Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Marckant, John
MARCKANT, JOHN (fl. 1562), was one of the contributors to the Sternhold and Hopkins Metrical Psalter of 1562. He was inducted vicar of Clacton-Magna, 31 Aug. 1559, and was vicar of Shopland, Essex, 1563-8 (Newcourt). His contributions to the Psalter were the 118th, 131st, 132nd, and 135th Psalms. These, being at first merely initialed 'M.,' have been conjecturally attributed to John Mardeley [q. v.] (Brydges, Censura Literaria, vol. x.; Holland, Psalmists of Britain, i. 136, &c.), but the name is given in full, 'Marckant,' in 1565, and in later editions, as in that of 1606, is sometimes printed 'Market.' The same remarks apply to 'The Lamentation of a Sinner' ('Oh! God, turn not Thy face away,' afterwards altered by Reginald Heber), and 'The Humble Sute of a Sinner,' both also marked 'M.' in the 1562 Psalter. In St. John's College, Oxford, is a broadside ballad, attributed by Dr. Bliss to Marckant: 'Of Dice, Wyne, and Women,' London (by William Griffith), 1571. Further, three publications, entered in the 'Stationers' Registers,' are there assigned to Marckant, viz. 'The Purgation of the Ryght Honourable Lord Wentworth concerning the Crime layd to his Charge, made the 9 Januarie 1558;' 'A New Yeres Gift, intituled With Spede Retorne to God, and Verses to Diuerse Good Purposes,' licensed to Thomas Purforte 3 Nov. 1580. None of these are now known, although the last is noticed in Herbert's edition of Ames's 'Typ. Antiq.,' 1316.
[Newcourt's Repertorium, ii. 153; Julian's Dictionary of Hymnology, s.v. 'Old Psalters;' Livingstone's Reprint of 1635 Scottish Psalter, Glasgow, 1864, pp. 27, 70; Notes and Queries, 3rd ser. iii. 144; Collier's Stationers' Company Reg. i. 22, 102, ii. 128.]
Dictionary of National Biography, Errata (1904), p.194
N.B.— f.e. stands for from end and l.l. for last line
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| 128 | i | 14 f.e. | Marckant, John: for Purforte read Purfoote |