James Ussher

James Ussher was born in Dublin, Ireland, in 1581. He entered Trinity College at age 13 and graduated with a B.A. at age 15. He received his master's at 18 and was appointed proctor of the college. He was ordained a deacon and priest at age 20 in the Anglican church. He became Professor of Divinity at Dublin at age 26. An expert in Semitic languages, he was appointed to King James's Privy Council in Ireland in 1628. He wrote much literature, of which his Annals remains the most famous. When he died in 1656, Oliver Cromwell held a magnificent state funeral for him and had him buried in Westminster Abbey. Cromwell took great pains to make sure the writings and library of Ussher were preserved.