Dictionary of National Biography, 1901 supplement/Dimock, James Francis
DIMOCK, JAMES FRANCIS (1810–1876), divine and historical scholar, son of John Giles Dimock, rector of Uppingham, Rutlandshire, was born at Stonhouse, Gloucestershire, on 22 Nov. 1810. He was educated at Uppingham School under Dr. Buckland, was admitted pensioner of St. John's College, Cambridge, on 21 Feb. 1829, and was elected Bell's scholar in 1830. He graduated B.A. as twenty-ninth wrangler in 1833, and M.A. in 1837. Having been ordained deacon and priest by the bishop of Lincoln, he was in 1846 appointed minor canon of Southwell; he gave up the canonry on his appointment as rector of Barnborough, near Doncaster, in 1863. In 1869 he was made prebendary of Lincoln, and he held the prebend with his rectory until his death at Barnborough on 21 April 1876 (Guardian, 26 April 1876, p. 544).
Dimock was deeply interested in ecclesiastical and mediaeval history; his earliest work was 'Illustrations of the Collegiate Church of Southwell,' London, 1854, 8vo. In 1860 he published at Lincoln an edition of the 'Metrical Life of St. Hugh,' and in 1864 he edited for the Rolls Series the. 'Magna Vita S. Hugonis, Episcopi Lincolniensis,' 1864. He also published 'The Thirty-nine Articles … explained, proved, and compared with her other authorized formularies,' London, 1843, 1845, 2 vols. 8vo; but his most important work was his edition of part of the works of Giraldus Cambrensis for the Rolls Series; the first four volumes were edited by J. S. Brewer, and vols. v-vii., which appeared between 1867 and 1877, by Dimock; the edition was completed with an eighth volume by Mr. G. F. Warner.
[Graduati Cantabr. 1800-84; Crockford's Clerical Directory, 1876; Boase's Mod. Engl. Brit. Biogr.; Freeman's William Eufus, ii. 585; Stubbs's Lectures on Mediaeval Hist., ed. 1887, p. 431; Dimock's works in Brit. Mus. Libr.; information from R. F. Scott, esq., of St. John's College, Cambridge.]