| Authorised form of name | Austen; John (1613 - 1669); religious writer |
| Other forms of name | William |
| Other forms of surname | Birchley |
| Austin |
| Dates | 1613 - 1669 |
| Nationality | British |
| Place of birth | Walpole, Norfolk, England, Europe |
| Date of birth | 1613 |
| Place of death | Bow Street, Covent Garden, London, England, Europe |
| DatesAndPlaces | Burial:
St Paul's, Covent Garden, London, England, Europe (31 March 1669) |
| Occupation | Author |
| Activity | Education:
Grammar School of Sleaford, Lincolnshire (1629-31); St John's College, Cambridge (matriculated 1631, did not receive a degree); Lincoln's Inn (admitted 1632)
Career:
Tutor to the family of Walter Fowler at St. Thomas's Priory, Stafford (-1650); eturned to London (1650); published the 'Christian Moderator' series under the pseudonym William Birchley (1651-1659); published 'Devotions in the Ancient Way of Offices' (1668), notable for Austen's composed hymn texts |
| Membership category | Original Fellow |
| Date of election | 20/05/1663 |
| RSActivity | Committee and panels:
Committee for Agriculture [Georgical] (c. 1664) |
| Relationships | Parents: John Austin and Mary Williams |
| OtherInfo | It is not clear when exactly Austen converted to Roman Catholicism, although this might have been around 1640 and could have contributed to him not receiving a degree from St. John's College, Cambridge. After his return to London, he associated with a group of Catholic literary men who were also concerned of the political future of the English Roman Catholic minority. His works, in particular within the 'Christian Moderator' series, were regarded as highly controversial but were reprinted over decades and played a role in the Bangorian controversy of 1718. |
| Source | Sources:
Bulloch's Roll; Venn; ODNB
Notes:
The election date is Austen's re-election date into the Society after the grant of the second charter in April 1663. All Fellows admitted in a two-month window after this charter, until 22 June 1663, are considered Original Fellows. He was previously elected on 12 December 1660. |
| Virtual International Authority File | http://viaf.org/viaf/69757379 |
| Code | NA4864 |
Archives associated with this Fellow
| RefNo | Title | Date |
| DM/5/63 | Minutes of meetings of the Committee for Agriculture | June-September 1664 |
| DM/5/64 | Minutes of meetings of the Committee for Agriculture (endorsed as 'Transactions of the Georgicall Committee') | October 1664-February 1665 |