Speed, John

Speed, John an English historian, was born at Farrington, in Cheshire, about 1555. He was brought up to the business of a tailor, but was taken from his shop by Sir Fulk Greville, and supported by him in the study of English history and antiquities. Besides other works of history, he wrote, The Cloud of Witnesses, or Genealogies of Scripture (1593, 8vo). This was prefixed to the new translation of the Bible in 1611, and printed for many years in the subsequent editions. He died July 28, 1629. See Chalmers, Biog. Dict. s.v.; Allibone, Dict. of Brit. and Amer. Authors, s.v.