John Oxenbridge
Encyclopedia
John Oxenbridge was an English Nonconformist divine, who emigrated to New England
.
, Northamptonshire
, and was educated at Emmanuel College, Cambridge
, and Magdalen Hall, Oxford (B.A. 1628, M.A. 1631).
As tutor of Magdalen Hall he drew up a new code of articles referring to the government of the college. He was, as a consequence, deprived of his office in May 1634, by William Laud
. He began to preach, with a similar disregard for constituted authority.
After voyages to the Bermudas he returned to England (1641), and after exercising an itinerant and unattached ministry settled for some months in Great Yarmouth
and then at Beverley
. During the Civil War he was lecturer at St. Mary's, York
, and helped negotiate the surrender of Scarborough Castle
.
He was minister at Berwick-on-Tweed when in October 1652 he was appointed a fellow of Eton College
. In 1653 he was made a commissioner with responsibility for the Bermudas. At Eton in 1658 he preached the funeral sermon of Francis Rous
, the provost; in 1660 he was ejected. He returned to his preaching at Berwick-on-Tweed, but was expelled by the Act of Uniformity
in 1662.
After spending some time in the West Indies (Surinam and Barbados
) he settled (1670) at Boston, Massachusetts. There he was ordained minister of the First Church in Boston
, succeeding John Davenport as pastor.
, who was their friend, wrote an epitaph Janae Oxenbrigiae Epitaphium for her tomb at Eton. It was defaced at the Restoration. His second wife (d. 1659) was Frances Woodward, daughter of Hezekiah Woodward
, ejected vicar of Bray; his third was a widow whom he met at Barbados
. Oxenbridge died in 1674 and was buried in King's Chapel Burying Ground
in Boston.
His sister Elizabeth married Oliver St John
, as his second wife.
His daughter Theodora married Peter Thacher (1651-1727).
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
.
Life
He was born at DaventryDaventry
Daventry is a market town in Northamptonshire, England, with a population of 22,367 .-Geography:The town is also the administrative centre of the larger Daventry district, which has a population of 71,838. The town is 77 miles north-northwest of London, 13.9 miles west of Northampton and 10.2...
, Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire is a landlocked county in the English East Midlands, with a population of 629,676 as at the 2001 census. It has boundaries with the ceremonial counties of Warwickshire to the west, Leicestershire and Rutland to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshire to the south-east,...
, and was educated at Emmanuel College, Cambridge
Emmanuel College, Cambridge
Emmanuel College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge.The college was founded in 1584 by Sir Walter Mildmay on the site of a Dominican friary...
, and Magdalen Hall, Oxford (B.A. 1628, M.A. 1631).
As tutor of Magdalen Hall he drew up a new code of articles referring to the government of the college. He was, as a consequence, deprived of his office in May 1634, by William Laud
William Laud
William Laud was Archbishop of Canterbury from 1633 to 1645. One of the High Church Caroline divines, he opposed radical forms of Puritanism...
. He began to preach, with a similar disregard for constituted authority.
After voyages to the Bermudas he returned to England (1641), and after exercising an itinerant and unattached ministry settled for some months in Great Yarmouth
Great Yarmouth
Great Yarmouth, often known to locals as Yarmouth, is a coastal town in Norfolk, England. It is at the mouth of the River Yare, east of Norwich.It has been a seaside resort since 1760, and is the gateway from the Norfolk Broads to the sea...
and then at Beverley
Beverley
Beverley is a market town, civil parish and the county town of the East Riding of Yorkshire, England, located between the River Hull and the Westwood. The town is noted for Beverley Minster and architecturally-significant religious buildings along New Walk and other areas, as well as the Beverley...
. During the Civil War he was lecturer at St. Mary's, York
York
York is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence...
, and helped negotiate the surrender of Scarborough Castle
Scarborough Castle
Scarborough Castle is a former medieval Royal fortress situated on a rocky promontory overlooking the North Sea and Scarborough, North Yorkshire, England...
.
He was minister at Berwick-on-Tweed when in October 1652 he was appointed a fellow of Eton College
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
. In 1653 he was made a commissioner with responsibility for the Bermudas. At Eton in 1658 he preached the funeral sermon of Francis Rous
Francis Rous
Francis Rous or Rouse was an English politician and a prominent Puritan. He was also Provost of Eton, and wrote several theological and devotional works.-Early life:...
, the provost; in 1660 he was ejected. He returned to his preaching at Berwick-on-Tweed, but was expelled by the Act of Uniformity
Act of Uniformity
Over the course of English parliamentary history there were a number of acts of uniformity. All had the basic object of establishing some sort of religious orthodoxy within the English church....
in 1662.
After spending some time in the West Indies (Surinam and Barbados
Barbados
Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles. It is in length and as much as in width, amounting to . It is situated in the western area of the North Atlantic and 100 kilometres east of the Windward Islands and the Caribbean Sea; therein, it is about east of the islands of Saint...
) he settled (1670) at Boston, Massachusetts. There he was ordained minister of the First Church in Boston
First Church in Boston
First Church in Boston is a Unitarian Universalist Church founded in 1630 by John Winthrop's original Puritan settlement in Boston, Massachusetts. The current building is on 66 Marlborough Street in Boston.-History:...
, succeeding John Davenport as pastor.
Works
Two sermons are all that he published. The first, A Quickening Word (1670), is well known. It was followed by New England Freemen Warned and Warmed (1673), in support of the traditional colonial liberties.Family
His first wife (d. 1658) was "a scholar beyond what was usual in her sex," and Andrew MarvellAndrew Marvell
Andrew Marvell was an English metaphysical poet, Parliamentarian, and the son of a Church of England clergyman . As a metaphysical poet, he is associated with John Donne and George Herbert...
, who was their friend, wrote an epitaph Janae Oxenbrigiae Epitaphium for her tomb at Eton. It was defaced at the Restoration. His second wife (d. 1659) was Frances Woodward, daughter of Hezekiah Woodward
Hezekiah Woodward
Hezekiah Woodward was an English nonconformist minister and educator, also involved in the pamphlet wars of the 1640s. He was a Comenian in educational theory, and an associate of Samuel Hartlib. He was one of those articulating the Puritan argument against the celebration of Christmas.-Life:In...
, ejected vicar of Bray; his third was a widow whom he met at Barbados
Barbados
Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles. It is in length and as much as in width, amounting to . It is situated in the western area of the North Atlantic and 100 kilometres east of the Windward Islands and the Caribbean Sea; therein, it is about east of the islands of Saint...
. Oxenbridge died in 1674 and was buried in King's Chapel Burying Ground
King's Chapel Burying Ground
King's Chapel Burying Ground is a historic cemetery at King's Chapel on Tremont Street in Boston, Massachusetts. It is the oldest cemetery in the city and is a site on the Freedom Trail....
in Boston.
His sister Elizabeth married Oliver St John
Oliver St John
Sir Oliver St John , was an English judge and politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1640 to 1653. He supported the Parliamentary cause in the English Civil War.- Early life :...
, as his second wife.
His daughter Theodora married Peter Thacher (1651-1727).