John Boyse

  Noted events in his life were:

• Background Information. ¹³⁰⁹
John Boyse, or Boys, whose share in the translation of the Bible and Sir Henry Saville's noble edition of Chrysoston, will always make his name remembered, was the grandson of a clothier at halifax, in Yorkshire. His father, William Boyse, was born at Halifax, educated at St. John's, Cambridge, and ultimately took up his residence in Nettleshead, in Suffolk, where his son, John boyse, was born in 1560. He was sent in due time, like his father, to St. John's, where he became of the most learned scholars of his day, and was chief Greek Lecturer in the College ten years together. His eminence in learning caused him to be selected not merely as one of the translators of the Bible, but also of the committee of six who had to revise the whole translation. He was sone of the principal assistants of Sir Henry Saville in his edition of Chrysostom, printed at Eton College and published in 1613 in 8 volumes, folio.

Boyse became, afterward, Rector of Boxworth and Prebendary of Ely, and, continuing an indefatigable student to the last, died at a good old age in 1643. After his death, his "Veteris Interpretis cum Bez collatio" was published at London in 2655, and is a sufficient evidence of his erudition and critical skill. A biography of Boyse has been written by Dr. Anthony Walker, published for the first time in the Peck's Desiderat Lib. 8, folio ed., pp. 36-58.

Boyse married a wife of the name of Holt, but,, "he minding nothing but his book, his wife, through want of age and experience not being able sufficiently to manage other things aright, he was, ere he was aware, fallen into debt; the weight whereof when he began to feel, he forthwith parted with his darling (I mean his library). This caused some discontent betwixt him and his wife; insomuch that I have heard that he did once intent to travel beyond the seas. But religion and conscience soon gave those thoughts the check, and made it be with him and his wife, as chirugeons say it is with a broken bone, if once well set the stronger for a fracture." He seems afterwards to have lived very happily with her. The worthy biographer's summing up on the occasion is admirable: "His own name and his wife's (before she married) were both by interpretation, one; Bois in French, and Holt in Dutch, signifying wood. And as he was here a pillar in God's house, a great plank in the ark, so I trust they are both now timber for the building of that house, not made with hands, eternal in the heavens."

~ The Diary and Correspondence of Dr. John Worthington, pp. 96-97, footnote (2)

John married Miss Holt.¹³⁰⁹