Francis Hare (bishop)
Encyclopedia
Francis Hare was an English churchman and classical scholar, bishop of St Asaph
from 1727 and bishop of Chichester
from 1731.
, and admitted in 1688 to King's College, Cambridge
. He graduated B.A. in 1692, M.A. in 1696, and D.D. in 1708. At Cambridge he was tutor of Robert Walpole
and the Marquis of Blandford, son of John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough
, who died in his college on 20 February 1703.
In 1704 Hare was appointed chaplain-general to the army in Flanders
. He described the campaign of 1704 in a series of letters to his cousin, George Naylor of Herstmonceux Castle
, and in a journal preserved by William Coxe
. In 1710 he again joined the camp at Douai. Hare received a royal chaplaincy under Queen Anne, and he was elected fellow of Eton in October 1712. He was rector of Barnes, Surrey, 1713 to 1723, and held a prebend in St Paul's Cathedral
from 1707 till his death. In 1715 he was appointed dean of Worcester
, and in 1722 Henry Pelham
, younger brother of his sister-in-law, Lady Grace Naylor, being two of the children of Thomas Pelham, 1st Baron Pelham
, made him usher to the exchequer. In October 1726 he exchanged Worcester for the deanery of St Paul's, which he held till his death, and on 19 December 1727 was consecrated bishop of St Asaph. He had been dismissed from his chaplaincy about 1718, in consequence of his share in the Bangorian controversy
, when he joined the assailants of Bishop Benjamin Hoadly
.
On the accession of George II
, he was in favour with Queen Caroline
. She intended him for the see of Bath and Wells, but the ministry was against giving the best preferments to newly consecrated bishops. Hare's fame as a preacher at this time is shown by a complimentary allusion in the Dunciad.
In 1731 Hare was translated from the see of St Asaph to that of Chichester. In 1736 Sir Robert Walpole, godfather of his son Robert, proposed him as successor to Archbishop William Wake
, then rapidly failing. But Hare had recently opposed the government in some measures for the relief of dissenters; and John Hervey, 2nd Baron Hervey, who had encountered him on that occasion, lobbied successfully against the appointment, pointing out truly that the sharp-tongued and isolated Hare was unpopular.
On 26 April 1740 Hare died at the Vatche, and was buried in a mausoleum which he had built for his family adjoining the nearby church of Chalfont St Giles
.
, to whom he addressed in 1713 The clergyman's thanks to Phileleutherus (Bentley's pseudonym in the controversy with Anthony Collins
). They were estranged in part by Hare's support of John Colbatch
. In 1724 Hare published an edition of Terence
based upon that of Faërnius (Gabriel Faerne), and with notes founded partly on previous communications from Bentley, who had intended to publish an edition himself. The vexed Bentley published his own edition with notes, bitterly attacking Hare, and soon after issued an edition of Phaedrus, in order to anticipate a proposed edition by Hare. Hare retaliated in an Epistola Critica in 1727, addressed to Henry Bland, head-master of Eton, claiming many errors in his rival's edition. Hare's Latin scholarship was praised by Samuel Parr
and by James Henry Monk
.
in Hebrew. Dr. Richard Grey, in the preface to his Hebrew Grammar declared that it restored the text in several places to its original beauty. But Hare's theory of Hebrew versification was confuted by Robert Lowth
in 1766, and feebly defended by Thomas Edwards (1729–1785).
's 'Conduct of the Allies'); 'Management of the War,' 1711; 'Conduct of the Duke of Marlborough during the present War,' 1712; and other tracts in defence of the negotiations of 1719 and the Barrier treaty. A thanksgiving sermon on the taking of Bouchain (preached by Hare 9 September 1711) was ridiculed by Swift in A Learned Comment.
A sermon on King Charles's martyrdom (preached 1731) produced six pamphlets in its defence. A tract published in 1714, entitled 'Difficulties and Discouragements which attend the Study of the Scriptures in the way of Private Judgement,' was censured by convocation. It was taken to be ironical; but it is not very clear whether or not he meant to defend Samuel Clarke
and William Whiston
. It was often reprinted.
Hare contributed to the Bangorian controversy 'Church Authority Vindicated,' 1719 (a sermon which went through five editions), and was answered by Hoadly. Hare retorted in 'Scripture vindicated from the misrepresentations of the Bishop of Bangor,' 1721, and an ironical 'new defence' of the bishop's sermon. These are all collected in his works in four volumes (1746 and 1755), where the complimentary letter of 1713 to Bentley is omitted as inconsistent with the later attack on his Phaedrus.
, who dedicated his edition of Statius
to him. He also made efforts to advance the career of William Warburton
.
, Hare became acquainted with Joseph Alston of Edwardstone
, Suffolk
, whose eldest daughter, Mary Margaret, became his second wife in April 1728, and brought him a large fortune in the estates of Newhouse, Suffolk, the ancient manor of Hos-Tendis, near Skulthorpe in Norfolk
, and the Vatche, near Chalfont St Giles in Buckinghamshire. At the Vatche they always resided during the latter years of his life, and there the seven children of his second marriage were born.
When the estates of Hurstmonceaux came to his first son Francis, by Bethaia, who took the name of Hare-Naylor, Hare brought up his son strictly, obliging him to speak Greek in the family. Francis gave the bishop trouble by a wild life, and then by engaging himself to his stepmother's sister, Carlotta Alston. The bishop prevented this marriage in his lifetime, but it took place after his death. Another son, Robert, was father of Francis Hare-Naylor, and a third, Richard, was father of James Hare
.
Bishop of St Asaph
The Bishop of St Asaph heads the Church in Wales diocese of St Asaph.The diocese covers the counties of Conwy and Flintshire, Wrexham county borough, the eastern part of Merioneth in Gwynedd and part of northern Powys. The Episcopal seat is located in the Cathedral Church of St Asaph in the town of...
from 1727 and bishop of Chichester
Bishop of Chichester
The Bishop of Chichester is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Chichester in the Province of Canterbury. The diocese covers the Counties of East and West Sussex. The see is in the City of Chichester where the seat is located at the Cathedral Church of the Holy Trinity...
from 1731.
Life
Born on 1 November 1671, he was son of Richard Hare of Leigh, Essex. His mother, his father's second wife, was Sarah, daughter of Thomas Naylor. He was educated at Eton CollegeEton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
, and admitted in 1688 to King's College, Cambridge
King's College, Cambridge
King's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England. The college's full name is "The King's College of our Lady and Saint Nicholas in Cambridge", but it is usually referred to simply as "King's" within the University....
. He graduated B.A. in 1692, M.A. in 1696, and D.D. in 1708. At Cambridge he was tutor of Robert Walpole
Robert Walpole
Robert Walpole, 1st Earl of Orford, KG, KB, PC , known before 1742 as Sir Robert Walpole, was a British statesman who is generally regarded as having been the first Prime Minister of Great Britain....
and the Marquis of Blandford, son of John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough
John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough
John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough, Prince of Mindelheim, KG, PC , was an English soldier and statesman whose career spanned the reigns of five monarchs through the late 17th and early 18th centuries...
, who died in his college on 20 February 1703.
In 1704 Hare was appointed chaplain-general to the army in Flanders
Flanders
Flanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...
. He described the campaign of 1704 in a series of letters to his cousin, George Naylor of Herstmonceux Castle
Herstmonceux Castle
Herstmonceux Castle is a brick-built Tudor castle near Herstmonceux, East Sussex, United Kingdom. From 1957 to 1988 its grounds were the home of the Royal Greenwich Observatory...
, and in a journal preserved by William Coxe
William Coxe
William Coxe , English historian, son of Dr. William Coxe, Physician to the Royal Household, was born in London. After his father's death his mother Martha married John Christopher Smith, who was Handel's amanuensis ....
. In 1710 he again joined the camp at Douai. Hare received a royal chaplaincy under Queen Anne, and he was elected fellow of Eton in October 1712. He was rector of Barnes, Surrey, 1713 to 1723, and held a prebend in St Paul's Cathedral
St Paul's Cathedral
St Paul's Cathedral, London, is a Church of England cathedral and seat of the Bishop of London. Its dedication to Paul the Apostle dates back to the original church on this site, founded in AD 604. St Paul's sits at the top of Ludgate Hill, the highest point in the City of London, and is the mother...
from 1707 till his death. In 1715 he was appointed dean of Worcester
Dean of Worcester
The Dean of Worcester is the head of the Chapter of Worcester Cathedral in Worcester, England. The most current Dean is the Very Rev Peter Gordon Atkinson who lives at The Deanery, College Green, Worcester.-List of Deans:...
, and in 1722 Henry Pelham
Henry Pelham
Henry Pelham was a British Whig statesman, who served as Prime Minister of Great Britain from 27 August 1743 until his death in 1754...
, younger brother of his sister-in-law, Lady Grace Naylor, being two of the children of Thomas Pelham, 1st Baron Pelham
Thomas Pelham, 1st Baron Pelham
Thomas Pelham, 1st Baron Pelham of Laughton Bt was a moderate English Whig politician and Member of Parliament for several constituencies. He is best remembered as father of two British prime ministers who, between them, served for 18 years as first minister...
, made him usher to the exchequer. In October 1726 he exchanged Worcester for the deanery of St Paul's, which he held till his death, and on 19 December 1727 was consecrated bishop of St Asaph. He had been dismissed from his chaplaincy about 1718, in consequence of his share in the Bangorian controversy
Bangorian Controversy
The Bangorian Controversy was a theological argument within the Church of England in the early 18th century, with strong political overtones. The origins of the controversy lay in the 1716 posthumous publication of George Hickes's Constitution of the Catholic Church, and the Nature and...
, when he joined the assailants of Bishop Benjamin Hoadly
Benjamin Hoadly
Benjamin Hoadly was an English clergyman, who was successively Bishop of Bangor, Hereford, Salisbury, and Winchester. He is best known as the initiator of the Bangorian Controversy.-Life:...
.
On the accession of George II
George II of Great Britain
George II was King of Great Britain and Ireland, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg and Archtreasurer and Prince-elector of the Holy Roman Empire from 11 June 1727 until his death.George was the last British monarch born outside Great Britain. He was born and brought up in Northern Germany...
, he was in favour with Queen Caroline
Caroline of Ansbach
Caroline of Brandenburg-Ansbach was the queen consort of King George II of Great Britain.Her father, John Frederick, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach, was the ruler of a small German state...
. She intended him for the see of Bath and Wells, but the ministry was against giving the best preferments to newly consecrated bishops. Hare's fame as a preacher at this time is shown by a complimentary allusion in the Dunciad.
In 1731 Hare was translated from the see of St Asaph to that of Chichester. In 1736 Sir Robert Walpole, godfather of his son Robert, proposed him as successor to Archbishop William Wake
William Wake
William Wake was a priest in the Church of England and Archbishop of Canterbury from 1716 until his death in 1737.-Life:...
, then rapidly failing. But Hare had recently opposed the government in some measures for the relief of dissenters; and John Hervey, 2nd Baron Hervey, who had encountered him on that occasion, lobbied successfully against the appointment, pointing out truly that the sharp-tongued and isolated Hare was unpopular.
On 26 April 1740 Hare died at the Vatche, and was buried in a mausoleum which he had built for his family adjoining the nearby church of Chalfont St Giles
Chalfont St Giles
Chalfont St Giles is a village and civil parish within Chiltern district in south east Buckinghamshire, England, on the edge of the Chilterns, 25 miles from London, and near Seer Green, Jordans, Chalfont St Peter, Little Chalfont and Amersham....
.
Feud with Bentley
He had been an old friend of Richard BentleyRichard Bentley
Richard Bentley was an English classical scholar, critic, and theologian. He was Master of Trinity College, Cambridge....
, to whom he addressed in 1713 The clergyman's thanks to Phileleutherus (Bentley's pseudonym in the controversy with Anthony Collins
Anthony Collins
Anthony Collins , was an English philosopher, and a proponent of deism.-Life and Writings:...
). They were estranged in part by Hare's support of John Colbatch
John Colbatch
John Colbatch was an English churchman and academic, professor of moral philosophy at Cambridge. Drawn into the long legal struggle between Richard Bentley and the fellowship of Trinity College, Cambridge, he became a chief opponent and spent a short time in prison for a tactless court...
. In 1724 Hare published an edition of Terence
Terence
Publius Terentius Afer , better known in English as Terence, was a playwright of the Roman Republic, of North African descent. His comedies were performed for the first time around 170–160 BC. Terentius Lucanus, a Roman senator, brought Terence to Rome as a slave, educated him and later on,...
based upon that of Faërnius (Gabriel Faerne), and with notes founded partly on previous communications from Bentley, who had intended to publish an edition himself. The vexed Bentley published his own edition with notes, bitterly attacking Hare, and soon after issued an edition of Phaedrus, in order to anticipate a proposed edition by Hare. Hare retaliated in an Epistola Critica in 1727, addressed to Henry Bland, head-master of Eton, claiming many errors in his rival's edition. Hare's Latin scholarship was praised by Samuel Parr
Samuel Parr
Samuel Parr , was an English schoolmaster, writer, minister and Doctor of Law. He was known in his time for political writing, and as "the Whig Johnson", though his reputation has lasted less well that Samuel Johnson's, and the resemblances were at a superficial level, Parr being no prose stylist,...
and by James Henry Monk
James Henry Monk
James Henry Monk was an English divine and classical scholar.-Life:He was born at Buntingford, Hertfordshire. He was educated at Charterhouse School and Trinity College, Cambridge, and in 1809 was elected Regius Professor of Greek in succession to Porson. The establishment of the classical tripos...
.
Psalms
In 1736 Hare published an edition of the PsalmsPsalms
The Book of Psalms , commonly referred to simply as Psalms, is a book of the Hebrew Bible and the Christian Bible...
in Hebrew. Dr. Richard Grey, in the preface to his Hebrew Grammar declared that it restored the text in several places to its original beauty. But Hare's theory of Hebrew versification was confuted by Robert Lowth
Robert Lowth
Robert Lowth FRS was a Bishop of the Church of England, Oxford Professor of Poetry and the author of one of the most influential textbooks of English grammar.-Life:...
in 1766, and feebly defended by Thomas Edwards (1729–1785).
Controversies
Hare was involved in various controversies. He defended Marlborough and the war in pamphlets, publishing 'The Allies and the Late Ministry defended against France,' 4 parts, 1711 (a rejoinder to Jonathan SwiftJonathan Swift
Jonathan Swift was an Irish satirist, essayist, political pamphleteer , poet and cleric who became Dean of St...
's 'Conduct of the Allies'); 'Management of the War,' 1711; 'Conduct of the Duke of Marlborough during the present War,' 1712; and other tracts in defence of the negotiations of 1719 and the Barrier treaty. A thanksgiving sermon on the taking of Bouchain (preached by Hare 9 September 1711) was ridiculed by Swift in A Learned Comment.
A sermon on King Charles's martyrdom (preached 1731) produced six pamphlets in its defence. A tract published in 1714, entitled 'Difficulties and Discouragements which attend the Study of the Scriptures in the way of Private Judgement,' was censured by convocation. It was taken to be ironical; but it is not very clear whether or not he meant to defend Samuel Clarke
Samuel Clarke
thumb|right|200px|Samuel ClarkeSamuel Clarke was an English philosopher and Anglican clergyman.-Early life and studies:...
and William Whiston
William Whiston
William Whiston was an English theologian, historian, and mathematician. He is probably best known for his translation of the Antiquities of the Jews and other works by Josephus, his A New Theory of the Earth, and his Arianism...
. It was often reprinted.
Hare contributed to the Bangorian controversy 'Church Authority Vindicated,' 1719 (a sermon which went through five editions), and was answered by Hoadly. Hare retorted in 'Scripture vindicated from the misrepresentations of the Bishop of Bangor,' 1721, and an ironical 'new defence' of the bishop's sermon. These are all collected in his works in four volumes (1746 and 1755), where the complimentary letter of 1713 to Bentley is omitted as inconsistent with the later attack on his Phaedrus.
Patronage
Among other learned men, Hare was the patron of Jeremiah MarklandJeremiah Markland
Jeremiah Markland , English classical scholar, was born at Childwall in Liverpool on the 29th of October 1693. He was educated at Christ's Hospital and Peterhouse, Cambridge...
, who dedicated his edition of Statius
Statius
Publius Papinius Statius was a Roman poet of the 1st century CE . Besides his poetry in Latin, which include an epic poem, the Thebaid, a collection of occasional poetry, the Silvae, and the unfinished epic, the Achilleid, he is best known for his appearance as a major character in the Purgatory...
to him. He also made efforts to advance the career of William Warburton
William Warburton
William Warburton was an English critic and churchman, Bishop of Gloucester from 1759.-Life:He was born at Newark, where his father, who belonged to an old Cheshire family, was town clerk. William was educated at Oakham and Newark grammar schools, and in 1714 he was articled to Mr Kirke, an...
.
Family
In the autumn of 1709 he married his first cousin, Bethaia Naylor, who became the heiress of Herstmonceux on the death of her brother's only daughter, Grace. While visiting his paternal estates near FavershamFaversham
Faversham is a market town and civil parish in the Swale borough of Kent, England. The parish of Faversham grew up around an ancient sea port on Faversham Creek and was the birthplace of the explosives industry in England.-History:...
, Hare became acquainted with Joseph Alston of Edwardstone
Edwardstone
Edwardstone is a village and civil parish in Suffolk, England. The parish contains the hamlets of Mill Green, Priory Green, Round Maple and Sherbourne Street, and the Edwardstone Woods, a Site of Special Scientific Interest...
, Suffolk
Suffolk
Suffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east...
, whose eldest daughter, Mary Margaret, became his second wife in April 1728, and brought him a large fortune in the estates of Newhouse, Suffolk, the ancient manor of Hos-Tendis, near Skulthorpe in Norfolk
Norfolk
Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...
, and the Vatche, near Chalfont St Giles in Buckinghamshire. At the Vatche they always resided during the latter years of his life, and there the seven children of his second marriage were born.
When the estates of Hurstmonceaux came to his first son Francis, by Bethaia, who took the name of Hare-Naylor, Hare brought up his son strictly, obliging him to speak Greek in the family. Francis gave the bishop trouble by a wild life, and then by engaging himself to his stepmother's sister, Carlotta Alston. The bishop prevented this marriage in his lifetime, but it took place after his death. Another son, Robert, was father of Francis Hare-Naylor, and a third, Richard, was father of James Hare
James Hare
James Hare may refer to:* James Butler Hare , U.S. Congressman from South Carolina* James M. Hare , Michigan Secretary of State* Jimmy Hare , photographer for Colliers...
.