John Colbatch
Encyclopedia
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 appearance.
, where he remained around seven years, and wrote, at the request of Gilbert Burnet
, an Account of the State of Religion and Literature in Portugal for which he received promises of preferment from the bishop and from Queen Mary
. He returned to England to prepare for Trinity College Gilbert Burnet the younger, the bishop's second son, and in 1701, by to the good offices of Bentley, was selected by the Charles Seymour, 6th Duke of Somerset
, chancellor of Cambridge University, as tutor to his eldest son, the Earl of Hertford
. After two years at Cambridge Colbatch was persuaded by the duke to travel on the Grand Tour
two years more with his pupil, but in the end of the tour the duke suddenly quarrelled with him and dismissed him from his post, allowing him only his bare salary less expenses, and passing harsh reflections on his character. These reflections the duke was persuaded by Bentley to retract, but he did not fulfil promises of preferment.
Burnet's patronage resulted only in a prebend's stall at Salisbury worth £20 yearly, and Colbatch returned to Cambridge at the age of forty disappointed. His university, however, elected him professor of casuistical divinity, and his lectures on moral philosophy brought him a reputation.
, bishop of Ely
and Visitor, in 1714, he felt it impossible to remain neutral in the quarrel, and his refusal in that year of Bentley's offer of the vice-mastership of the college began his long contest with the master. He took the lead of the fellows in the efforts made to cause William Fleetwood
, Moore's successor, to move against Bentley, and in 1716 came to an open rupture with the master, because he refused to accede to his claim to the vice-mastership.
In 1720 there was another public quarrel between them, in which Colbatch had the best of it, and forced Bentley to agree to appointing him to the college living of Orwell, Cambridgeshire
, which he held till his death. In 1720 also Bentley published a pamphlet violently abusing Colbatch, to whom he erroneously attributed Conyers Middleton
's attack on his proposals for a new edition of the Greek Testament. Colbatch endeavoured to get damages in the courts for this libel. In 1722 he issued a tract entitled Jus Academicum, in which his irritation at the failure to bring Bentley to justice led him to use certain expressions questioning the authority of the court of king's bench over the university. For this Bentley brought an action. Unfortunately for Colbatch the judge imagined that certain barbs intended for Bentley were aspersions on the court of king's bench, and Colbatch, owing partly to his own want of tact at the trial in 1723, was fined £50 and imprisoned for a week.
In 1727 Bentley presented him with the old college clock for his church at Orwell, the one instance of a soothing effort during the quarrel. In 1729 Colbatch published, and in 1732 republished, a tract which finally was entitled A Defence of the Lord Bishop of Ely's Visitatorial Jurisdiction over Trinity College in general, and over the Master thereof in particular.
In 1738 he was prosecuted by Bentley as archdeacon of Ely, because he refused fees due to the archdeacon at his visitation. The archdeacon had ceased to visit, but the fees nevertheless were usually paid. Colbatch was defeated in the courts, but argued for his course of action in a pamphlet entitled The Case of Proxies payable to Ecclesiastical Visitors.
against Lord Lansdowne's criticisms. He died on 11 February 1748. He left £30 a year to a charity school at Orwell, and was during his lifetime a considerable benefactor to the church.
Knightbridge Professor of Philosophy
The Knightbridge Professorship of Philosophy is the senior professorship in philosophy at the University of Cambridge.One of the oldest professorships in Cambridge, the chair was founded in 1683 by John Knightbridge, fellow of Peterhouse....
at Cambridge. Drawn into the long legal struggle between Richard Bentley
Richard Bentley
Richard Bentley was an English classical scholar, critic, and theologian. He was Master of Trinity College, Cambridge....
and the fellowship of Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Trinity has more members than any other college in Cambridge or Oxford, with around 700 undergraduates, 430 graduates, and over 170 Fellows...
, he became a chief opponent and spent a short time in prison for a tactless court appearance.
Early life and career
He was admitted to St. Peter's, Westminster, as a scholar in 1680, and proceeded to Trinity College, Cambridge, in 1683. He became fellow of his college, proceeding B.A. 1686, MA. 1690, S.T.B. 1701, S.T.P. 1706. On first taking orders he was appointed chaplain to the British factory at LisbonLisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
, where he remained around seven years, and wrote, at the request of Gilbert Burnet
Gilbert Burnet
Gilbert Burnet was a Scottish theologian and historian, and Bishop of Salisbury. He was fluent in Dutch, French, Latin, Greek, and Hebrew. Burnet was respected as a cleric, a preacher, and an academic, as well as a writer and historian...
, an Account of the State of Religion and Literature in Portugal for which he received promises of preferment from the bishop and from Queen Mary
Mary II of England
Mary II was joint Sovereign of England, Scotland, and Ireland with her husband and first cousin, William III and II, from 1689 until her death. William and Mary, both Protestants, became king and queen regnant, respectively, following the Glorious Revolution, which resulted in the deposition of...
. He returned to England to prepare for Trinity College Gilbert Burnet the younger, the bishop's second son, and in 1701, by to the good offices of Bentley, was selected by the Charles Seymour, 6th Duke of Somerset
Charles Seymour, 6th Duke of Somerset
Charles Seymour, 6th Duke of Somerset , sometimes referred to as the "Proud Duke". The son of Charles Seymour, 2nd Baron Seymour of Trowbridge, and Elizabeth Alington , he succeeded his brother Francis Seymour, 5th Duke of Somerset, to the dukedom when the latter was shot in 1678...
, chancellor of Cambridge University, as tutor to his eldest son, the Earl of Hertford
Algernon Seymour, 7th Duke of Somerset
General Algernon Seymour, 7th Duke of Somerset was the son of Charles Seymour, 6th Duke of Somerset and his wife, Elizabeth...
. After two years at Cambridge Colbatch was persuaded by the duke to travel on the Grand Tour
Grand Tour
The Grand Tour was the traditional trip of Europe undertaken by mainly upper-class European young men of means. The custom flourished from about 1660 until the advent of large-scale rail transit in the 1840s, and was associated with a standard itinerary. It served as an educational rite of passage...
two years more with his pupil, but in the end of the tour the duke suddenly quarrelled with him and dismissed him from his post, allowing him only his bare salary less expenses, and passing harsh reflections on his character. These reflections the duke was persuaded by Bentley to retract, but he did not fulfil promises of preferment.
Burnet's patronage resulted only in a prebend's stall at Salisbury worth £20 yearly, and Colbatch returned to Cambridge at the age of forty disappointed. His university, however, elected him professor of casuistical divinity, and his lectures on moral philosophy brought him a reputation.
Feud with Bentley
Residence at Cambridge as fellow of Trinity involved him in the feud between the master and fellows of Trinity College. Colbatch at first was a moderate, and published a pamphlet in defence of Bentley's contention that any B.D. or D.D. should, for college rooms or a college living, have priority over a master of arts. After the death of John MooreJohn Moore (Bishop of Ely)
John Moore was an English cleric, scholar, and book collector. He was bishop of Norwich and bishop of Ely ....
, bishop of Ely
Bishop of Ely
The Bishop of Ely is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Ely in the Province of Canterbury. The diocese roughly covers the county of Cambridgeshire , together with a section of north-west Norfolk and has its see in the City of Ely, Cambridgeshire, where the seat is located at the...
and Visitor, in 1714, he felt it impossible to remain neutral in the quarrel, and his refusal in that year of Bentley's offer of the vice-mastership of the college began his long contest with the master. He took the lead of the fellows in the efforts made to cause William Fleetwood
William Fleetwood
William Fleetwood was an English preacher, Bishop of St Asaph and Bishop of Ely, remembered by economists and statisticians for constructing a price index in his Chronicon Preciosum of 1707.-Life:...
, Moore's successor, to move against Bentley, and in 1716 came to an open rupture with the master, because he refused to accede to his claim to the vice-mastership.
In 1720 there was another public quarrel between them, in which Colbatch had the best of it, and forced Bentley to agree to appointing him to the college living of Orwell, Cambridgeshire
Orwell, Cambridgeshire
Orwell is a small rural village outside Cambridge in South Cambridgeshire, England.The Prime Meridian passes the eastern edge of Orwell.-History:...
, which he held till his death. In 1720 also Bentley published a pamphlet violently abusing Colbatch, to whom he erroneously attributed Conyers Middleton
Conyers Middleton
Conyers Middleton was an English clergyman.Middleton was born at Richmond in Yorkshire, and was educated at school in York and at Trinity College, Cambridge. He graduated from the University of Cambridge, took holy orders, and in 1706 obtained a fellowship, which he resigned upon entering into an...
's attack on his proposals for a new edition of the Greek Testament. Colbatch endeavoured to get damages in the courts for this libel. In 1722 he issued a tract entitled Jus Academicum, in which his irritation at the failure to bring Bentley to justice led him to use certain expressions questioning the authority of the court of king's bench over the university. For this Bentley brought an action. Unfortunately for Colbatch the judge imagined that certain barbs intended for Bentley were aspersions on the court of king's bench, and Colbatch, owing partly to his own want of tact at the trial in 1723, was fined £50 and imprisoned for a week.
In 1727 Bentley presented him with the old college clock for his church at Orwell, the one instance of a soothing effort during the quarrel. In 1729 Colbatch published, and in 1732 republished, a tract which finally was entitled A Defence of the Lord Bishop of Ely's Visitatorial Jurisdiction over Trinity College in general, and over the Master thereof in particular.
In 1738 he was prosecuted by Bentley as archdeacon of Ely, because he refused fees due to the archdeacon at his visitation. The archdeacon had ceased to visit, but the fees nevertheless were usually paid. Colbatch was defeated in the courts, but argued for his course of action in a pamphlet entitled The Case of Proxies payable to Ecclesiastical Visitors.
Death and legacy
In 1733 he wrote An Examination of the late Archdeacon Echard's Account of the Marriage Treaty between King Charles II and Queen Catharine, Infanta of Portugal, defending Laurence EchardLaurence Echard
-Life:He was son of the Rev. Thomas Echard or Eachard of Barsham, Suffolk, by his wife, the daughter of Samuel and Dorothy Groome, and was born at Barsham. On 26 May 1687, at the age of seventeen, he was admitted a sizar of Christ's College, Cambridge, where he graduated B.A. in 1692 and M.A. in 1695...
against Lord Lansdowne's criticisms. He died on 11 February 1748. He left £30 a year to a charity school at Orwell, and was during his lifetime a considerable benefactor to the church.