William Birchley

Pseudonym used by John Austin
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Austin, John. (Walpole, Norfolk, England, 1613--1669, London). Roman Catholic. He studied at Cambridge University, but withdrew when he became a Catholic. His writings under the pseudonym William Birchley sought to explain the beliefs of Roman Catholicism and to plead for religious freedom for them. He compiled a harmony of the Gospels and, in 1668, a devotional manual containing hymns, some of which he may have written himself. An adaptation of this manual for use in the Church of England was published in 1686.

--Anastasia Van Burkalow, DNAH Archives