John Hooker (English constitutionalist)

John Hooker (or "Hoker") alias John Vowell (c. 1527–1601) of Exeter in Devon, was an English historian, writer, solicitor, antiquary, and civic administrator. From 1555 to his death he was Chamberlain of Exeter. He was twice MP for Exeter in 1570/1 and 1586, and for Athenry in Ireland in 1569 and wrote an influential treatise on parliamentary procedure. He wrote an eye-witness account of the siege of Exeter during the Prayer Book Rebellion in 1549. He spent several years in Ireland as legal adviser to Sir Peter Carew, and following Carew's death in 1575 wrote his biography. He was one of the editors of the second edition of Raphael Holinshed's Chronicles, published in 1587. His last, unpublished and probably uncompleted work was the first topographical description of the county of Devon. He founded a guild of Merchant Adventurers under a charter from Queen Mary. He was the uncle of Richard Hooker, the influential Anglican theologian.

Hooker was born at Bourbridge Hall in Exeter, Devon, England. He was the second son and eventual heir of Robert Vowell (d.1538) of Exeteralias Hooker by his third wife Agnes Dobell (or Doble), daughter of John Dobell of Woodbridge in Suffolk. His grandfather was John Vowell alias Hooker (d.1493), MP for Exeter.

The earliest recorded member of the Vowell family was Jenaph (or Seraph) Vowell of Pembroke in Wales, from whom John Hooker (d.1601) was 6th in descent. The original Welsh name was possibly ap-Howell . Jenaph's son Jago Vowell married Alice Hooker, daughter and heiress of Richard Hooker of Hurst Castle, Southampton. Thus, as was commonly required in former times on receipt of an inheritance, the Vowell family assumed the name Hooker in the 15th century, but frequently retained the earlier name; in fact John Hooker was known as John Vowell for much of his life. By the time he was born the family had been prominent in Exeter for several generations.

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