Oley, Barnabas

Oley, Barnabas a learned English divine of considerable note, was born at Thorp, near Wakefield, about the opening of the 17th century. He was educated at Cambridge; was proctor of the university in 1635, and afterwards president of Clare Hall. He was vicar of Great Gransden, in Huntingdonshire, fifty- three years, and a considerable benefactor to the parish, as appears from an inscription in that church. After suffering much by the Rebellion, he was in 1660 restored to his fellowship and vicarage, and on Sept. 4 of that year was installed prebendary of Worcester. In 1679 he was promoted to the archdeaconry of Ely. This dignity he afterwards voluntarily resigned, in his great humility not thinking himself sufficient to discharge the duty of it; which corrects a mistake of Mr. Woods (Fast. Oxon. vol. ii, col. 850, 1st ed.) that Dr. Taywell succeeded in the archdeaconry on Mr. Oley's decease; for it was on his resignation. Oley died Feb. 20,1685. He published the works of Dr. Thomas Jackson, and Herbert's Country Parson.