Henry Wilkinson (canon)
Encyclopedia
Henry Wilkinson was an English clergyman, in the Commonwealth period a canon of Christ Church, Oxford
, Lady Margaret professor of divinity
, and member of the Westminster Assembly
. Later he was a nonconformist preacher.
, and in December 1640 was restored by the committee of religion of that body, who ordered the sermon to be printed.
Subsequently Wilkinson moved to London, was appointed minister of St. Faith's under St. Paul's, chosen a member of the Westminster Assembly, and in 1645 became rector of St. Dunstan's-in-the-East. In 1646 he was one of the six preachers despatched by the Long parliament to Oxford, where he was chosen senior fellow of Magdalen, and deputed a parliamentary visitor. On 12 April 1648 he was appointed canon of Christ Church on the expulsion of Dr. Thomas Iles. He was created D.D. on 24 July 1649, and elected Lady Margaret professor of divinity on 12 July 1652, which office he filled until 1662. In 1654 he served on the commission for ejecting scandalous ministers from Oxfordshire. He was known in Oxford as 'Long Harry' or 'senior' to distinguish him from another Henry Wilkinson (1616–1690) known as 'Dean Harry'.
After the Restoration he was ejected from his professorship by the king's commissioners and left Oxford. Wilkinson preached first at All Hallows, Lombard Street, and afterwards at Clapham
. A conventicle
of sixty or more persons to whom he was preaching was broken up at Camberwell
in August 1665. After the 'indulgence' he took out a license on 2 April 1672 for his house or the schoolhouse at Clapham to be a presbyterian meeting-house. He was well known around London as a preacher, and when he died on 5 June 1675. either at Deptford
or Putney
, his body was conducted by many hundreds of persons to Drapers' Hall, and thence to its burial in St. Dunstan's Church. Some of his sermons were published in Samuel Annesley
’s Morning Exercise, 1661, and Supplement, 1674 (republished in 1844).
, Buckinghamshire, on 4 March 1610. His father, who was elected fellow of Merton College, Oxford
, in 1586, was created B.D. on 7 July 1597, and was from 1601 till his death on 19 March 1647 rector of Waddesdon. He was chosen one of the Westminster divines in 1643; he published A Catechism (4th edit. London, 1637), and The Debt Book, or a Treatise upon Rom. xiii. 8 (London, 1625). By his wife Sarah, daughter of Arthur Wake of Salcey Forest, Northamptonshire, and sister of Sir Isaac Wake, he had six sons and three daughters.
According to Anthony à Wood Henry married 'a woman called the lady Carr,' and in his will he mentions one son and two daughters.
Christ Church, Oxford
Christ Church or house of Christ, and thus sometimes known as The House), is one of the largest constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England...
, Lady Margaret professor of divinity
Lady Margaret Professor of Divinity
Lady Margaret Professor of Divinity may refer to two theology professorships:* Lady Margaret Professor * Lady Margaret's Professor of Divinity...
, and member of the Westminster Assembly
Westminster Assembly
The Westminster Assembly of Divines was appointed by the Long Parliament to restructure the Church of England. It also included representatives of religious leaders from Scotland...
. Later he was a nonconformist preacher.
Life
He matriculated at Magdalen Hall, Oxford, on 14 February 1623, aged 12, graduated B.A. on 25 November 1626, M.A. on 11 June 1629, and B.D. on 16 November 1638. He preached in and about Oxford; for a sermon attacking some of the ceremonies of the church, preached at St. Mary's on 6 September 1640, Wilkinson was suspended from his divinity lecture, and from all his priestly functions in the university until he should recant. He appealed to the Long parliamentLong Parliament
The Long Parliament was made on 3 November 1640, following the Bishops' Wars. It received its name from the fact that through an Act of Parliament, it could only be dissolved with the agreement of the members, and those members did not agree to its dissolution until after the English Civil War and...
, and in December 1640 was restored by the committee of religion of that body, who ordered the sermon to be printed.
Subsequently Wilkinson moved to London, was appointed minister of St. Faith's under St. Paul's, chosen a member of the Westminster Assembly, and in 1645 became rector of St. Dunstan's-in-the-East. In 1646 he was one of the six preachers despatched by the Long parliament to Oxford, where he was chosen senior fellow of Magdalen, and deputed a parliamentary visitor. On 12 April 1648 he was appointed canon of Christ Church on the expulsion of Dr. Thomas Iles. He was created D.D. on 24 July 1649, and elected Lady Margaret professor of divinity on 12 July 1652, which office he filled until 1662. In 1654 he served on the commission for ejecting scandalous ministers from Oxfordshire. He was known in Oxford as 'Long Harry' or 'senior' to distinguish him from another Henry Wilkinson (1616–1690) known as 'Dean Harry'.
After the Restoration he was ejected from his professorship by the king's commissioners and left Oxford. Wilkinson preached first at All Hallows, Lombard Street, and afterwards at Clapham
Clapham
Clapham is a district in south London, England, within the London Borough of Lambeth.Clapham covers the postcodes of SW4 and parts of SW9, SW8 and SW12. Clapham Common is shared with the London Borough of Wandsworth, although Lambeth has responsibility for running the common as a whole. According...
. A conventicle
Conventicle
A conventicle is a small, unofficial and unofficiated meeting of laypeople, to discuss religious issues in a non-threatening, intimate manner. Philipp Jakob Spener called for such associations in his Pia Desideria, and they were the foundation of the German Evangelical Lutheran Pietist movement...
of sixty or more persons to whom he was preaching was broken up at Camberwell
Camberwell
Camberwell is a district of south London, England, and forms part of the London Borough of Southwark. It is a built-up inner city district located southeast of Charing Cross. To the west it has a boundary with the London Borough of Lambeth.-Toponymy:...
in August 1665. After the 'indulgence' he took out a license on 2 April 1672 for his house or the schoolhouse at Clapham to be a presbyterian meeting-house. He was well known around London as a preacher, and when he died on 5 June 1675. either at Deptford
Deptford
Deptford is a district of south London, England, located on the south bank of the River Thames. It is named after a ford of the River Ravensbourne, and from the mid 16th century to the late 19th was home to Deptford Dockyard, the first of the Royal Navy Dockyards.Deptford and the docks are...
or Putney
Putney
Putney is a district in south-west London, England, located in the London Borough of Wandsworth. It is situated south-west of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London....
, his body was conducted by many hundreds of persons to Drapers' Hall, and thence to its burial in St. Dunstan's Church. Some of his sermons were published in Samuel Annesley
Samuel Annesley
Samuel Annesley was a prominent Puritan and nonconformist pastor, best known for the sermons he collected as the series of Morning Exercises.-Life:...
’s Morning Exercise, 1661, and Supplement, 1674 (republished in 1844).
Family
He was son of Henry Wilkinson (“the elder”) (1566–1647), by his wife Sarah, and was born at WaddesdonWaddesdon
Waddesdon is a village within the Aylesbury Vale district in Buckinghamshire, England, 6 miles from Aylesbury on the A41 road. The centre of a civil parish, including the hamlets of Eythrope, Wormstone and Woodham, Waddesdon was an agricultural settlement with milling, silk weaving and lace making...
, Buckinghamshire, on 4 March 1610. His father, who was elected fellow of Merton College, Oxford
Merton College, Oxford
Merton College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Its foundation can be traced back to the 1260s when Walter de Merton, chancellor to Henry III and later to Edward I, first drew up statutes for an independent academic community and established endowments to...
, in 1586, was created B.D. on 7 July 1597, and was from 1601 till his death on 19 March 1647 rector of Waddesdon. He was chosen one of the Westminster divines in 1643; he published A Catechism (4th edit. London, 1637), and The Debt Book, or a Treatise upon Rom. xiii. 8 (London, 1625). By his wife Sarah, daughter of Arthur Wake of Salcey Forest, Northamptonshire, and sister of Sir Isaac Wake, he had six sons and three daughters.
According to Anthony à Wood Henry married 'a woman called the lady Carr,' and in his will he mentions one son and two daughters.