Jonathan Smedley
Encyclopedia
Jonathan Smedley was an Anglo-Irish
churchman who became Dean of Clogher. He was an opportunist and satirical victim who engaged in a polemic with Jonathan Swift
and the forces of the Tory party
.
from Trinity College
in 1698 and served as a chaplain
in the British Army before getting a parish in County Cork
in 1709. Despite having that office, he spent as much time as he could in Dublin and away from his parish.
When Jonathan Swift was made dean of St. Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin
, Smedley pinned derogatory verses on the cathedral door, denouncing Swift. At that point, the Tory party was still in power in England
, but the Whig party
was ascendant. In 1715, just after the first Jacobite rebellion
, Smedley was chosen to preach in for the Protestants
. His sermon was full of invective for the High church
position, and he accused the high churchmen of weakening the Church of England
for an overthrow by the Roman Catholic Church
, which was always scheming to take control.
In 1718, he again attacked high churchmen with A Rational and Historical Account of the Principles which Gave Birth to the Late Rebellion. This prompted Swift to respond from the pulpit to a sermon preached by "that scoundrel Smedley." Smedley again accused the high church of being in the Pope
's service, and he further sees the great hope of England with only the House of Hanover
and the dissenter
s (i.e. the remnants of the Puritan
movement and the churches arising from it). He was further spending as much time in London
as he was able and lobbying to get further preferment in the church. He did this by publishing nine of his sermons in 1719, and in 1721, 1723, and 1730 he published collections of his verses (at each juncture a time when Smedley was seeking preferment).
Richard Steele
became one of Smedley's champions. He argued that Smedley had suffered persecution for his Whig views before 1714 (and the death of Queen Anne
) and his tirelessness in the righteous causes of Protestantism. Smedley was given the deanery of Killala
in western Ireland. He may not have spent much time at his new cathedral
, and he presented himself as often as possible to the public as an anti-Swift, as the real "Dean Jonathan." In 1724 he resigned the cathedral of Killala for the cathedral at Clogher
, which put him in the thick of the political life of Dublin and gave him easy shipping for London. He apparently wished to exchange that cathedral for a position in England itself.
In 1728 Smedley was made one of the bad examples in Alexander Pope
's The Dunciad
. Pope has Smedley among the muck-divers in Book II of the poem, where Smedley dives into the sewage and filth of Fleet Ditch and, though presumed dead, reemerges some 34 lines later with a lengthy tale of his exploits beneath the mud. That year, Smedley attacked Swift again in Gulliveriana and also attempted to attack Pope. Swift replied with The Duke's Answer. During this time Smedley attempted to get subscriptions for a projected A Universal View of All the Eminent Writers on the Holy Scriptures, but this came to nought.
Smedley was unable or unwilling to live within his income, and he mortgaged part of his deanery in Clogher to Benjamin Hoadley, then a rising figure in the political side of the Church. In 1729, Smedley resigned Clogher for the position of chaplain to Fort Madras in the British East India Company
. He died en route on March 30, 1729 and was buried at sea. It later emerged that he had even sold his position of chaplain for £500 to someone in Madras.
Pope left Smedley in a position of infamy in the Dunciad B, and Swift, with Thomas Sheridan, attacked Smedley after his death in The Intelligencer #20 with "Dean Smedley Gone to Seek His Fortune," where he says that the man was "of Dullness, Pride, Conceit, a medley."
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
churchman who became Dean of Clogher. He was an opportunist and satirical victim who engaged in a polemic with Jonathan Swift
Jonathan Swift
Jonathan Swift was an Irish satirist, essayist, political pamphleteer , poet and cleric who became Dean of St...
and the forces of the Tory party
Tory
Toryism is a traditionalist and conservative political philosophy which grew out of the Cavalier faction in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. It is a prominent ideology in the politics of the United Kingdom, but also features in parts of The Commonwealth, particularly in Canada...
.
Life
He was born in Dublin, Ireland, received his MAMaster of Arts (Oxbridge)
In the Universities of Oxford, Cambridge and Dublin, Bachelors of Arts of these universities are admitted to the degree of Master of Arts or Master in Arts on application after six or seven years' seniority as members of the university .There is no examination or study required for the degree...
from Trinity College
Trinity College, Dublin
Trinity College, Dublin , formally known as the College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Queen Elizabeth near Dublin, was founded in 1592 by letters patent from Queen Elizabeth I as the "mother of a university", Extracts from Letters Patent of Elizabeth I, 1592: "...we...found and...
in 1698 and served as a chaplain
Chaplain
Traditionally, a chaplain is a minister in a specialized setting such as a priest, pastor, rabbi, or imam or lay representative of a religion attached to a secular institution such as a hospital, prison, military unit, police department, university, or private chapel...
in the British Army before getting a parish in County Cork
County Cork
County Cork is a county in Ireland. It is located in the South-West Region and is also part of the province of Munster. It is named after the city of Cork . Cork County Council is the local authority for the county...
in 1709. Despite having that office, he spent as much time as he could in Dublin and away from his parish.
When Jonathan Swift was made dean of St. Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin
St. Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin
Saint Patrick's Cathedral , or more formally, the Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary and St Patrick is a cathedral of the Church of Ireland in Dublin, Ireland which was founded in 1191. The Church has designated it as The National Cathedral of Ireland...
, Smedley pinned derogatory verses on the cathedral door, denouncing Swift. At that point, the Tory party was still in power in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, but the Whig party
British Whig Party
The Whigs were a party in the Parliament of England, Parliament of Great Britain, and Parliament of the United Kingdom, who contested power with the rival Tories from the 1680s to the 1850s. The Whigs' origin lay in constitutional monarchism and opposition to absolute rule...
was ascendant. In 1715, just after the first Jacobite rebellion
Jacobite rising
The Jacobite Risings were a series of uprisings, rebellions, and wars in Great Britain and Ireland occurring between 1688 and 1746. The uprisings were aimed at returning James VII of Scotland and II of England, and later his descendants of the House of Stuart, to the throne after he was deposed by...
, Smedley was chosen to preach in for the Protestants
Protestantism
Protestantism is one of the three major groupings within Christianity. It is a movement that began in Germany in the early 16th century as a reaction against medieval Roman Catholic doctrines and practices, especially in regards to salvation, justification, and ecclesiology.The doctrines of the...
. His sermon was full of invective for the High church
High church
The term "High Church" refers to beliefs and practices of ecclesiology, liturgy and theology, generally with an emphasis on formality, and resistance to "modernization." Although used in connection with various Christian traditions, the term has traditionally been principally associated with the...
position, and he accused the high churchmen of weakening the Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
for an overthrow by the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
, which was always scheming to take control.
In 1718, he again attacked high churchmen with A Rational and Historical Account of the Principles which Gave Birth to the Late Rebellion. This prompted Swift to respond from the pulpit to a sermon preached by "that scoundrel Smedley." Smedley again accused the high church of being in the Pope
Pope
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...
's service, and he further sees the great hope of England with only the House of Hanover
House of Hanover
The House of Hanover is a deposed German royal dynasty which has ruled the Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg , the Kingdom of Hanover, the Kingdom of Great Britain, the Kingdom of Ireland and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland...
and the dissenter
Dissenter
The term dissenter , labels one who disagrees in matters of opinion, belief, etc. In the social and religious history of England and Wales, however, it refers particularly to a member of a religious body who has, for one reason or another, separated from the Established Church.Originally, the term...
s (i.e. the remnants of the Puritan
Puritan
The Puritans were a significant grouping of English Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries. Puritanism in this sense was founded by some Marian exiles from the clergy shortly after the accession of Elizabeth I of England in 1558, as an activist movement within the Church of England...
movement and the churches arising from it). He was further spending as much time in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
as he was able and lobbying to get further preferment in the church. He did this by publishing nine of his sermons in 1719, and in 1721, 1723, and 1730 he published collections of his verses (at each juncture a time when Smedley was seeking preferment).
Richard Steele
Richard Steele
Sir Richard Steele was an Irish writer and politician, remembered as co-founder, with his friend Joseph Addison, of the magazine The Spectator....
became one of Smedley's champions. He argued that Smedley had suffered persecution for his Whig views before 1714 (and the death of Queen Anne
Anne of Great Britain
Anne ascended the thrones of England, Scotland and Ireland on 8 March 1702. On 1 May 1707, under the Act of Union, two of her realms, England and Scotland, were united as a single sovereign state, the Kingdom of Great Britain.Anne's Catholic father, James II and VII, was deposed during the...
) and his tirelessness in the righteous causes of Protestantism. Smedley was given the deanery of Killala
Killala
Killala is a village in County Mayo in Ireland, north of Ballina. The railway line from Dublin to Ballina once extended to Killala. To the west of Killala is a Townsplots West , which contains numerous ancient forts.- History :...
in western Ireland. He may not have spent much time at his new cathedral
Cathedral
A cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop...
, and he presented himself as often as possible to the public as an anti-Swift, as the real "Dean Jonathan." In 1724 he resigned the cathedral of Killala for the cathedral at Clogher
Clogher
Clogher is a village in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It lies on the River Blackwater, south of Omagh. The United Kingdom Census of 2001 recorded a population of 309.-History:...
, which put him in the thick of the political life of Dublin and gave him easy shipping for London. He apparently wished to exchange that cathedral for a position in England itself.
In 1728 Smedley was made one of the bad examples in Alexander Pope
Alexander Pope
Alexander Pope was an 18th-century English poet, best known for his satirical verse and for his translation of Homer. He is the third-most frequently quoted writer in The Oxford Dictionary of Quotations, after Shakespeare and Tennyson...
's The Dunciad
The Dunciad
The Dunciad is a landmark literary satire by Alexander Pope published in three different versions at different times. The first version was published in 1728 anonymously. The second version, the Dunciad Variorum was published anonymously in 1729. The New Dunciad, in four books and with a...
. Pope has Smedley among the muck-divers in Book II of the poem, where Smedley dives into the sewage and filth of Fleet Ditch and, though presumed dead, reemerges some 34 lines later with a lengthy tale of his exploits beneath the mud. That year, Smedley attacked Swift again in Gulliveriana and also attempted to attack Pope. Swift replied with The Duke's Answer. During this time Smedley attempted to get subscriptions for a projected A Universal View of All the Eminent Writers on the Holy Scriptures, but this came to nought.
Smedley was unable or unwilling to live within his income, and he mortgaged part of his deanery in Clogher to Benjamin Hoadley, then a rising figure in the political side of the Church. In 1729, Smedley resigned Clogher for the position of chaplain to Fort Madras in the British East India Company
British East India Company
The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
. He died en route on March 30, 1729 and was buried at sea. It later emerged that he had even sold his position of chaplain for £500 to someone in Madras.
Pope left Smedley in a position of infamy in the Dunciad B, and Swift, with Thomas Sheridan, attacked Smedley after his death in The Intelligencer #20 with "Dean Smedley Gone to Seek His Fortune," where he says that the man was "of Dullness, Pride, Conceit, a medley."