Born in Houndsditch, London, John Strype was the son of John Strype (or van Stryp), a member of a Huguenot family whom, in order to escape religious persecution within Brabant, had settled in East London. Strype was educated at St Paul's School, and on July 5th, 1662, he entered Jesus College, Cambridge. In 1665 at Catharine Hall he received his B.A. and in 1669 his M.A. On July 14th of the latter year he became perpetual curate of Theydon Bois, and a few months afterwards curate and lecturer of Leyton in the same county. He was never instituted or inducted to the living of Leyton; but in 1674 he was licensed by the Bishop of London to preach and expound the word of God, and to perform the office of priest and curate while it was vacant: unBorn in Houndsditch, London, John Strype was the son of John Strype (or van Stryp), a member of a Huguenot family whom, in order to escape religious persecution within Brabant, had settled in East London. Strype was educated at St Paul's School, and on July 5th, 1662, he entered Jesus College, Cambridge. In 1665 at Catharine Hall he received his B.A. and in 1669 his M.A. On July 14th of the latter year he became perpetual curate of Theydon Bois, and a few months afterwards curate and lecturer of Leyton in the same county. He was never instituted or inducted to the living of Leyton; but in 1674 he was licensed by the Bishop of London to preach and expound the word of God, and to perform the office of priest and curate while it was vacant: until his death he received the profits of it. In 1711 he obtained from Archbishop Thomas Tenison the sinecure of West Tarring, Sussex, and he discharged the duties of lecturer at Hackney from 1689 till 1724. At the latter place he spent his last years, dying there at the age of 94. He was buried in the church at Leyton.
Through his friendship with Sir William Hicks, Strype obtained access to the papers of Sir Michael Hicks, secretary to Lord Burghley, from which he made extensive transcripts. He also carried on an extensive correspondence with Archbishop William Wake and Bishops Gilbert Burnet, Francis Atterbury and Nicholson. The materials he obtained were used in his historical and biographical works which relate chiefly to the period of the Protestant Reformation. Most of his original materials have been preserved and are included among the Lansdowne manuscripts in the British Museum. His works are not really original in nature, having mainly been to arrange materials, but as a result they were of considerable value as convenient books of reference.
The most important of Strype's works are,
The Memorials of Thomas Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury, 1694.
Life of the learned Sir Thomas Smith (1698).
Life and Acts of John Aylmer, Lord Bishop of London (1701).
Life of the learned Sir John Cheke, with his Treatise on Superstition (1705).
Annals of the Reformation in England (4 volumes: vol. I 1709-1725; vol. II 1725; vol. III 1728; vol. IV 1731).
Life and Acts of Edmund Grindal, Archbishop of Canterbury (1710).
Life and Acts of Matthew Parker, Archbishop of Canterbury (1711).
Life and Acts of John Whitgift, Archbishop of Canterbury (1718).
An Accurate Edition of Stow's Survey of London (1720).
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