Farmer, Richard, Dd

Farmer, Richard, D.D.

a learned English divine, was born at Leicester in 1735, and educated at Emmanuel College, Cambridge, of which he became master in 1775.: He subsequently became vice-chancellor and principal librarian of the university, and obtained prebends at Lichfield and Canterbury. He exchanged the latter for a canonry at St. Paul's. Both an English and Irish bishopric were offered him and declined. He died in 1797. In 1766 he issued proposals for publishing a history of the town of Leicester, from the MSS. of Thomas Staveley. He found the work too laborious, and gave his materials to John Nichols, who published it under the title, History and Antiquities of Leicester (1795-1811). See Chalmers, Biog. Dict. s.v.; Alibone, Dict. of Brit. and Amer. Authors, s.v.