Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Dillingham, Francis
DILLINGHAM, FRANCIS (fl. 1611), divine, was a native of Dean, Bedfordshire. He matriculated as a pensioner of Christ's College, Cambridge, in June 1583, proceeded B.A. in 1586–7, was elected a fellow of his college, commenced M.A. in 1590, and took the degree of B.D. in 1599. Fuller says ‘he was an excellent linguist and subtle disputant. My father was present in the bachillors-scholes when a Greek act was kept between him and William Allabaster, of Trinity Colledge, to their mutuall commendation; a disputation so famous that it served for an æra or epoche for the scholars in that age, thence to date their seniority’ (Worthies of England, ed. Nichols, i. 118). He was richly beneficed at Wilden, in his native county, and died a bachelor, though in what year is not stated, leaving a fair estate to his brother Thomas, who was one of the Assembly of Divines.
He was one of the translators of the authorised version of the Bible (1611). His works are: 1. ‘A Disswasive from Poperie, containing twelve effectual reasons by which every Papist, not wilfully blinded, may be brought to the truth, and every Protestant confirmed in the same,’ Cambridge, 1599, 8vo. 2. ‘A Quartron of Reasons composed by Dr. Hill unquartered, and prooved a Quartron of Follies,’ Cambridge, 1603, 4to. 3. ‘Disputatio de Natura Pœnitentiæ adversus Bellarminum,’ Cambridge, 1606, 8vo. 4. ‘Progresse in Piety,’ Cambridge, 1606, 8vo. 5. ‘A Golden Key, opening the Locke to Eternal Happinesse,’ London, 1609, 8vo. 6. Funeral sermon on Lady Elizabeth Luke, London, 1609, 8vo; dedicated to Sir Oliver Luke, knight. 7. ‘Christian Œconomy, or Household Government, that is, the duties of husbands and wives, of parents and children, masters and servants,’ London, 1609, 8vo. 8. ‘A Probleme propounded, in which is plainely showed that the Holy Scriptures have met with Popish arguments and opinions,’ London [1615?], 16mo.
[Lewis's Hist. of Translations of the Bible (1818), 311; Cole's Athenæ Cantab. D 7; Musgrave's Obituary; Notes and Queries, 3rd series, iv. 380; Carter's Univ. of Camb. 231, 322; Peck's Desid. Cur. (1779), i. 333.]