Hilkiah Bedford
Encyclopedia
Hilkiah Bedford was an English clergyman, a nonjuror
and writer, imprisoned as the author of a book really by George Harbin
.
, near Boston, Lincolnshire
, from where Hilkiah's grandfather, a quaker, moved to London and settled there as a stationer in the seventeenth century. He was educated at Bradley, Suffolk, and in 1679 proceeded to St. John's College, Cambridge, where he was elected as the first scholar on the foundation of his maternal grandfather, William Plat. He was elected fellow of St. John's, and having received holy orders was instituted to the rectory of Wittering
.
At the Glorious Revolution
he refused to take the oaths to the new monarchs, and was ejected from his living. He then kept a successful boarding house at Westminster
for the scholars of Westminster School
. He became chaplain to Dr. Thomas Ken
, the deprived bishop of Bath and Wells
, and began to write. He made a translation of An Answer to Fontenelle's History of Oracles, edited Peter Barwick
's Vita Joannis Barwick, and translated it with notes. He published in 1710 a Vindication of the Church of England, and also an Essay on the Thirty-nine Articles.
The book which made Hilkiah Bedford famous was one which he did not write. In 1713 a folio volume was published anonymously, entitled The Hereditary Right of the Crown of England asserted, in an answer to William Higden, who had been a nonjuror, but recanted, and defended his recantation in a work entitled A View of the English Constitution. Bedford was suspected of having written the Hereditary Right, and was found guilty of writing, printing, and publishing it. He was fined 1,000 marks
and imprisoned for three years, and after the expiration of the period was to find sureties for his good behaviour during life. He was also condemned to appear before the court with a paper on his hat confessing the crime; but this part of the sentence was remitted in consideration of his being a clergyman. The real author was George Harbin, also a nonjuror; it is said that Hilkiah Bedford knew this, but preferred to suffer unjustly rather than betray Harbin. Thomas Thynne, 1st Viscount Weymouth sent Harbin to Bedford with £100, not knowing that Harbin (his chaplain) was responsible for the book. Hilkiah Bedford became a bishop among the nonjurors; he left a son Thomas Bedford.
Nonjuring schism
The nonjuring schism was a split in the Church of England in the aftermath of the Glorious Revolution of 1688, over whether William of Orange and his wife Mary could legally be recognised as King and Queen of England....
and writer, imprisoned as the author of a book really by George Harbin
George Harbin
George Harbin was an English clergyman, a nonjuror and significant political writer.-Life:He graduated B.A. at Emmanuel College, Cambridge, in 1686, took holy orders, and became chaplain to Francis Turner, Bishop of Ely...
.
Life
He was born in Hosier Lane, near West Smithfield, London, where his father was a mathematical instrument maker. The family originally came from SibseySibsey
Sibsey is a civil parish and village on the A16 road and B1184 in the English county of Lincolnshire, north of Boston in the district of East Lindsey. At the 2001 census, it had a population of 1,996. Sibsey Northlands is to the north of the village...
, near Boston, Lincolnshire
Boston, Lincolnshire
Boston is a town and small port in Lincolnshire, on the east coast of England. It is the largest town of the wider Borough of Boston local government district and had a total population of 55,750 at the 2001 census...
, from where Hilkiah's grandfather, a quaker, moved to London and settled there as a stationer in the seventeenth century. He was educated at Bradley, Suffolk, and in 1679 proceeded to St. John's College, Cambridge, where he was elected as the first scholar on the foundation of his maternal grandfather, William Plat. He was elected fellow of St. John's, and having received holy orders was instituted to the rectory of Wittering
Wittering
Wittering may refer to,* Wittering, Cambridgeshire, formerly in Northamptonshire** RAF Wittering, near the above* Wittering, Sussex, which is divided into:** East Wittering** West Wittering...
.
At the Glorious Revolution
Glorious Revolution
The Glorious Revolution, also called the Revolution of 1688, is the overthrow of King James II of England by a union of English Parliamentarians with the Dutch stadtholder William III of Orange-Nassau...
he refused to take the oaths to the new monarchs, and was ejected from his living. He then kept a successful boarding house at Westminster
Westminster
Westminster is an area of central London, within the City of Westminster, England. It lies on the north bank of the River Thames, southwest of the City of London and southwest of Charing Cross...
for the scholars of Westminster School
Westminster School
The Royal College of St. Peter in Westminster, almost always known as Westminster School, is one of Britain's leading independent schools, with the highest Oxford and Cambridge acceptance rate of any secondary school or college in Britain...
. He became chaplain to Dr. Thomas Ken
Thomas Ken
Thomas Ken was an English cleric who was considered the most eminent of the English non-juring bishops, and one of the fathers of modern English hymnology.-Early life:...
, the deprived bishop of Bath and Wells
Bishop of Bath and Wells
The Bishop of Bath and Wells heads the Church of England Diocese of Bath and Wells in the Province of Canterbury in England.The present diocese covers the vast majority of the county of Somerset and a small area of Dorset. The Episcopal seat is located in the Cathedral Church of Saint Andrew in...
, and began to write. He made a translation of An Answer to Fontenelle's History of Oracles, edited Peter Barwick
Peter Barwick
-Life:He was the younger brother of John Barwick, and like him was educated at Sedbergh School, and St John's College, Cambridge, where he was a foundation scholar. He was appointed by Bishop Matthew Wren to the fellowship at St John's, in the gift of the Bishop of Ely, but could not be admitted...
's Vita Joannis Barwick, and translated it with notes. He published in 1710 a Vindication of the Church of England, and also an Essay on the Thirty-nine Articles.
The book which made Hilkiah Bedford famous was one which he did not write. In 1713 a folio volume was published anonymously, entitled The Hereditary Right of the Crown of England asserted, in an answer to William Higden, who had been a nonjuror, but recanted, and defended his recantation in a work entitled A View of the English Constitution. Bedford was suspected of having written the Hereditary Right, and was found guilty of writing, printing, and publishing it. He was fined 1,000 marks
Mark (money)
Mark was a measure of weight mainly for gold and silver, commonly used throughout western Europe and often equivalent to 8 ounces. Considerable variations, however, occurred throughout the Middle Ages Mark (from a merging of three Teutonic/Germanic languages words, Latinized in 9th century...
and imprisoned for three years, and after the expiration of the period was to find sureties for his good behaviour during life. He was also condemned to appear before the court with a paper on his hat confessing the crime; but this part of the sentence was remitted in consideration of his being a clergyman. The real author was George Harbin, also a nonjuror; it is said that Hilkiah Bedford knew this, but preferred to suffer unjustly rather than betray Harbin. Thomas Thynne, 1st Viscount Weymouth sent Harbin to Bedford with £100, not knowing that Harbin (his chaplain) was responsible for the book. Hilkiah Bedford became a bishop among the nonjurors; he left a son Thomas Bedford.