Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Heigham, John
HEIGHAM, JOHN (fl. 1639), catholic printer, writer, and translator, was probably descended from a younger son of the ancient family of Heigham or Higham, of Higham, Cheshire, who settled in Essex. He was a man of learning, and skilled in the Latin, French, Italian, and Spanish languages. He resided at Douay and St. Omer, chiefly in the latter city, where he appears to have been living in 1639. By his wife, Mary Garnett, he had a son John, who took holy orders, and left Rome for the English mission in 1649.
His works are: 1. ‘A Devout Exposition of the Holie Masse. With an Ample Declaration of all the Rites and Ceremonies belonging to the same,’ Douay, 1614, 12mo; St. Omer, 1622, 8vo; and again London, 1876, 12mo, edited by Austin Joseph Rowley, priest. 2. ‘A Mirrour to Confesse well for such persons as doe frequent this Sacrament. Abridged out of sundrie confessionals by a certain devout Religious man,’ Douay, 1618 and 1624, 12mo. 3. ‘A Method of Meditation,’ translated from the French of Father Ignatius Balsom, St. Omer, 1618, 8vo. 4. ‘The Psalter of Jesus, contayninge very devoute and godlie petitions,’ Douay, 1618, 12mo. This is a revised edition of Richard Whytford's ‘Psalter.’ It was reprinted, Douay, 1624, 12mo, with ‘A Mirrour to Confesse well’ and the four following works, in all six parts, each having a distinct title-page. 5. ‘Certaine very pious and godly considerations proper to be exercised whilst the … Sacrifice of the Masse is celebrated,’ Douay, 1624, 12mo. 6. ‘Divers Devout considerations for the more worthy receaving of the … Sacrament,’ Douay, 1624, 12mo. 7. ‘Certaine advertisements teaching men how to lead a Christian life,’ Douay, 1624, 12mo, translated from the Italian of St. Charles Borromeo. 8. ‘A briefe and profitable exercise of the seaven principall effusions of the … blood of … Jesus Christ,’ a translation from the French, Douay, 1624, 12mo. 9. ‘Meditations on the Mysteries of our holie Faith, with the Practise of Mental Prayer touching the same,’ from the Spanish of the jesuit father Luis de la Puente,’ St. Omer, 1619, 4to; reprinted, in a revised and corrected form, London, 1852, 8vo. This translation is distinct from that of Father Richard Gibbons [q. v.] in 1610. 10. ‘The True Christian Catholique; or the Maner How to Live Christianly,’ from the French of the jesuit Father Philippe Doultreman, St. Omer, 1622, 12mo. 11. ‘Villegas's Lives of the Saints translated, whereunto are added the Lives of sundry other Saints of the Universal Church, set forth by J. Heigham,’ St. Omer, 1630, 4to. 12. ‘Via Vere Tuta; or the Truly Safe Way. Discovering the Danger, Crookedness, and Uncertaintie of M. John Preston and Sir Humfrey Lindes Unsafe Way,’ St. Omer, 1631 and 1639, 8vo. In answer to the puritan divine Sir Humphrey Lynde's ‘Via Tuta.’
[Gillow's Bibl. Dict. of English Catholics; Duthillœul's Bibl. Douaisienne, 2nd edit. p. 197; Dodd's Church Hist. ii. 426; Foley's Records, vi. 340, 628; Granger's Biog. Hist. of England, 5th edit. ii. 79.]