The Curates of Wem."

death of Mr. Markham, about 1715, he made interest, by doctor Chandler, for Wroxeter, which was promised to another. But lord Bradford offered him Donnington, and Uppington, of about £70. per annum value, but he refused them, because he would not be confined to a school. In 1717, the earl of Bradford presented him to the vicarage of High-Ercal, in the county of Salop, where he married one of the daughters of his predecessor, Mr. Blakeway, a virtuous gentlewoman, whose want of fortune was abundantly made up by good humour, and good To reward him for his prudent management at Wem, bishop Chandler conferred on him the rectory of Copenhall, in Cheshire, and afterwards a prebend in the church of Lichfield. Having now a large income, riches flowed in very fast, and he became a moneyed man. After he had been some years at Ercal, he began to be afflicted with the stone and gravel, for which, he could find no cure, though he tried various remedies, and amongst the celebrated Stephenso'. He died, November, 1750,

sense.

the

He was large of stature, inclining to be corpulent, careless of his dress. He did not distinguish himself as a preacher, or a scholar; but his family, and his preferments made him considerable among clergy. He had a due sense of religion, scorned to do an unjust thing, was charitable to the poor, hospitable to his acquaintance; but he

was a

and

little

The Curates of Wem.

troubled with vapours, too apt to resent any slight, and when provoked, to fall into a passion.

GEORGE TYLER was the next curate of Wem. in 1727, though ten years intervened between the resignation of Mr. Gardner, and his admission. He was born in or about London, where his mother lived, whilst his father was engaged in the sea service. Being left an orphan, without any provision for his subsistance, he was sent to his aunt Groom, at Wem. afterwards Mrs. Walford, who having no child of her own, entertained him as such. She maintained him at the free school, and afterwards at Trinity college, in Cambridge, where he took the degree of batchelor of arts, He was ordained at Ely, or Norwich, and having for some time assisted doctor Whitfield, at Hadenham, in the isle of Ely, he returned to Wem, and in 1720, succeeded Mr. Blakeway in his chapelry of Newtown. Not long after he married Ann, one of the daughters of Mr. Collier, of Petton, and vicar of Great Nesse. In 1727, Mr. Eyton removed him to Wem, and in 1736 procured him the rectory. of Petton. A little before Midsummer, in 1738, he was seized with a nervous disorder, which affected his head, and rendered him incapable of executing the duty of his curacy; whereupon, in November in the same year, he resigned it, and in 1741 returned. to his first curacy, that of Newtown chapel. His aunt Walford made him her heir, and left him a freehold.

The Curates of Wem.

per annum.

His uncle Tyler,

estate of about £30. of Darleston, left him £200. in money. And he had at least £45. a year from his rectory and curacy of Wem. And yet, though he had no child, no losses, no visible ways of expending more than ordinary, his building excepted, he consumed his income, and his estate, and left his widow only a house and garden. The house he built lies in Noble-Street, and now belongs to the Presbyterian meeting-house; which could he have foreseen, he would never have built it. He gave to Wem church, or rather executed the will of his aunt Walford, in giving a branch candlestick of brass, which cost him about £15. He died at Wem, January 14th, 1747, aged 52, and was buried in the church, with an inscription on the stone that covers him,

SAMUEL GARBET, my only son, succeeded, though not immediately, in the curacy of Wem, the place of his nativity and education, 1740. In 1734, he was admitted into Christ church college, Oxford, where he took the degrees of bachelor, and master of arts. He was ordained deacon, by doctor Peploe, bishop of Chester, and priest, by doctor Smallbroke, bishop of Lichfield, and Coventry, who pitched upon him to preach the ordination sermon. After he had continued above six years in this curacy, he found the duty incident to it, too great for a weak constitution ; and for this reason, chose to resign it at the end of

The Curates of Wem.

1746, and the next year accepted of the perpetual curacy of Newtown.

ARTHUR SPENDER succeeded him at Wem, March 25th, 1747. He was born in the parish of Cheswardine, in the county of Salop, educated at Newport, in the same county, from whence he was removed to Magdalen Hall, Oxford, where he took the degree of bachelor of arts. Whilst he was curate at St. Ives, in the county of Huntingdan, he married a gentlewoman of good fortune, who after she had borne him two sons, had the misfortune to grow melancholy, or distracted. Whilst he officiated under Mr. Pigot, at Tibberton, and Edgmond, in Shropshire, he prevailed on his father to sell a small estate at Cotton, in the parish of Wem; and with the money arising from it, he purchased the advowson of the vicarage of Hadlow, in Kent. In 1749, the old incumbent died, and Mr. Saxby, and lord Vane entered their caveats against Mr. Spender, who brought his quare impedit, and for a sum of money, got them to withdraw their caveats. June 24th, 1750, he resigned his curacy at Wem, and set out for his living, to which he had been instituted, and inducted, in the beginning of the year. He was tall, and corpulent, insomuch, that he was reported the biggest man in the parish. He was very diligent in visiting the sick, which gained him the esteem of many people. His reading of divine service was not

The Founder of Wein School.

at all agreeable; but he was much admired for his preaching; and no wonder that he was so, since hẻ preached the best sermons that he could procure, either in print, or M. S. being incapable of composing himself. He died in 1753.

GRIFFRITH JONES, M. A. of Jesus' college, Oxford, succeeded to this curacy, September 29th, 1750. He still retained his scholarship on that foundation; had about two years served one of the éures at Malpas, and doctor Moore was very desirous that he should continue longer. But he had prematurely engaged himself to doctor Eyton, who would not release him. He is an ingenious young mán, and has the character of a good preacher. But having a weak constitution, too great application to his studies, threw him into a consumption;' and that disorder increasing, his voice failed, his spirits sunk, and though he had great assistance, he was not able to do the business of the curacy, which he resigned on the 18th of July, 1751.

THE FOUNDER OF WEM SCHOOL.

SIR THOMAS ADAMS, KNIGHT AND BARONET.

NHE Adamses were originally settled in North

T

wood, a hamlet in the parish of Wem. There