James Usher
Dublin-born James Ussher (1581-1656), Church of Ireland archbishop of Armagh, and scholar, was famous for using the Biblical scriptures to determine the date of the foundation of the world - a very precise 23rd October 4004 BC. Fanciful today, this remained a popular notion for some time. In his 'biography', Richard Parr, one of Ussher's chaplains, promoted the archbishop's moderate Anglicanism, and emphasized his fierce anti-Catholicism. However, only by removing unacceptable passages was the publication passed by the censors of the king, James II. This is the first edition.