Bishop Cartwright
Arms: Ermine a fess Sable between three fireballs inflamed.[1]

Thomas Cartwright (1634–1689) was an English bishop and diarist, known as a supporter of James II.[2]

Life

He was born and went to school in Northampton, and studied at the University of Oxford. He was first at Magdalen Hall, and then at Queen's College where he was tutored by Thomas Tully. He was ordained by Robert Skinner.[3][4]

He was vicar of Walthamstow from 1658 to 1662.[5] In 1660 he was made vicar of Barking by the Crown.[6] He became an ardent supporter of the Restoration monarchy, and was made dean of Durham in 1672.[7]

He was appointed bishop of Chester in 1686, by James II, whose favourite Anglican clergyman he was. The appointment caused much scandal, as his moral character was said to be very bad. He became a member of the King's Ecclesiastical Commission.[4] In October 1687 he was one of three Royal Commissioners, with Robert Wright and Sir Thomas Jenner, sent to Magdalen College, Oxford.[8] They removed all but three of the Fellows.

After the Glorious Revolution he followed James II into exile.[4] He died in Dublin, of dysentery, and is buried in Christ Church, Dublin. Despite his noted tolerance of the Roman Catholic faith, he refused firmly to convert to that communion on his death bed. [9][10]

Family

Cartwright married a woman named Wight, by whom he had a numerous family. His eldest son, John, was in holy orders, and obtained preferment by the influence of his father. Five other sons, Richard, Gervas, Charles, Thomas, Henry, and two daughters, Alicia and Sarah, are mentioned in Cartwright's Diary.[11]

Notes

  1. ↑ "The Armorial Bearings of the Bishops of Chester". Cheshire Heraldry Society. Retrieved 9 February 2021.
  2. ↑ "Early modern Chester 1550-1762: Religion, 1662-1762 | British History Online".
  3. ↑ "CARTWRIGHT, Thomas".
  4. 1 2 3 Concise Dictionary of National Biography
  5. ↑ "Walthamstow | British History Online".
  6. ↑ "The ancient parish of Barking: Abbeys and churches founded before 1830 | British History Online".
  7. ↑ "Canons of Durham: Fifth prebend | British History Online".
  8. ↑ "Magdalen College | British History Online".
  9. ↑ "Bishops of Chester | British History Online".
  10. ↑ Mullett, Michael. "Cartwright, Thomas". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/4821. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  11. ↑ Stephen, Leslie, ed. (1887). "Cartwright, Thomas (1634-1689)" . Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 9. London: Smith, Elder & Co.

Further reading

  • The Diary of Dr. Thomas Cartwright, Bishop of Chester (1843) Camden Society
Attribution

 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Stephen, Leslie, ed. (1887). "Cartwright, Thomas (1634-1689)". Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 9. London: Smith, Elder & Co.

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