Peck, Francis

Peck, Francis a learned English divine, noted especially as an industrious antiquary, was born at Stamford, in Lincolnshire, May 4, 1692. He received his preparatory education in his native town. He afterwards went to Trinity College, Cambridge, where he took the degree of B.A. in 1715, and M.A. in 1727. In 1723 he was presented to the rectory of Godeby Maureward, in Leicestershire: and in 1736 he received a prebendal stall in the cathedral of Lincoln. He died in 1743. His principal works are, The Antiquarian Annals of Stanford, in Lincoln, Rutland, and Northampton Shires (Lond. 1727, fol.): — Desiderata Curiosa, the first volume of which was printed in folio, London, 1732, followed by the second in 1735, both reprinted in 4to in 1779: — A Catalogue of all the Discourses written both for and against Popery in the Time of King James II (Lond. 1735, 4to): — Memoirs of the Life and Writings of Oliver Cromwell (1740, 4to): — New Memoirs of the Life and Poetical Works of John Milton (1740, 4to). He also published some sermons and discourses. His first publication was Τὸ ὕψος ἄγιον , or an Exercise on the Creation, and a Hymn to the Creator of the World; written in the express Words of the Sacred Text, as an Attempt to show the Beauty and Sublimity of the Holy Scriptures (1716, 8to). See Chalmers, Biogr. Dict. 24:235; Allibone, Dict. of Brit. and Amer. Authors, vol. ii, s.v.; Darling, Cyclop. Bibliogr. vol. ii, s.v.