Life

He was perhaps son of William Paske, vicar of Hendon, Middlesex, and may have been born there, but the registers do not begin until 1653. William Paske left Hendon for the living of Ashdon, Essex, in 1611; he died before 15 February 1639-40. Thomas was a scholar of Clare Hall, Cambridge

Clare College, Cambridge

Clare College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge in Cambridge, England.The college was founded in 1326, making it the second-oldest surviving college of the University after Peterhouse. Clare is famous for its chapel choir and for its gardens on "the Backs"...

, and fellow between Christmas 1603 and 1612. He graduated B.A. in 1606, B.D. in 1613. He succeeded William in the vicarage of Hendon on 9 September 1611, and became chaplain to James, Marquess of Hamilton

James Hamilton, 1st Duke of Hamilton

General Sir James Hamilton, 1st Duke of Hamilton KG was a Scottish nobleman and influential Civil war military leader.-Young Arran:...

.

On 21 December 1621 he was elected master of Clare Hall, and was incorporated D.D. in 1621. In 1625 he succeeded Theophilus Aylmer (d. 1625) both as archdeacon of London, and in the living of Much or Great Hadham, Hertfordshire

Hertfordshire

Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...

, to which Little Hadham

Little Hadham

Little Hadham is a village and civil parish in the district of East Hertfordshire, Hertfordshire, England. At the census of 2001 it had a population of 1,081...

 was then attached. He was also vicar of St. Mary Magdalen, Bermondsey. Paske was presented to the prebend of Ulleskelf in York Cathedral on 10 November 1628, and to a stall at Canterbury about 15 December 1636. He took up his residence at Canterbury, and the fellows of Clare consequently petitioned for and obtained from Charles I

Charles I of England

Charles I was King of England, King of Scotland, and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. Charles engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England, attempting to obtain royal revenue whilst Parliament sought to curb his Royal prerogative which Charles...

, some time before 2 September 1640, permission to elect a successor; but no appointment was made until 1645, when Ralph Cudworth

Ralph Cudworth

Ralph Cudworth was an English philosopher, the leader of the Cambridge Platonists.-Life:Born at Aller, Somerset, he was educated at Emmanuel College, Cambridge, gaining his MA and becoming a Fellow of Emmanuel in 1639. In 1645, he became master of Clare Hall and professor of Hebrew...

 was put in by Parliament.

Paske was also subdean of Canterbury, and on 30 August 1642 complained to Henry, Earl of Holland, of the ruthless treatment of the cathedral by troopers of Colonel Sandys's regiment. In the absence of the dean, he had been ordered by the parliamentary commander, Sir Michael Lindsey, to deliver up the keys. This communication to Lord Holland was published as The Copy of a Letter sent to an Honourable Lord, by Dr. Paske, Subdeane of Canterbury, London, 9 September 1642.

Paske, after being deprived of all his benefices, at the Restoration

English Restoration

The Restoration of the English monarchy began in 1660 when the English, Scottish and Irish monarchies were all restored under Charles II after the Interregnum that followed the Wars of the Three Kingdoms...

 was reinstated in the rectory of Hadham, in his two prebends, and in the mastership of Clare Hall; but he surrendered his right of restitution to the latter in favour of his son-in-law, Theophilus Dillingham

Theophilus Dillingham

Theophilus Dillingham was an English churchman and academic, Master of Clare Hall, Cambridge and Archdeacon of Bedford.-Life:The son of Thomas Dillingham, and nephew of Francis Dillingham, he was born at Over Dean, Bedfordshire. He was admitted a pensioner of Emmanuel College, Cambridge, 13...

 who succeeded Ralph Cudworth in 1664. Paske also resigned the York prebend in favour of Dillingham in 1661. On 24 June 1661 he attended in the lower house of Convocation

Convocation

A Convocation is a group of people formally assembled for a special purpose.- University use :....

but in December, probably from illness, he subscribed by proxy. He died before September 1662.

Thomas Paske of Hadham, apparently a grandson, was admitted to Clare Hall on 1 July 1692, was fellow and LL.D. of Clare, and represented the university of Cambridge in parliament from 1713 until his death in 1720.