rector of Honiton, Devonshire, and afterwards Richard Trefusis of Trefusis, Cornwall (Collins, Peerage, v. 328–9). To her is attributed ‘The French Historie: that is, a lamentable Discourse of three of the chiefe and most famous bloodie broiles that have happened in France for the Gospelles of Jesus Christ, namelie: 1. The Outrage called the Winning of S. James his Street, 1557; 2. The Constant Martirdome of Annas Burgaeus, one of the K. Councell, 1559; 3. The Bloodie Marriage of Margaret, Sister to Charles the 9, anno 1572. Published by A. D. (Lond. by T. Orwin for T. Man, 1589).’ The volume is dedicated to ‘Pearse Edgcumbe,’ the author's brother, who died in 1628, and the Edgcumbe arms are at the back of the title-page. It is dated from Honiton. The poem is in long alexandrines. Mr. W. Carew Hazlitt doubtfully ascribes to Anne Dowriche ‘A Frencheman's Songe made upon ye death [of] ye French King who was murdered in his owne court by a traiterouse Fryer of St. Jacob's order, 1 Aug. 1589.’ This was licensed to Edward Allde, the publisher, and is not known to be extant.
Hugh Dowriche is the author of ‘Desmophylax, the Iaylors Conversion. Wherein is lively represented the true Image of a Soule rightlye touched and converted by the Spirit of God,’ London (J. Windet), 1596. The dedication to Valentine Knightly, and the address to the reader, are dated from Honiton, Devonshire, where Dowriche was apparently beneficed. He describes himself as a bachelor of divinity. His wife contributes commendatory verses to the volume.
[Corser's Collectanea Anglo-Poetica; Hazlitt's Bibliographical Collections; Boase and Courtney's Bib. Cornub.]
DOWSING, WILLIAM (1596?–1679?), iconoclast, came of a family of respectable yeomen of Suffolk, and was baptised on 2 May 1596. He is supposed to be the son of Woulferyn Dowsing of Laxfield in that county, by his wife Joane daughter and heiress of Symond Cooke of the same place. Besides Laxfield he resided during different periods of his life at Coddenham, Eye, and Stratford St. Mary, Suffolk. In January 1634 the bailiffs of Eye reported to the council that one ‘William Dowsing, gent., an inhabitant,’ refused to take in an apprentice as directed in the book of orders (Cal. State Papers, Dom. 1633–4, p. 424). When the struggle between king and commons began, the family sympathy went clearly with the latter. In 1642 his eldest brother, Simon Dowsing of Laxfield, is mentioned as lending 10l. ‘for the defence of the parliament.’ By an ordinance of 28 Aug. 1643 the parliament had directed the general demolition of altars, the removal of candlesticks, and the defacement of pictures and images (Scobell, Collection of Acts and Ordinances, pt. i. pp. 53–4). The Earl of Manchester, as general of the associated counties of Essex, Suffolk, Norfolk, Lincoln, Huntingdon, Cambridge, and Hertford, selected certain fanatics to carry out the demolition more thoroughly. Of these Dowsing was appointed visitor of the Suffolk churches under a warrant dated 19 Dec. 1643. Dowsing's work in Suffolk extended from 6 Jan. to 1 Oct. 1644, but it was in great part executed in the months of January and February, the performance at times really flagging, despite the novelty and excitement. During this period upwards of a hundred and fifty places were visited in less than fifty days. The greatest apparent vigour was shown in and near Ipswich, where in one day (29 Jan.) no fewer than eleven churches were subjected to mutilation. ‘No regular plan,’ remarks Mr. Evelyn White, ‘appears to have been followed: fancy and convenience seem alone to have led the way, although a centre where the choicest spoil was likely to be found no doubt influenced Dowsing greatly in the principle of selection.’ He kept a ‘Journal’ of the ravages he wrought in each building. One specimen is at ‘ Haverhill, Jan. the 6th, 1643[–4]. We broke down about an hundred superstitious Pictures; and seven Fryars hugging a Nunn; and the Picture of God and Christ; and diverse others very superstitious; and 200 had been broke down before I came. We took away two popish Inscriptions with ora pro nobis; and we beat down a great stoneing Cross on the top of the Church.’ On the same day at Clare, he relates, ‘we broke down 1,000 Pictures superstitious; I broke down 200; 3 of God the Father, and 3 of Christ and the Holy Lamb, and 3 of the Holy Ghost like a Dove with Wings; and the 12 Apostles were carved in Wood, on the top of the Roof, which we gave order to take down; and 20 Cherubims to be taken down; and the Sun and Moon in the East Window, by the King's Arms, to be taken down.’ Francis Jessop of Beccles was one of his chief deputies, whose doings at Lowestoft and Gorleston probably surpass everything of the kind on record. The original manuscript of this ‘Journal’ was sold, together with the library of Samuel Dowsing, the visitor's surviving son, to a London bookseller named Huse in 1704. It cannot now be traced. From a transcript made at the time Robert Loder, the Suffolk printer and antiquary, published
