Humphrey Gower
Encyclopedia
Humphrey Gower was an English clergyman and academic, Master of Jesus College, Cambridge
and then St. John's College, Cambridge, and Lady Margaret's Professor of Divinity
.
, Herefordshire
, and of Holy Trinity, Dorchester, and a member of the Westminster Assembly
in 1643. Humphrey Gower was born at Brampton Bryan in 1638 and educated at St Paul's School and at Dorchester, and St. John's College, Cambridge, where he graduated B.A. in 1658, was elected to a fellowship on 23 March 1659, and proceeded M.A. in 1662. Having taken holy orders, he was successively incumbent of Hammoon
, Dorset
, to which living he was presented in April 1663, of Packlesham (1667–1675), of Newton in the Isle of Ely (1675–1677), and of Fen Ditton
, to which he was collated on 4 July 1677.
On 11 July 1679 he was appointed to the mastership of Jesus College, Cambridge, which he resigned for that of St. John's on 3 December following, having in the meantime (1 November) been appointed prebendary of Ely Cathedral
. He was vice-chancellor of the university in 1680-1, and in that capacity, on 18 September 1681, he headed a deputation of dons which waited on Charles II
at Newmarket. On the 17th he entertained Charles at dinner at St. John's, made him two Latin speeches, and gave him an English bible; there was much festivity both in town and university, and the conduits ran with wine.
On 29 June 1688 Gower was appointed Lady Margaret's professor of divinity. In July 1693, twenty of the Fellows of his college being nonjurors
, a peremptory mandamus
was issued against him requiring him to eject them. Gower defended his Fellows; he refused on the ground that the mandamus should not have been made peremptory in the first instance. Steps were at once taken to indict him at the Cambridge assizes
, but the grand jury
threw out the bill. A mandamus nisi issued in the following October, but, the names of the nonjuring fellows having been omitted, Gower again refused to eject them, alleging that it did not appear who they were, and the court of king's bench declined to make the mandamus peremptory. The matter was then allowed to drop.
Gower died at St. John's College on 27 March 1711, and was buried in the college chapel. By his will he left money towards providing livings for the college, and for scholarships, and left his books to the college library.
He also wrote a biographical sketch of John Milner
, the nonjuring vicar of Leeds, who died at St. John's College, Cambridge, on 16 February 1702 (in Thoresby's Vicaria Leodiensis, p. 113).
Jesus College, Cambridge
Jesus College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England.The College was founded in 1496 on the site of a Benedictine nunnery by John Alcock, then Bishop of Ely...
and then St. John's College, Cambridge, and Lady Margaret's Professor of Divinity
Lady Margaret's Professor of Divinity
The Lady Margaret's Professor of Divinity is the oldest professorship at the University of Cambridge. It was founded initially as a readership by Lady Margaret Beaufort, mother of Henry VII, in 1502....
.
Life
He was son of Stanley Gower, successively rector of Brampton BryanBrampton Bryan
Brampton Bryan is a small village and civil parish situated in north Herefordshire, England close to the Shropshire and Welsh borders.Brampton Bryan lies mid-way between Leintwardine and Knighton on the A4113 road. The village has had a complex history and its buildings reflect this...
, Herefordshire
Herefordshire
Herefordshire is a historic and ceremonial county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire" NUTS 2 region. It also forms a unitary district known as the...
, and of Holy Trinity, Dorchester, and a member of the Westminster Assembly
Westminster Assembly
The Westminster Assembly of Divines was appointed by the Long Parliament to restructure the Church of England. It also included representatives of religious leaders from Scotland...
in 1643. Humphrey Gower was born at Brampton Bryan in 1638 and educated at St Paul's School and at Dorchester, and St. John's College, Cambridge, where he graduated B.A. in 1658, was elected to a fellowship on 23 March 1659, and proceeded M.A. in 1662. Having taken holy orders, he was successively incumbent of Hammoon
Hammoon
Hammoon is a hamlet and parish in the county of Dorset in south-west England. It lies within the North Dorset administrative district of the county. It is sited on alluvial silt by the River Stour, approximately 2 miles east of the town of Sturminster Newton...
, Dorset
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
, to which living he was presented in April 1663, of Packlesham (1667–1675), of Newton in the Isle of Ely (1675–1677), and of Fen Ditton
Fen Ditton
Fen Ditton is a village on the northeast edge of Cambridge in Cambridgeshire, England. The parish covers an area of Fen Ditton lies on the east bank of the River Cam, on the road from Cambridge to Clayhithe, and close to junction 34 of the A14...
, to which he was collated on 4 July 1677.
On 11 July 1679 he was appointed to the mastership of Jesus College, Cambridge, which he resigned for that of St. John's on 3 December following, having in the meantime (1 November) been appointed prebendary of Ely Cathedral
Ely Cathedral
Ely Cathedral is the principal church of the Diocese of Ely, in Cambridgeshire, England, and is the seat of the Bishop of Ely and a suffragan bishop, the Bishop of Huntingdon...
. He was vice-chancellor of the university in 1680-1, and in that capacity, on 18 September 1681, he headed a deputation of dons which waited on Charles II
Charles II of England
Charles II was monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father, King Charles I, was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War...
at Newmarket. On the 17th he entertained Charles at dinner at St. John's, made him two Latin speeches, and gave him an English bible; there was much festivity both in town and university, and the conduits ran with wine.
On 29 June 1688 Gower was appointed Lady Margaret's professor of divinity. In July 1693, twenty of the Fellows of his college being nonjurors
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....
, a peremptory mandamus
Peremptory Mandamus
A peremptory writ of mandamus is an absolute and unqualified writ to the defendant to do the act in question. It is issued when the defendant defaults on, or fails to show sufficient cause in answer to, an alternative mandamus...
was issued against him requiring him to eject them. Gower defended his Fellows; he refused on the ground that the mandamus should not have been made peremptory in the first instance. Steps were at once taken to indict him at the Cambridge assizes
Assizes
Assize or Assizes may refer to:Assize or Assizes may refer to:Assize or Assizes may refer to::;in common law countries :::*assizes , an obsolete judicial inquest...
, but the grand jury
Grand jury
A grand jury is a type of jury that determines whether a criminal indictment will issue. Currently, only the United States retains grand juries, although some other common law jurisdictions formerly employed them, and most other jurisdictions employ some other type of preliminary hearing...
threw out the bill. A mandamus nisi issued in the following October, but, the names of the nonjuring fellows having been omitted, Gower again refused to eject them, alleging that it did not appear who they were, and the court of king's bench declined to make the mandamus peremptory. The matter was then allowed to drop.
Gower died at St. John's College on 27 March 1711, and was buried in the college chapel. By his will he left money towards providing livings for the college, and for scholarships, and left his books to the college library.
Works
Gower published:- A Discourse delivered in two Sermons in the Cathedral of Ely in September 1684, Cambridge, 1685.
- A Sermon preached before the King at Whitehall on Christmas Day, 1684, London, 1685.
He also wrote a biographical sketch of John Milner
John Milner (nonjuror)
John Milner was an English clergyman, known as a nonjuring minister, scholar and opponent of John Locke.-Life:Milner was second son of John Milner and Mary, daughter of Gilbert Ramsden, born at Skircoat, in the parish of Halifax, and was baptised 10 February 1628. He was educated at the Halifax...
, the nonjuring vicar of Leeds, who died at St. John's College, Cambridge, on 16 February 1702 (in Thoresby's Vicaria Leodiensis, p. 113).