Hacket, John, Bishop of Lichfield (1590 -1670)

John Hacket was the eldest son of Andrew Hacket, a prosperous tailor of Scottish extraction, whose ancestors came from from Pitferran. Educated at Westminster School and Trinity College, Cambridge, where he matriculated pensioner at Easter 1609. He took his B.A. in 1613, was made a Fellow in 1614, obtained his M.A. in 1616, and incorporated at Oxford 1616. Following his ordination 22 December 1618, he was appointed Rector of Stoke Hammond in Buckinghamshire 1618 1624, Vicar of Trumpington in Cambridgeshire 1620, Rector of Kirby under Wood in Lincolnshire 1621, Rector of Barcombe in Sussex in 1622. Taking his B.D. in 1623, he was Prebend of Lincoln 1623 1661, Rector of St Andrew Holborn 1624 1662, and of West Cheam in Surrey 1624. In 1628 he took his D.D., and was admitted to Gray's Inn 2 February of the same year. He was President of Sion College in 1633, and Archdeacon of Bedford 1631 1661. During the Commonwealth his living of St Andrew's Holborn was sequestered 13 December 1645, but he was allowed to keep that of West Cheam. There he continued to use the Book of Common Prayer and committed the burial service to memory so that he might use it without offending the Puritans. At the Restoration he was consecrated Bishop of Lichfield and Coventry. Lichfield Cathedral was in a semi ruinous state, and he restored it partly at his own expence, and partly by vigorous fund raising. He also built Gerard's [Bishop's] Hostel at Trinity College, Cambridge, and arranged for the rents for it to be paid to the College Library. He married twice, firstly, Elizabeth, daughter of William Stibbins, of East Soham in Sussex. She died in 1638, and he married secondly, Frances, daughter of Bennet, of Cheshire, and widow of the Reverend Dr Dove Bridgeman, prebendary of Chester. He bequeathed his books to the University Library at Cambridge. The stamps were cut for Trinity College Library, to distinguish the books bought from the rents of Bishop's Hostel. His own books have no armorial stamps.

Stamp(s) Stamp Information
Title: Hacket, John, Bishop of Lichfield (1590 - 1670) (Stamp 1)
Arms: Per pale a cross potent between four crosses patty all counterchanged (See of Lichfield) impaling Three piles meeting in base on a chief a lion rampant (Hacket)
Dimensions (height x width): 97mm x 65mm
Impalement: Three piles meeting in base on a chief a lion rampant (Hacket)
Heraldic Charges: chief, on a, Heraldic Charges: cross potent between, Heraldic Charges: crosses patty (4), Heraldic Charges: lion rampant, Heraldic Charges: piles (3)
Title: Hacket, John, Bishop of Lichfield (1590 - 1670) (Stamp 2)
Arms: Per pale a cross potent between four crosses patty all counterchanged (See of Lichfield) impaling Three piles meeting in base on a chief a lion rampant (Hacket)
Dimensions (height x width): 66mm x 44mm
Impalement: Three piles meeting in base on a chief a lion rampant (Hacket)
Heraldic Charges: chief, on a, Heraldic Charges: cross potent between, Heraldic Charges: crosses patty (4), Heraldic Charges: lion rampant, Heraldic Charges: piles (3)
Hacket, John, Bishop of Lichfield (1590 - 1670) (Stamp 3) Title: Hacket, John, Bishop of Lichfield (1590 - 1670) (Stamp 3)
Arms: Per pale a cross potent between four crosses patty all counterchanged (See of Lichfield) impaling Three piles meeting in base on a chief a lion rampant (Hacket)
Dimensions (height x width): 55mm x 30mm
Impalement: Three piles meeting in base on a chief a lion rampant (Hacket)
Heraldic Charges: chief, on a, Heraldic Charges: cross potent between, Heraldic Charges: crosses patty (4), Heraldic Charges: lion rampant, Heraldic Charges: piles (3)