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Tho' cautious and prudent, he was free and communicative. Above all, he lived a life of devotedness to God, with whom he had closely walked many years. He feared nothing so much as sinning against his maker, whose interests were always dear to him. His preaching was clear and methodical; adapted to convince the judgment as well as to move the passions. He absolutely refused the Engagement, and was desirous of K. Charles's Restoration. After the defeat of Sir George Booth, the sequestrators seized all his effects that they could meet with, which he had certainly lost, for his love to the king, if the speedy turn of affairs had not prevented. He rejoiced however at the Revolution in 1688, and entirely fell in with it; but had a great tenderness for those who refused the oaths and lost their places for conscience-sake, to some of whom he was a charitable contributor as long as he lived.

- Mr. ROBERT EATON. Of Camb. University. He was born in Cheshire, and settled first in Essex; from whence he removed to this place, where he was ejected in 1660. After some time, he was chaplain to the Lord Delamere. When the liberty of the Dissenters was established by law, he preached to a congregation in the parish of Prestwich, where they built him a handsome chapel. He was a solid divine, a good scholar, and a judicious christian; of great moderation, and exemplary in his behaviour. He died at Manchester, in August 1701; and his funeral sermon was preached by Mr. Finch.

WALMESLY Chapel. M. MICHAEL BRISCOE. Of Trin. Col. Dublin. He was pastor of a congregational church in this chapel. He afterwards removed thence to Toxtoth-Park, where he preached in the chapel jointly with Mr. Thomas Crompton, and continued there till he died, which was in Sept. 1685, aged 96. He was a good scholar, and a fine orator. His sermors were judicious, but his voice was low, which was more than compensated by his pleasing delivery.

WARRINGTON [R.] Mr. ROBERT YATES. An able orthodox divine. A very useful laborious minister in that populous parish. In the time of the Commonwealth, he was tried for his life at Lancaster, for speaking against the Engagement, and matters were carried so far against him, that he had prepared his last speech; being fully resolved not to retract what he had preached. But by the unexpected clemency

clemency of the judge (supposed to be Twisden) he was pardoned. When he was afterwards ejected for his Nonconformity, he had several potent enemies, who brought him into some trouble by the Five-mile-act. In 1672, he took the opportunity of preaching in a public meeting house, but was violently disturbed. He was not long after seized by a palsy, which affected his intellects, aud rendered him incapable of his work a year before he died; which was in Novem ber 1678, aged 66. He was succeeded by his son Mr. Samuel Yates.

§ WHALLEY [V.] Mr. WILLIAM MOORE. Another ejected minister who should undoubtedly be added to our list, as appears from the following note in Whitaker's History of Whalley." 1656. William Moore. From the parish ac"counts it appears that he resigned his vicarage, and went "out upon the Bartholomew-act, tho' he is not mentioned by Calamy."

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WIGAN [R.] Mr. CHARLES HOTHAM. Some time Fellow of Peter-house in Cambridge, and Proctor of the university. He was son to Sir John Hotham. After his ejectment he went to the West-Indies, but returned to England. He was an excellent scholar, both in divine and human literature. A great philosopher who loved to search into the secrets of nature, and was very fond of chymistry. In his younger years he had studied judicial astrology, but gave express orders in his will that all his papers and books relating to that art should be burnt.

THERE were several candidates for the ministry in this county, not fixed any where when the Act of uniformity took Place, who continued Nonconformists, and therefore should be mentioned here; v.g. Mr. THOMAS WADDINGTON. Mr. JAMES HADDOCK.-Mr. CUTHBERT HALSALL.Mr. JOHN EDDLESTONE-Mr. THOMAS KAY, afterwards at Houghton-Tower.

Mr. JOHN CROMPTON. He died, in August 1703, minister of Cockey chapel. [Mr. Mat. Henry, speaks of him thus: " He was a man of great worth and great humility. Indeed it were easy to enlarge upon the characters of Mr. T. Jollie and Mr. Crompton: men of the first rank both for ministerial gifts and graces: steadfast to their principles in trying times, and ornaments to their holy profession. But I

4

forbear;

forbear; their praise is in all the churches of that country."] Mr. Henry's Life, p. 279.

Mr. JOHN PARR. He preached sometimes at Preston, and sometimes at Walton, about a mile off. His conversation was strictly pious and regular; his temper meek and peaceable; and his preaching affectionate, searching, and useful. He met with many sufferings and hardships. Preaching once at a chapel not far from Preston, before he had concluded, there came two neighbouring justices, who took his name, and the names of several hearers. Some of them made friends and got off; but he and four more were bound over to the quarter sessions, and proceeded against as rioters. The jury for some time refused to find the bill; but being threatened by the justices, it was at last found. The others submitted, and were fined; two of them in 10l, and two in 5l. each. When he was cailed, and refused to submit, the justices roared upon him like lions, threatening that it should cost him 200l. He attended the next sessions, and took a lawyer with him, who with much difficulty obtained a writ to remove his farther trial before a judge of assize. He did not attend the next assizes, being informed that the writ was then only to be filed; but his neighbour and prosecutor was there, tho' very lame and gouty. The following assizes he attended, and when called, after waiting three or four days, there was not a man that opened his mouth against him, and so he was acquitted. At another time, about the end of Charles II.'s reign he and his wife being invited by a neighbour to come and stay a night at his house, a few friends were got together in expectation of some religious exercise. But before be began, a neighbouring justice, came in and took his name, and the names of all he could find, either in or about the house. They were proceeded against upon the act to suppress conventicles; and soon after, an officer was sent to levy 20l. upon him as the minister, and 47. upon his wife as a hearer. Rather than venture to contest the matter in those discouraging times, he paid two thirds of the fine, and the rest was remitted, by means of a friend. Not long after, upon the landing of the Duke of Monmouth, he was kept prisoner, five or six weeks, without knowing the reason, first at Warrington, and afterwards at Chester; where he and eight other ministers were thrust into the common jail, the lodgings in the Castle being taken up by prisoners out of several counties.

Dr.

Dr. Calamy closes his Account of the ejected ministers in this county, with answering the Remarks made upon it by the compilers of the large work, entitled, Magna Britannia & Hibernia, & Antiqua Nova. The greater part of what the Dr. has advanced, is applicable to the ejected ministers in general, and is therefore here omitted. The following, which is the concluding passage, may properly be retained.

"As for the ejecting and silencing so many useful Protestant preachers in this county, where, as these gentlemen observe, Papists abound more than in any other part of England, this was most certainly a very impolitic step, in any who had the Protestant interest at heart. And after this, to complain, that the Protestants did not get ground in this county so fast as might be wished, is just as if, upon a country's being invaded by an enemy, a considerable number of the able inhabitants should be disarmed, and they that did it should afterwards find fault that the enemy should take adadvantages of it."

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The following afterwards conformed.

Mr. BRADLEY HAYHURST, of Leith.-Mr. ASPINWELL, of Heaton. Mr. JOSHUA AMBROSE, of Derby.-Mr. WILLIAM COLE, of Preston.-Mr. WILLIAM COLEBURN, of Ellinburgh.-Mr. LOBEN, of Oldham.-Mr. JAMES BOCKER, of Blakely.-Mr. WILLIAM ASPINWELL, of Formeby.-Mr. BRIARS, of Heapy.-Mr. FISHER, of Kirkham.Mr. JAKEYS, of Bolton. Mr. JESSOP, of Winwick; who died at Coggeshal in Essex.-Mr. ROBERT DEWHURST, of Whitmouth chapel.. One of this name (probably the same person) is mentioned by Whitaker as being at Newchurch, Rossendale, 1650: "An able divine, who received no allowance but what the inhabitants gave. He seems to have gone out upon the Bartholomew-act."

The account of Mr. JOLLIE of Attercliffe, was received too late to be inserted in its proper place. It will be given, with the Addenda, at the end of the volume.

MINISTERS

MINISTERS EJECTED OR SILENCED

IN

LEICESTERSHIRE. *

LABEY [R.] Mr. THOMAS BOSSE. He and Mr. Swayne,

and

dispute about Infant-baptism, against Mr. Robert Everard and other Baptists, in 1650; as appears from Mr. Swayne's answer to Mr. Everard, at the end of Mr. Stephens's Precept for Infant-baptism, p. 64,

BOWDEN Magna. Mr. THOMAS LANGDEN. § Inducted 1656.

Dr.

COLE-ORTON [R.] Mr. SAMUEL OLDERSHAW. Walker says he got this living in 1654. After his ejectment, he lived as chaplain in the family of Spademan, Esq. at Roadnook in Derbyshire. He afterwards commenced physician.

CONGERSTON [C. or D.] Mr. GEORGE WRIGHT. Ą man of great piety, and an awakening and useful preacher. He had an extraordinary gift in prayer, and was favoured with some uncommon answers to his prayers. He had a great felicity in discoursing warmly on spiritual things, by which means God made him instrumental of good to many. After his ejectment he took a farm at King's-Heath, in the parish of King's-Norton, which he managed with great care and labour to maintain his family.

COTSBATCH [R.] Mr. JOSEPH LEE.

*Several additions in this county are communicated by Mr. Isaac James, from NICHOLS'S History of Leicestershire, in which are frequent quotations from the Nonconf. Mem.

DRAYTON

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