Christopher Airay was an English preacher and a pioneer in English logic.

Life

Airay was born at Clifton

Clifton, Cumbria

Clifton is a small linear village and civil parish south east of Penrith in Cumbria, England.-History and geography:The civil parish of Clifton has its western boundary defined by the River Lowther, to the north and east lie the civil parishes of Brougham and Great Strickland, to the south is the...

 in Westmoreland

Westmoreland

Westmoreland is a historic county in England. It may also refer to:-Places:Australia*Westmoreland County, New South WalesCanada*Westmorland County, New BrunswickJamaica*Westmoreland, Jamaica, a parishNew Zealand...

 in 1600/01. Anthony Wood

Anthony Wood

Anthony Wood or Anthony à Wood was an English antiquary.-Early life:Anthony Wood was the fourth son of Thomas Wood , BCL of Oxford, where Anthony was born...

 states that he became a student in The Queen's College, Oxford

The Queen's College, Oxford

The Queen's College, founded 1341, is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Queen's is centrally situated on the High Street, and is renowned for its 18th-century architecture...

 and earned a Master of Arts. In 1627 he was elected fellow. About this time he entered into holy orders, according to the statutes of the house, and became a preacher. He was created B.D. in 1642.

Airay was presented to the living of Milford, Hampshire; where he died on St. Luke's Day, 1670, and was buried in the chancel of his church. His epitaph read:

Memoriæ sacrum Christopheri Airay, S. T. Bac. olim Coll. Reg. Oxon. socii et hujus ecclesiæ Vicarii vigilantissimi, viri summæ integritatis, judicii acerrimi et ingenii literarum omnium capacis; qui difficillime seculo inter æstuantes rerum fluctus clavum rectum tenuit. Mortalitatem tandem exuit 18 Oct. annos natus 69.

Works

Whilst still at the university he published anonymously his one known book, viz.: ‘Fascicvlvs Præceptorvm Logicorvm in gratiam juventutis academicæ compositus et nunc primum typis donatus. Oxoniæ excudebat Gvlielmus Tvrner Academiæ Typographus. An. D. 1628. Cum Priuilegio’ (pp. 224). The printer signs the ‘Præfatio.’ The following are the main headings: Lib. 1, De Prædicabilibus; 2. De Anteprædicamentis; 3, De Propositione; 4. De Demonstratione; 5. De Syllogismo Topico; 6. De Syllogismo Sophistico. Logic is mixed with metaphysics. A second edition appeared in 1660.