Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Dormer, John (1636-1700)
DORMER, JOHN (1636–1700), jesuit, whose real name was Huddleston, was a son of Sir Robert Huddleston, knight. According to his own statement he was born in the village of Cleovin [Clavering ?], Essex, on 27 Dec. 1636, and brought up in London till his twelfth year, when he was sent to the college of St. Omer. Afterwards he entered the English college, Rome, on 6 Sept. 1665. He left that institution to join the novitiate at Bonn in 1656, and in 1673 he became a professed father of the Society of Jesus. He was generally known by the name of Dormer, but he occasionally assumed the alias of Shirley. In 1678 he was serving on the Lincolnshire mission at Blyborough. James II had a great regard for him, and appointed him one of the royal preachers at the court of St. James. On the outbreak of the revolution in 1688 he escaped to the continent, was chosen rector of the college of Liège, and held that office till 23 April 1691. Dr. Oliver states that he died at Liège on 27 Jan. 1699-1700, but the catalogue of deceased members of the society records his death as occurring in London on 16-26 Jan. 1699-1700.
He is the author of `Usury explain'd: or conscience quieted in the case of Putting out Mony at interest. By Philopenes.' London, 1695-6, 8vo; reprinted in `The Pamphleteer' (London, 1818), xi. 165-211. Dr. John Kirk of Lichfield had in his possession in 1826 a manuscript Latin translation of `Usury explain'd,' made by Dr. Hawarden in 1701.
[Oliver's Jesuit Collections, 82; Cat. Lib. Impress. Bibl. Bodl. (1843), i. 734; Foley's Records, v. 586, vi. 390, vii. 378; De Backer, Bild. des Écrivains de la Compagnie de Jésus (1869), i. 1632; Dodd's Church Hist. iii. 494; Catholic Miscellany, vi. 254.]