Barnabas Gooch

Who is Barnabas Gooch?

Barnabas Gooch or Goche or Gough was an English lawyer and academic who was Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge from 1611 to 1612. He was also a politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1621 to 1624.

Gooch was born at Alvingham, Lincolnshire, the son of Barnaby Gooch who was a poet and scholar. He matriculated from Magdalene College, Cambridge in Autumn 1582 and was awarded BA in 1587, MA in 1590 and LLD in 1604. He became Master of Magdalene in 1604 and held the post until his death in 1626. In 1605 he was incorporated at Oxford University. He was Vice-Chancellor of Cambridge University from 1611 to 1612 He was admitted as an advocate on 4 February 1613. From 1615 to 1625 he was Commissary of the University.

In 1621, Gooch was elected Member of Parliament for Cambridge University and for Truro and chose to sit for the university. He was re-elected MP for Cambridge University in 1624. He was Chancellor of Worcester and Exeter. He was a benefactor to Magdalene College.

Gooch died at Exeter in about 1626.