Stukeley, William

Stukeley, William, an English divine and antiquarian, was born at Holbeach, in Lincolnshire, Nov. 7, 1687. He was admitted into Bene't College, Cambridge, Nov. 7, 1703, and took the degree of J.B. in 1709. He first began to practice at Boston, in his native county, but removed to London in 1717, where he was soon after elected F.R.S. The degree of M.D. he took at Cambridge in 1719, and was admitted a fellow of the College of Physicians in the year following. Later his thoughts were turned to the Church, and he was ordained at Croydon, July 20, 1720. In October following he was presented to the living of All-Souls', Stamford. He became chaplain to the duke of Ancaster, and also received from him the living of Somerby, near Grantham, in 1739. In 1741 he preached the 30th of January sermon before the House of Commons, and in that year became one of the founders of the Egyptian Society. In 1747 he vacated his preferments in the country, and received the rectory of St. George's, Queen Square. He died March 3, 1765. In addition to other works on antiquities, he wrote, Paloeographia Sacra, or Discourses on the Monuments of Antiquity that Relate to Sacred History (1736, 4to): — Stonehenge, a Temple Restored to the British Druids (1740, fol.): — Abury, a Temple of the British Druids Described (1743, fol.): — Sermons (1742, 4to; 1750, 4to; 1756, 8vo). See Chalmers, Biog. Dict. s.v.; Allibone, Dict. of Brit. and Amer. Authors, s.v.