About 1715, perhaps in conjunction with Sir Thomas Burnet (1694-1753) [q. v.], he published ‘Homerides, or a Letter to Mr. Pope, occasioned by his intended translation of Homer; by Sir Iliad Doggerel,’ and in 1716 the same authors produced ‘Homerides, or Homer's First Book modernised’ (1716). In 1715 also Curll published ‘An Epilogue to a Puppet Show at Bath concerning the same Iliad,’ by Duckett alone. According to Curll, several things published under Burnet's name were in reality by Duckett (Key to the Dunciad, p. 17). In 1717 appeared anonymously ‘A Summary of all the Religious Houses in England and Wales’ (pp. xxiv, 100), which contained titles and valuations at the time of their dissolution, and an approximate estimate of their value, if existing, in 1717. James West, in a letter dated 18 Jan. 1730, says: ‘George Duckett, the author of the “Summary Account of the Religious Houses,” is now a commissioner of excise’ (Rawl. MSS. R.L. ii. 168, and Hearne, MS. Diary, vol. cxxvii. f. 163, quoted in ‘Duchetiana,’ p. 245). Burnet was at the time considered part author of this interesting tract. Burnet and Duckett promoted two weekly papers, the ‘Grumbler’ and ‘Pasquin’ respectively. The first number of the former was dated 14 Feb. 1714–15 (Nichols, Lit. Anecd. iv. 88, viii. 494). Nichols and Drake, through a careless reading of the notes to the ‘Dunciad,’ ascribe the ‘Grumbler’ to Duckett alone. Burnet is bracketed with him in the ‘Dunciad’ (iii. ll. 173–80). ‘Pope Alexander's Supremacy and Infallibility examined,’ in which Duckett co-operated with John Dennis, appeared in 1729. About twenty years after the death of Edmund Smith, Duckett informed Oldmixon that Clarendon's ‘History’ was before publication corrupted by Aldrich, Smalridge, and Atterbury, and that Smith before he died confessed to having helped them, and pointed out some spurious passages. A bitter controversy resulted; Duckett's charge entirely broke down, and it is now unknown who was primarily responsible. Duckett, who was one of the commissioners of excise from 1722–3 to 1732, and who is sometimes alluded to as Colonel (the title of his brother William), died 6 Oct. 1732 (Gent. Mag. ii. 1030), his wife surviving until 1755.
[Sir George F. Duckett's Duchetiana, pp. 46, 48, 55, 57, 59–62, 65, 66, 81, 106, 219, 245; Notes to Dunciad, bk. iii. ll. 173–80; Johnson's Lives of the Poets, ‘Edmund Smith’ and ‘Pope;’ The Curliad, p. 37; Remarks upon the Hist. of the Royal House of Stuart (1731), pp. 6, 7; Malone's Prose Works of Dryden, i. pt. i. p. 347. Some very interesting extracts from Duckett's note-books appear in Duchetiana, pp. 60–3.]
DUCKETT, JAMES (d. 1601), bookseller, was a younger son of Duckett of Gilthwaiterigg, in the parish of Skelsmergh in Westmoreland, and was brought up as a protestant. He had, however, for godfather James Leybourne of Skelsmergh, who was executed at Lancaster, 22 March 1583, for denial of the queen's supremacy. Duckett was apprenticed to a bookseller in London, became converted, and was imprisoned for not attending church. He bought out the remainder of his time, set up as a bookseller, was received into the Roman catholic church, and about 1589 married a widow. Nine out of the next twelve years of his life were passed in prison. His last apprehension was caused by Peter Bullock, a bookbinder, who gave information that Duckett had in stock a number of copies of Southwell's ‘Supplication to Queen Elizabeth.’ These were not found, but a quantity of other Roman catholic books were seized on the premises. Duckett was imprisoned in Newgate 4 March 1601, and brought to trial during the following sessions. Sentence of death was then pronounced against him and three priests, and he was hanged at Tyburn with Peter Bullock (the witness against him) 19 April 1601. Duckett's son was prior of the English Carthusians at Nieuport in Flanders.
[Challoner's Memoirs of Missionary Priests, 1741, i. 401–5; Gillow's Bibl. Dict. ii. 133–5.]
DUCKETT, JOHN (1613–1644), catholic priest, descended from an ancient family settled at Skelsmergh, Westmoreland, was born at Underwinder, in the parish of Sedbergh, Yorkshire, in 1613, being the third son of James Duckett, by his wife Frances (Girlington). He received his education in the English College, Douay, and was ordained priest in September 1639. Afterwards he resided for three years in the college of Arras at Paris, and was then sent to serve on the mission in the county of Durham. After labouring there for about a year he was captured by some soldiers of the parliamentary army on 2 July 1644, and sent to London in company with Father Ralph Corbie [q. v.], a jesuit, who was taken in his vestments as he was going to the altar to celebrate mass. They were examined by a committee of parliament, and confessed themselves to be priests. Being committed to Newgate, they were condemned to death on account of their sacerdotal character, and suffered at Tyburn on 7 Sept. 1644. It is a remarkable circumstance that they appeared in ecclesiastical attire on being brought out of prison, to be drawn on a hurdle to the place of execution.
