James Ussher (or
Usher; 4 January 1581 – 21 March 1656) was the
Irish Archbishop of Armagh and
Primate of All Ireland between 1625 and 1656. He was a prolific scholar and church leader, who today is most famous for his chronology that sought to establish the time and date of the
creation as "the entrance of the night preceding the 23rd day of October... the year before Christ 4004"; that is, around 6 pm on 22 October 4004 according to the
proleptic Julian calendar.