CHAPTER I
Dr.Humphrey
Prideaux was born on 3rd May in the year of our Lord 1648 being the third son
of Edmund Prideaux of Padstow in the County of Cornwall by his wife Bridgett the
daughter of John Moyle of Bake in the said County: by both parents he was
descended from two ancient and honourable families in that County. That of his
father the name being French shows it to have been of Norman origin, and the
Heralds Books tells us that the first ancestor of this Family in England was
Lord of Prideaux in Cornwall in the Conquest time which continued in his
descendants of the same name until the time of Richard II when it passed with
an heiress to Phillip Arvas her husband, whose daughter and heir married Herle,
it passed with her into that family, who have held it ever since and made it
their seat of residence, till of late they have removed to Landew, near
Lanceston where they now flourish in honourable esteem.
But
notwithstanding the first family of that name was thus extinct, they flourished
in many other collaterall branches, in wealth and Honour, both in Cornwall and
Devonshire as at Orcharton, at Addeston, at Thuborough, at Solden, at Netherton
at Nutwell, at Ford Abbey in Devon, and at Padstow and Gurlans in Cornwall.
Padstow and Netherton are only now remaining of which Padstow is their head
family of that name of which the said Humphry was a younger brother.
His
father was a gentleman of great worth, for he was a sober grave and discreet
son and well learned in most parts of literature and became a gentleman to
know. He had studied in both universities first at Sidney College in Cambridge,
where he was under the care of Dr. Paul Michaelthwayt, afterwards Master of the
Temple and after he removed to Exeter College in Oxford by the invitation of
Dr. John Prideaux, then Rector of that College, from thence he removed to the
Inns of Court to acquaint himself with the Laws of this realm, and after this
he spent some time in travelling through foreign countries, by all which means
he acquired those accomplishments which rendered him honourable beyond most
others of his time, in the County where he lived, to which he was very useful
both as a Justice of the Peace and Deputy Lieutenant. For in these two offices
from the restoration of King Charles II to the time of his death which happened
in the year 1683, he had the chief management of the affairs of the County,
they being for his known wisdom and integrity mostly referred to him. Seven of
the ten children he had survived him, that is three sons and four daughters, to
whom he left plentiful fortunes for Humphry, the youngest of his sons had from
him an estate of near 200£ per annum which helped him in the service of the
Church, without which he could not have been well supported in a manner
suitable to the dignity of that station he was afterwards called to.
His
mother was a gentlewoman of great parts which she improved in several branches
of learning as far as English books could carry one of her sex, especially in
Divinity, History and Astronomy. She survived her husband 7 years and died of
an apoplexy in the 71st year of her age AD 1690.
He being designed by his parents for the Church as soon as
he was of fitt age, he was sent abroad to School, first to Liskard, next to
Bodmyn, and from there to Westminster under the famous Dr. Busby, where he was
chosen Kings Scholar, and after having been in that College for 3 years he was
from thence elected to Christs Church in Oxford and was admitted into a
students place in that College in the year 1668 by Dr. Fell the then worthy
Dean thereof in Trinity terme Anno 1672, he commenced Bachelor of Arts.
As
soon as he had completed that Degree the public printing press being then under
the management of the said Dean he was imployed by him in an Edition of Lucius
Horus, the notes he was directed to add thereto contain only references showing
where else may be found more at large in other ancient historians what is only
in Epitome related in this author.
After
this was put into his hands out of the Bodlyam Library a manuscript copy of
Johannes Antiockenus Malela a Greek Historian in order to have it fitted for
the press by his care, but on his printing of it, finding him to be a very
trifling and fabulous writer, he thought the book not worth the printing, and
on his giving this judgement of it, the design was then laid aside. But some
years after the book was published by Dr. Hoddy, the learned Greek professor of
that University.
About
this time he had the misfortune to lose his brother Nicholas who for his
pregnant parts, and the great progress he had made in literature was much
esteemed by him, he died in corpus Christs College in Oxford where he had been
a scholar 3 years in the 18 year of his age, and was buried in the Cloysters
there, near the Chapple over whom was erected a decent mural monument, now
remaining there.
About
this time Lord Henry Howard then Earl of Norwich afterward Duke of Norfolk,
having given to the University of Oxford the Arundell Marbles, being the
collection of his grandfather, Thomas, Earl of Arundell and they being set up
in the Theatre Yard, and having upon them several inscriptions of great value,
it was thought proper to have them published with a comment to explain them and
Mr. Humphry Prideaux though at that time only a Bachelor of Arts, was appointed
to the work, which he published in Folio under the title of Marmora Oxoniensia
two years after, that is in May AD 1676, being then of just one years standing
Master of Arts, for he took that Degree in Easter AD 1675, this book was
greedily bought up by foreigners, and gained the author a great deal of
reputation amongst them especially in Italy and Germany, so that after a few
years scarce one of them was to be had except at an excessive price. This book
has suffered much by the press by reason of many Typographicall faults that
have escaped it, this was occasioned by the neglect of Mr. Bennett the then
Publick Corrector of the Oxford press, he then being then engaged in the
courtship of a gentlewoman whom he afterwards married, he toolittle minded his
other business, while he pursued that amour, but did everything else in a
huddle while that lasted, totally neglected the correcting the press, so yet
the book came out with all the faults, as it - for these and other reasons (
particularly the author being called upon for a sheet every week whither he was
ready or no ) the author never had any opinion, or esteem for the book.
Mr.
Prideaux having been ordered at the first publication of this book, to present
one of them to the Lord Chancellor Finch, this introduced him into his
Lordship's Patronage and a little after he sent to him at Christ Church Mr.
Charles Finch, one of his sons, to be his pupil, who was afterwards elected Fellow
of Allsouls, and there he commenced Dr. of Laws, but died soon thereafter,
before he could make any appearance in the world.
In
the beginning of the year 1679 the Rectory of St. Clements which is in the gift
of the Seals falling void he was by the grant of the Lord Chancellor presented
to it and was accordingly instituted and inducted thereto, where he constantly
preached several years.
In
the same year, he published two tracts out of Maimomdes in Hebrew, with a latin
version and annotations, which book bears the title "De Jure pauper is
& perigrini apud Judeos", he having been appointed Dr. Busby's Hebrew
lecturer in the College he was of.
He published this book for the service of that lecture,
thereby to introduce the young students in the Hebrew language, into the
knowledge of the Rabbinicall Dialect and to read it without points.
In
the latter end of the year 1680 The Parliament meeting at Oxford Mr. Prideaux
there attended upon the Lord Chancellor as his Chaplain but this lasted not
long, that Parliament being dissolved within ten days after its first meeting
on the 12 May following his Patron the Lord Finch was created Earl of
Nottingham on the decease of Howard the last Earl of Nottingham of that family,
the title being then extinct in his death.
About
the mid summer after Dr. Herbert Ashley Dean of Norwich dying, Dr. John Sharpe,
formerly chaplain to the said Lord Chancellor and then Rector of St. Giles in
the Fields was promoted to that Deanry, whereby his prebend in that Church
falling void, and in the gift of the Seals, his Lordship wrote a very kind
letter to Mr. Prideaux at Oxford to let him know that he gave it him and
accordingly on the 19th August after, he was installed into it. And in the
month of December and January following, he kept his first residence at that
Church. The other prebendarys of the said Church at Mr. Prideaux's first
admission into it were Mr. Joseph Loveland, Dr. Ezekias Burton, Dr. William
Hawkings, Dr. William Smythe and Mr. Nathaniel Hodges. But Dr. Burton soon
after dying, Mr. Richard Kidder who was afterward Dean of Peterborough and
Bishop of Bath and Wells was admitted into it, with whom Mr. Prideaux had ever
after great friendship to the time of his death which was caused very unfortunately
by the fall of the roof of his bed chamber upon him while in bed in the great
storm which happened in the year 1703.
In
the year 1682 November 15th, he was admitted to the Degree of Bachelor in
Divinity and a little after he lost his patron, the Lord Chancellor of
Nottingham, who dying on the 18th December following, was succeeded in his
office by Sir Francis North, then Lord Chief Justice of the Common Pleas
afterwards created Baron Guilford, and in his honours and estate by Daniel Lord
Finch his eldest son, who hath justly the character of a Lord of the greatest
honour sobriety and integrity of any of his time.
On the 17th February 1683 he was instituted to the Rectory
of Bladen cum Capella de Woodstock in the County of Oxford. Dr. Thomas Marshall
then Dean of Gloucester and Rector of Lincoln College in Oxford was his
predecessor in this living who having resigned it, Mr. Prideaux was presented
thereto by the Lord Keeper North it being in the Gift of the Seals and he held
it with his students place at Christchurch by virtue of his being Library
Keeper of the College, for there being no salary belonging to this office save
only 40s per annum to a deputy, it is endewed with a privilege of holding one
living with the said students place without making it void by his institution
thereto.
On the 19th October 1683 he lost his father who then died
in the 78th year of his age, his character hath been already mentioned. As to
his lineage he was the 3rd son of Humphrey Prideaux of Soldon in the County of
Devon Esq. who was a gentleman of very extraordinary wisdome and worth but
dying young of the Small Pox and his widdow (who was the daughter of John
Fortescue of Fallowpit in Devon Esq.) marrying again to Sir Shilston Calmady of
Lewood in Devon, knight. His children fell under the care of Sir Nicholas
Prideaux, knight, their grandfather, elder brother to Sir Edmund Prideaux of
Netherton Bartt, the said Sir Nicholas Prideaux having large possessions in
Devon and Cornwall to the value of near £4,000 per annum and intending
therewith to set up two families, made an equal partition of the whole between
his two sons Humphrey whome he had by his first wife , one of the daughters and
coheirs of Hensctott, and John whome he had by his second wife, one of the daughters
and coheirs of Viol of Trewerder in Cornwall, settling on his former all his
lands in Devon and on the other all his lands in Cornwall in Reversion after
his death. On the marrying of his son Humphrey having settled him at Soldon, he
built for his own residence Prideaux Place at this time commonly called Place,
situated at the upper end of the town of Padstow in Cornwall, which home was
finished in the year 1597 and was then reckoned the best seat both for the
house and situation in all that Country none but Mt. Edgecome near Plymouth
pretending to contend with it in either respect. It must be confessed that as
to the situation Mt. Edgecombe hath the preference but Padstow House is still
the better of the two. This house was by the said Sir Nicholas with all his
Cornish estate entailed on his second son, John, and on failure of issue male
on John Prideaux his grandson the second son of Humphrey Prideaux, and after
him in case of like failure on Edmund Prideaux the third son of Humphrey, by
virtue of which entail on the death of John Prideaux the uncle which happened
in the year 1649 the said House and Cornish estate came into the possession of
the said Edmond Prideaux, his brother John having died a Bachelor some years
before in the wars of Holland. It hath been already said that he had three sons
and four daughters that survived him, the eldest of his sons, John Prideaux
inherited the bulk of his estate and his eldest son, Edmond now lives upon it,
a gentleman of great reputation and interest in his country. His second son,
Edmond was a Turkey merchant [ merchant of oriental goods ] and his
third son was Humphrey of whose life this account is written. The eldest of his
daughters, Admonition, was married first to William Pendarves in the County of
Cornwall Esq. and after his decease to Edmond Pollexfen of Plymouth Esq. a
wealthy and emminent lawyer of that place. His second daughter, Anne, was the
wife of Richard Coffin of Portledge in the Parish of Allington in Devon Esq.
who was a gentleman of emminent learning and worth as well as of a very ancient
family, for it appears by undoubted records that his ancestors have lived in
the same Parish of Allington for above 600 years past. His third daughter,
Bridgett was the wife of Arscot Bickford of Dunsland in the County of Devon
Esq. His fourth daughter Honour remained unmarried till the 50th year of her
age and then bestowed herself and a fortune of £3,000 on an inconsiderable
tradesman in London, but did not long survive this folly, for about a year
after she died of the Small Pox.
Mr.[H.]
Prideaux had now for some time, left off taking any more pupils, but only
attended his studies and his Cure at Bladen and Woodstock at both which he
continually preached at one in the forenoon and the other in the afternoon, riding
out in the morning and returning at night, for he still continued resident in
the College but that there might be no want of the ministerial dutires at any
time in either town he maintained a Curat resident at Woodstock constantly to
attend them, who also preached every Sunday alternatively at both Churches and
in the same manner as the Rector did. That is on the part of the day when the
Rector preached at Bladen, so that both Churches were fully served with prayer
and sermon forenoon and afternoon every Sunday as long as Mr. Prideaux
continued Rector of that said parish.
And
so that it might constantly be so served for the future, Dr. Fell, who was then
Lord Bishop of the Diocese of Oxford as well as Dean of Christchurch projected
the building of a house for the Minister of Woodstock and having accordingly
purchased a piece of ground lying on the left hand of the gate entering into
the Parish from the town and formed the model, he committed it to the care of
Mr. Prideaux to see the house built, which was accordingly finished in the year
1685 and afterwards settled for the use of the minister forever in case he
shall reside upon, otherwise for the use of the poor of the said town of
Woodstock. This house was built in the forme of a crosse upon the park wall
with a little to the left hand of the gate, leading into the said park from the
town of Woodstock. The purchase of the ground, and the building of the new
house thereon was wholly at the expense of the Pious and Learned Bishop which
cost him in all above £600 but the converting of the old house formerly built
on the said piece of ground into a stable wash house and other out houses, to
go with the said new built house and the repairing of the same was at the
charge of Mr. Prideaux which cost him near £200, the said outhouses ly next the
said park gate over against Chaucers House, that lying on the right hand side
and the other on the left hand of the said gate into the park.
From the time that he grew up to be Master of Arts and a
tutor in the college he always expressed a great zeal for the reforming of such
disorders and corruption as from time to time crept into that Society and
frequently made use of such opportunities for the suppressing of them, as he
had in his power which drew on him the ill will of many of his fellow
collegians. But he had still while he lived in the university the respects and
friendship of the best men in it, as especially of Bishop Fell the excellent
Governor of his College, Dr. Pocock the most learned Professor of Hebrew and
Arabic in the university, Dr. Marshall Dean of Gloucester and Rector of Lincoln
college, Dr. Bernard Savilian professor of astronomy, Dr. Mills famous editor
of the Oxford Greek Testament with various lections, Dr. Henry Godolphin, since
Dean of Pauls, Mr. William Grise of All souls, and several others whose esteem
and affection he always had.
On
the 6th February AD 1685 died King Charles 2nd and on the same day was
proclaimed King James 2nd and in the summer following were the invasions of the
Duke of Argile in Scotland and of the Duke of Monmouth in England, which having
both miscarried and both the conductors of them been cut off, King James
looking on himself as thoroughly settled hereby on the throne, took open
measures for the subjecting of these Realms to the Rommish Superstition and at
the time same time Bishop Fell declining very fast in his health Mr. Prideaux
foresaw the confusions which afterwards followed in the College on his decease
by the imposing on it a Parish Dean to succeed him and the fore resolved to
retire from it and settle on his cure, in which state of life judging a wife to
be very convenient for him both for the management of his domestic affairs as
well as for the comfort of her conversation, he cast his affections on Miss
Bridget Bokenham, the daughter of Mr. Anthony Bokenham, Rector of Helmingham in
the County of Suffolk, and on the 16th February in the year 1686 married her in
Helmingham Church and was very happy in his choice. She being of great
discretion, virtue and piety and very well descended by both parents. For her
mother was the daughter of Thomas Townshend of Horstead in the County of
Norfolk Esg. who was younger branch of the family of the Lord Townshend of
Rainham in the said County of Norfolk and her father was the son of a younger
brother of Sir Henry Bokenham of Thornham in the County of Suffolk. The whole
family was of great antiquity in these parts, for they were Lords of manors and
Patrons of the Church of Snitterton in Norfolk from the time of King H. the 3. to
the year 1555, when Dorothy, daughter and heiress of Sir Thomas Bokenham of
Snitterton Esq. married Thomas Caryll, the son of Sir Thomas Carell of the
County of Kent, Knight, carried the estate with her into the family. But a
younger branch of the Bokenhams still flourished first at Levermere and
afterwards at Thornham in Suffolk from which family the said Antony was
descended. He being designed for a Church was admitted into the University of
Cambridge and there became Fellow of Pembroke Hall whence he removed to the
Rectory of Thelnetham in Suffolk to which he was instituted a little before the
Great Rebellion broke out against King Charles I. Through all which having
zealously adhered to the Royal Cause on the prevailing of the Parliament he had
his living and his Estate sequestered and was forced himself to flee beyond sea
for his safety where he became secretary to Sir Thomas Bendish the English
Ambassador at Constantinople from whence he was sent to Smyrna to be Consul to
the English factory of Merchants at that place in which office he continued
till the restoration of King Charles II; when returning into England he married
the gentlewoman above mentioned, settled on the said Rectory of Helmngham till
the year 1689 when not being able to conform to the taking of oaths to King
William and Queen Mary he resigned the said Rectory to avoid having them
imposed upon him and aftrwards died at Ipswich on the June 1704 being then near
90 years old. He was a person of great probity and discretion had much of the gentleman,
and well understood the world and was not a stranger to the politer parts of
learning.
Mr. Prideaux after having married his daughter (who was his
only child) proceeded Dr. of Divinity at Oxford the next act following An 1686
and having exchanged his living at Bladon for the Rectory of Saham Toney in
Norfolk as soon as that act was over he left Oxford and settled upon his
Prebend at Norwich placing for some time a Curate at Saham.