Background
Holyoake was probably born in Warwickshire in 1657, the son of Thomas Holyoake and Anne his wife, and the grandson of Francis Holyoake.
Holyoake was probably born in Warwickshire in 1657, the son of Thomas Holyoake and Anne his wife, and the grandson of Francis Holyoake.
On 22 October 1678 he graduated Bachelor of Arts, proceeded Master of Arts
He was elected to a choristership at Magdalen College, Oxford, which he resigned in 1676, having matriculated from that college on 12 March 1674. He became clerk and sub-librarian in 1676, appointments which he held until 1681. on 4 July 1681, and was chaplain of his college from 1681 until 1690. In 1687 he was elected headmaster of Rugby School.
Despite the smallness of his salary and other disadvantages, he raised the school from insignificance, and was the first to engage an assistant master.
He seems, however, to have unfortunately misunderstood the character of one of his best-known pupils, Edward Cave, whom he treated with undeserved severity, and eventually drove from the school. Cave, however, inserted a sympathetic obituary in the Gentleman’s Magazine.
Holyoake was instituted to the rectory of Bourton-upon-Dunsmore on 30 June 1698, to that of Bilton on 31 August 1705, and to that of Harborough Magna, all in Warwickshire, on 9 November 1712. In 1700 he gave £20 for Magdalen College Library.