John Marckant

MARCKANT, John. d. Clacton, Essex, ca. 1586. Little is known of Marckant’s life. He was made vicar of Great Clacton in 1559, which suggests that he may have been one of the newly-returned Protestant exiles. He remained at Clacton until his death, also holding the living of Shopland, Essex, between 1563 and 1568. He is believed to be the author of four psalm versions in the Old Version*, The Whole Booke of Psalmes of 1562. These have the initial ‘M’ attached, and in an edition of 1565 the full ‘Marckant’. The psalms were 118, 131, 132 and 135: ‘O praise the Lord, for he is good/ his mercies ne’er decay’ ‘O Lord, I am not proud of heart/ nor cast a fearful eye’ ‘Let David, Lord, a constant...