Ralph Widdrington (died 1688) was Regius Professor of Greek at

Cambridge University The University of Cambridge is a Public university, public collegiate university, collegiate research university in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1209, the University of Cambridge is the List of oldest universities in continuous operation, wo ...

. He was a member of a junior branch of an ancient Northumbrian family and was distantly related to William, Lord Widdrington. He was a younger brother of Sir

Thomas Widdrington Sir Thomas Widdrington Serjeant at law, SL (died 13 May 1664) was an English people, English judge and politician who sat in the House of Commons of England, House of Commons at various times between 1640 and 1664. He was the speaker of the Ho ...

and Henry Widdrington. He was educated at

Christ's College, Cambridge Christ's College is a Colleges of the University of Cambridge, constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England. The college includes the Master, the Fellows of the College, and about 450 undergraduate and 250 graduate students. The c ...

, where he made the acquaintance of

John Milton John Milton (9 December 1608 – 8 November 1674) was an English poet, polemicist, and civil servant. His 1667 epic poem ''Paradise Lost'' was written in blank verse and included 12 books, written in a time of immense religious flux and politic ...

. In 1654, he was appointed Regius Professor of Greek and in 1673,

Lady Margaret's Professor of Divinity The Lady Margaret's Professor of Divinity is the oldest professorship at the University of Cambridge. It was founded initially as a readership in divinity by Lady Margaret Beaufort, mother of King Henry VII, in 1502. Since its re-endowment ...

References

1688 deaths Alumni of Christ's College, Cambridge Scholars of Greek language Year of birth unknown Regius Professors of Greek (Cambridge) Lady Margaret's Professors of Divinity Cambridge University Orators {{England-linguist-stub