Broughton, Hugh

BROUGHTON, brɑu´tUn, HUGH: Church of England Hebrew scholar; b. at Oldbury (near the border of Wales, 20 m. s.w. of Shrewsbury), Shropshire, 1549; d. in Tottenham, London, Aug. 4, 1612. He was helped in his efforts to obtain an education by Bernard Gilpin, and became fellow of St. John's and Christ's colleges, Cambridge (B.A., 1570). In London he gained fame as a preacher of Puritan doctrine. In 1588 he published A Consent of Scripture, a treatise on Bible chronology; it was attacked at both universities and Broughton undertook lectures in its defense at London. In 1589 or 1590 he went to Germany and thenceforth spent most of his life on the Continent, where he disputed with Jews, Roman Catholics, and Protestants who did not agree with him, and wrote letters to England asking for appointments. His learning and ability were unquestioned, but his unhappy temper and bad manners prevented his advancement. He was long anxious to assist in preparing a new version of the Bible, but when the translators were appointed by King James in 1604 he was not one of them, and when their work was done he made a bitter attack upon it. His writings were collected by Lightfoot, with the pompous title The Works of the Great Albionean Divine, Renowned in Many Nations for Rare Skill in Salem's and Athens's Tongues and Familiar Acquaintance with all Rabbinical Learning, Mr. Hugh Broughton (London, 1662); a sketch of his life is included.

Bibliography: Besides the life prefixed to his works, there are available sketches in: B. Brook, Lives of the Puritans, ii. 215 sqq., London, 1813; A. à Wood, Athenæ Oxonienses, ed. P. Bliss, ii. 308 sqq., 4 vols., ib. 1813–20.