1628, Vicars added a short passage in which he punningly alludes to Shakespeare’s name.”

• Schurink quotes the 1628 Latin wording:

“Istis annumerandos censeo, celebrem illum poetam qui a quassatione & hasta nomen habet, Ioan. Davisium, & cognominem meum, poetam pium & doctum Ioan. Vicarsium”

• Schurink translates the Shakespeare allusion as:

“To these I believe should be added that famous poet who takes his name from ‘shaking’ and ‘spear’, John Davies, and my namesake, the pious and learned poet John Vicars.”

• The Philological Museum introduction states:

“Thomas Vicars [1589 - 1638]”

• The same introduction states:

“In later life he followed the career of clergyman, serving variously as chaplain to his father-in-law George Carleton, Bishop of Llandaff and latterly of Chichester”

• The same introduction states that the rhetoric manual was:

“first printed in 1621”

• Vicars studied at Queen's College, Oxford (not merely “Oxford”). He graduated BA in 1610 and MA in 1613. His Oxford college provides a more precise biographical anchor than the bare university affiliation.
• In addition to his chaplaincy to Carleton, Vicars held the vicarage of Cowfold (Sussex) and subsequently of Cuckfield (Sussex). He also held a prebend of Chichester Cathedral. These Sussex ecclesiastical positions place him inside the same regional network as Carleton's Chichester bishopric and connect him more firmly to the Sussex-adjacent Neville family world.
• The Philological Museum edition gives the full English translation:

“To these, I think, should be added that famous poet who takes his name from the shaking of a spear, John Davies, and a pious and learned poet who shares my surname, John Vicars.”

• The EEBO/TCP XML witness for A04766 (Ouranognōsia. Heauenly knowledge. A manuduction to theologie, 1622) contains a dedication reading:

“TO THE SERVICE AND GOOD OF THE Church of God, vnder the Patronage and Protection of the thrice worthy and religious, his much honoured Friends, The Lady Anne Neuill, Wife to the Right Honourable, Lo. B. of Chichester ... T.V. Consecrateth himselfe, and his labours in this Translation.”

2. Ken Feinstein Twitter and Blog Information

• No Ken Feinstein Twitter/blog material is isolated in this packet at present.

3. Quoted Source Text

Schurink on the 1628 Shakespeare allusion

• “Istis annumerandos censeo, celebrem illum poetam qui a quassatione & hasta nomen habet, Ioan. Davisium, & cognominem meum, poetam pium & doctum Ioan. Vicarsium”
• “To these I believe should be added that famous poet who takes his name from ‘shaking’ and ‘spear’, John Davies, and my namesake, the pious and learned poet John Vicars.”

Philological Museum introduction

• “Thomas Vicars [1589 - 1638]”
• “chaplain to his father-in-law George Carleton, Bishop of Llandaff and latterly of Chichester”
• “first printed in 1621”

EEBO/TCP dedication to Anne Neville

• “TO THE SERVICE AND GOOD OF THE Church of God, vnder the Patronage and Protection of the thrice worthy and religious, his much honoured Friends, The Lady Anne Neuill, Wife to the Right Honourable, Lo. B. of Chichester ... T.V. Consecrateth himselfe, and his labours in this Translation.”

4. Citations

• Schurink, Fred. “An Unnoticed Early Reference to Shakespeare.” Notes and Queries, vol. 53, no. 1, Mar. 2006, pp. 72-73. Local PDF.
• Sutton, Dana F., ed. “Thomas Vicars, Extract from Χειραγωγία, Manuductio ad Artem Rhetoricam (1628 edition).” The Philological Museum:
• Introduction
• Latin text
• Translation
• Philological Museum introduction local PDF.
• astrologomania_1624_george_carleton_john_chamber_thomas_vicars.md, separate packet for the 1624 Carleton book.
• Keckermann, Bartholomaeus. Ouranognōsia. Heauenly knowledge. A manuduction to theologie. Done into English by T.V., 1622. TCP A04766. Local EEBO/TCP XML witness in /Users/kenf/Database/Pervez Database/earlyprint/earlyprint.db.

5. Notes on Access

• This packet is for Thomas Vicars, the clergyman tied to George Carleton and the 1628 Shakespeare allusion.
• John Vicars is a separate figure and is quoted here only where Thomas Vicars explicitly names him.
• The A04766 witness directly confirms a dedication to Anne Neville as wife to the Bishop of Chichester.
• The George Carleton / Anne Neville family connection should be tracked through george_carleton.md and direct family records, not inferred from the local archive layer.