The Rectory, and Rectors of Wem.

new preferment, or accession to his fortune. So that the increase of his substance was proportioned to the increase of his family. When his patron, bishop Lloyd was removed to Worcester in 1699, he soon procured doctor Chandler to be made a canon of that church; and in 1706, gave him the rectory of St. Nicholas, in Worcester, on account of which, he resigned Prees. In 1711, by the interest of sir Humphrey Brigges, he was presented by Henry, lord Newport, to the rectory of Wem. Wherever it was his fortune to be minister, he made great improvements in the building. The parsonage house at Wem was almost wholly rebuilt by him, and will remain a lasting monument of him. In 1717, by the interest of doctor Gibson, then bishop of Lincoln, he was advanced to the episcopal dignity, and made bishop of Lichfield, and Coventry. In 1730, he was translated to Durham, the richest bishoprick in England. He lived in a very handsome manner, and yet was a great œconomist. He was the first rector of Wem that kept his coach. He was used to spend a month or two here in the summer, and then retire to Worcester. He was reckoned a very good preacher, some of his sermons are in print. But that which has distinguished him most as an author, is his defence of christianity against Collins, dedicated to the king, and published in 1725. This is a very learned and elaborate performance, and has passed through several editions. In 1728, he published a vindication of the

The Rectory, and Rectors of Wem.

defence of christianity, in two vols. with a letter from the Rev. Mr. Mason, concerning the religion of the Macrobins, and his testimony, touching the slaughter of the infants at Bethlehem, with a postscript on Virgils, 4th eclogue. Books were his diverson, and he allotted several hours in a morning, and afternoon, for his study. After he was made bishop, he held Wem a year in commendam; and therefore in his primary visitation, in 1718 he passed by Wem, though he went to all the other markets towns about it.

July 20th, 1750, he died at his house Grosvenor Square, London, and 24th was buried at his seat, at Farmham-Royal, in Buckinghamshire,

ROBERT EYTON, D. D. (1718,) was born at Shrewsbury in March 1681, being the younger son of a good family seated at Crigion, in Montgomeryshire. He had his education at the schools of Donnington, Shropshire; and Ruthin, Denbighshire; and at St. John's college, Cambridge. Having taken the degree of bachelor of arts, he entered into holy orders, and accepted of a small curacy near Crigion, but soon removed to a much better at Saint Edmondsbury, under Mr. Butts, whose eldest daughter Elizabeth he married. About 1709, on the death of the Rev. John Eyton, rector of Eyton, in the Wildmores, and vicar of Wellington, he was presented to the said rectory, and Mr. Wood to the

The Rectory, and Rectors of Wem.

vicarage. On Mr. Wood's death, he succeeded him in the vicarage of Wellington, having taken the degree of master of arts, and being admitted chaplain to Richard, earl of Bradford, to qualify himself for a plurality. In 1713, 14th Henry, lord Newport being a candidate for knight of this shire, Mr. Eyton brought him in a great number of voters; on which account, that lord who had been aquainted with him at Donnington school, made him a promise of the rectory of Wem, when it should become vacant. In 1717 doctor Chandler, the incumbent thereof, was made bishop of Coventry, and Lichfield, and so the king had ordered; but lord Newport had so much interest in the crown, that the presentation was procured for Mr. Eyton in 1718. On this occasion, he was obliged to resign the rectory of Eyton, and not without much difficulty, procured a dispensation for keeping Wellington. In 1725, he was put into the commission of the peace for the county of Salop; and acting as a justice with doctor Egerton, bishop of Hereford, and somtimes attending him to his diocese, that bishop gave him the prebend of Moreton and Whaddon, belonging to his cathedral, April 11th, 1738, Potter, archbishop of Canterbury, conferred on him the degree of doctor of divinity, upon the recommendation of his brother in law, doctor Butts, then bishop of Norwich, but next month translated to Ely. September 1742, the same bishop Butts promoted him to the archdeaconry of Ely, worth £120, per annum, besides casual fines,

The Rectory, and Rectors of Wem.

for one of which he received £1500. June 1743, the paternal estate at Crigion, valued £500. per annum, by his eldest brother dying intestate, fell to him. At this time it was subject to many debts and mortgages, which the doctor discharged as far as they came to his knowledge. In Autumn, 1745, he had a stroke of the palsy, which very much affected his voice, and gave his constitution so great a shock, that it visibly declined afterwards. In 1749, his sister Mrs. Young, left him at her decease, a good house in Nottingham, which he has since sold. In the begining of the year 1751, a swelling appeared in his feet, which those about him, called the gout, till it plainly discovered itself to be a dropsy. Under this distemper he lingered much longer than his physician conceived possible, and died on the 18th of October, in the same year,

He was a tall handsome personable man. His voice was strong, distinct, and agreeable. His deportment in divine service was not always grave and serious, but no one could behave better when he was so disposed. He had very good natural parts, but was too indolent to take pains to cultivate them by reading and study.

SAMUEL SMALLBROKE, M. A. presented to the rectory, by the countess Dowager of Mountrath, and inducted October 31st, 1751.

The Curates of Wem.

B

THE CURATES OF WEM.

ERNARD was the first curate of Wem that l

have met with, (1558.) In the last year of queen Mary, he refused burial to William Glover, gent. whose brother Robert had been tied at the stake at Coventry, September 20th, 1555. His eldest brother John being informed against to the bishop of Coventry, and Lichfield, a warrant was sent to the mayor of Coventry to apprebend him, but the mayor had given him some private notice, he fled with his youngest brother William, which last came to Wem, and there died; being brought to the parish church to be buried, Bernard the curate would not suffer him to be interred, but rode to the then bishop of the diocease, doctor Ralph Barnes, to ask him of the matter, and to receive his orders how he should act in it. In the mean time the corpse lying unburied a whole day, one Richard M- -a taylor, in the night time attempted to bury him, but was hindered by John Thurlin and others, so that the corpse lay above ground two days and a night, till the curate returned with the bishop's letter, directed to the parish of Wem; this Glover, for all the time he had been known in this country, was accounted a rebel against our holy faith and religion, a contumer of the holy sacrament, and ceremonies used in the holy church, and had separated himself from the