George, an English divine of extraordinary parts and learning, was born at Newsham in Yorkshire on the 20th of June 1642. In 1681 he was made king's chaplain, and two years afterwards dean of Worcester. But the death of Charles II. stopped his preferment; for though his church principles were very high, he manifested too much zeal against popery to be a favourite with James II. At the Revolution, he, with many others, was deprived for refusing to take the oaths to King William and Queen Mary; and soon afterwards, Archbishop Sancroft and his colleagues considering how to maintain episcopal succession amongst those who adhered to them, Dr Hickes carried over a list of the deprived clergy to King James, and, with his sanction, a private consecration was performed, at which, it is said, Lord Clarendon was present. On this occasion Dr Hickes was consecrated suffragan Bishop of Thetford, and died on the 15th of December 1715. The principal works of Dr Hickes, who was a man of almost universal learning, are the following, viz.

1. Institutiones Grammaticae Anglo-Saxonicae et Meso-Gothicae; Grammatica Islandica Runolphii Jonae; Catalogus librorum Septentrionalium; accedit Eduardi Bernardi Etymologicum Britannicum, Oxon. 1689, in 4to, inscribed to Archbishop Sancroft: 2. Antique Literature Septentrionalis libri duo; quorum primus G. Hickesii, S.T.P. Linguarum veterum Septentrionalium Thesaurus Grammatico-Criticum et Archæologicum, ejusdem de antique Literature Septentrionalis utilitate dissertatio nem Epistolarium, et Andreae Fountaine equitis aurati Numismata Saxonica et Dano-Saxonica, complectitur; alter continet Humfredi Wanleii librorum veterum Septentrionalium, qui in Anglia bibliothecis extant, catalogum historico-criticum, necnon multiorum veterum codicum Septentrionalium alibi extantium notitiam, cum totius operis sex Indicibus, Oxon. 1705, in three vols. folio: 3. Sermons, 1713, in 8vo: 4. Letter from beyond Seas to the Ministers of the Nonconforming Party, 1674, reprinted in 1684: 5. Ravaillac Redivivus, being a narrative of the trial of James Mitchell, for an attempt on the person of Sharpe, Archbishop of St Andrews: 6. The Spirit of Popery, 1679: 7. Jovian, or an Answer to Julian the Apostate, 1683, in 8vo: 8. Infant Baptism, 1685, in 4to: 9. Speculum beatae Virginis, a discourse of the due praise and honour of the Virgin, 1686: with many other tracts and pieces of a miscellaneous character.