Born in Deerhurst, near Tewkesbury, and was baptised on 27 February

1637

20 July, matriculated at Merton College, Oxford

1654

Elected to Fellowship

1658

Greek lecturer at Merton

1662

Dean at Merton

1663, 1664, 1666

Bursar at Merton College

1667

Librarian at Merton College

1667

Chaplain of the Levant company, set off on 21st of September

1670

January, arrived to Aleppo, travelled through Turkish mainland, Rhodes and Cyprus

1671

Based in Aleppo, corresponded with a network of Jesuits in Mardin, Franciscans in Damascus, Capuchins in Rosetta, Maronite monks in the Lebanon, and Coptic monks in Egypt; all assisted him in his quest for manuscripts and knowledge

1671-1681

Travelled to Jerusalem, interacted with Samaritan community in Sichem (Nablus) on the way

1674

Travelled back to England via Italy and France, took up a position at Merton College, Oxford

1681

Appointed provost of Trinity College, Dublin, sworn in 24th of September

1683

Alongside Narcissus Marsh and the mathematician and astronomer William Molyneux founded  the Dublin Philosophical Society; engaged in a translation of the Old Testament into Irish; presented the Trinity library with 13 manuscripts from his collection

1683

Returned to England

1688

Returned to Ireland

1690

Refused the bishopric of Kilmore, offered and accepted the living of Great Hallingbury in Essex

1692

Sold the majority of his manuscripts to the University of Oxford for 1100 GBP

1692

Appointed bishop of Raphoe, returned to Ireland

1701

2nd of September, died in Dublin, buried in Trinity College Chapel

1701

Over 1700 books were sold at auction on 27 January 1702

1702