Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Gouldman, Francis
GOULDMAN, FRANCIS (d. 1688?), lexicographer, was probably the son of George Gouldman, D.D. (d. 1633–4), archdeacon of Essex, and vicar of Stepney, Middlesex, by his wife Jane, though no children are mentioned in Dr. Gouldman's will, dated 4 July 1627 (P. C. C. 1, Seager). He matriculated as a pensioner of Christ's College, Cambridge, on 3 July 1623, and proceeded B.A. in 1626–7 and M.A. in 1630. On 26 March 1634 he succeeded George Gouldman in the rectory of South Ockendon, Essex (Newcourt, Repertorium, ii. 449), from which he was sequestered in 1644. The committee, however, allowed a fifth to Abigail, his wife, in support of her five children (Notes and Queries, 2nd ser. iii. 86). At the Restoration he regained possession of his living. He died and was buried in Lancashire (South Ockendon Register), presumably at the close of 1688, but no date is given. His successor in the rectory, Offspring Blackall [q. v.], was appointed on 24 Jan. 1688–9. His will (P. C. C. 70, Dyke) was proved on 12 May 1690 by his daughter Jane Frost, widow. With Anthony Scattergood, Gouldman assisted Bishop Pearson in editing ‘Critici Sacri,’ 9 vols. fol., London, 1660; and compiled, chiefly from the labours of Thomasius, Rider, Holland, and Holyoak, ‘A copious Dictionary in three parts: (I) The English before the Latin. … (II) The Latin before the English. … (III) The Proper Names of persons, places, &c. Together with Amendments and Enlargements,’ &c., 4to, London, 1664; 2nd edit., 4to, Cambridge, 1669; 3rd edit., ‘the … Hebrew Roots and Derivatives … inserted by W. Robertson,’ 4to, Cambridge, London, 1674–73; another edition, still further enlarged by Anthony Scattergood, 1678. Adam Littleton, while commending Gouldman's learning and worth, hints that his design was rather to make new editions than to correct the mistakes of former lexicographers, or to throw out the many barbarous Latin words in the old dictionaries (Latin Preface to Linguæ Latinæ Liber Dictionarius Quadripartitus, 1678; Nichols, Lit. Anecd. v. 208). Dr. John Worthington praises Gouldman for his pains in editing Prebendary John Bois's [q. v.] ‘Veteris interpretis cum Beza aliisque recentioribus collatio in quatuor Evangeliis et Apostolorum Actis,’ 8vo, London, 1655 (Worthington, Miscellanies, ed. 1704, p. 308; Diary, Chetham Soc., vol. ii. pt. i. pp. 96–7).
[Palin's More about Stifford, pp. 112–13; Walker's Sufferings of the Clergy (1714), pt. ii. p. 251; Preface to Stephens's Thesaurus (fol. London, 1734–5), p. *20; Addit. (Cole) MS. 5870, f. 52. Wood (Fasti Oxon. ed. Bliss, i. 439) is wrong in asserting that Dr. George Gouldman was buried at Cheshunt, Hertfordshire; he was buried, as he desired, in the church of South Ockendon on 6 Jan. 1633–4, according to the register.]
Dictionary of National Biography, Errata (1904), p.138
N.B.— f.e. stands for from end and l.l. for last line
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| 289 | ii | 13-14 | Gouldman, Francis: for Prebendary John Boys's read the work by Prebendary John Bois [q. v.] entitled |