George Hughes (priest)

George Hughes (1603–1667) was an English Puritan priest and writer.

Born in Southwark, he was sent to Corpus Christi College, Oxford at the beginning of 1619. He was admitted B.A. on 19 February 1623, and proceeded M.A. on 23 June 1625 as a Fellow of Pembroke College. About 1628 he was ordained, and, after serving curacies in and near Oxford, he was chosen in 1631 lecturer at All Hallows, Bread Street, London, where he was popular as a preacher. He commenced B.D. on 10 July 1633.

For his refusal to comply with the rubrics he was suspended by William Laud, and would have emigrated to America had he not been dissuaded by John Dod, on whose recommendation he was appointed chaplain to Robert Greville, 2nd Baron Brooke at Warwick Castle. During his residence there he married a Coventry lady. The mother of John Maynard persuaded Francis Russell, 4th Earl of Bedford to obtain for him the rectory of in Devon, and the earl also made him his chaplain.

The outbreak of the First Civil War obliged Hughes to move to Exeter, where his wife died. Here Prince Rupert and his staff heard him preach. On his deciding to leave the city the prince provided him with safe-conducts, which enabled him to travel in peace to Coventry. On 21 October 1643 the corporation of Plymouth elected him vicar of St. Andrew's Church. He dedicated to the corporation a work;Richard Baxter considered it the best of its kind.

In 1647 he was appointed to preach before the House of Commons, and received a vote of thanks. The following year he subscribed with seventy-two other ministers to the Solemn League and Covenant. In 1654 he was made one of the assistants to the commissioners of Devon.

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