The Diary of Dr. Thomas Cartwright, Bishop of Chester (1838)

BISHOP CARTWRIGHT was educated at Oxford, and is accordingly noticed by Wood, whose summary of the principal events of his life contains nearly all the information concerning him which the Reader will require as preparatory to the perusal of the following Diary.

" THOMAS CARTWRIGHT, son of Thomas Cartwright, sometimes schoolmaster of Brentwood in Essex, was born in the antient borough of Northampton, on the 1st Sept. 1634, educated in the school there, and being puritanically educated under Presbyterian parents, was sent to Magdalene Hall, where spending two terms in the study of logic, was forcibly put into Queen's College by the visitors appointed by parliament, anno 1649, and at that time he was put under the tuition of Mr. Thomas Tully. Afterwards he was made Tabarder and Chaplain of the College for a time; but before he was elected Fellow, he left the house (having before been ordained priest by Dr. Robert Skinner, Bishop of Oxon), and became vicar of Walthamstow in Essex, and a very forward and conndent preacher for the cause then in being. In 1659 I find him chaplain to John Robinson, Esq. Alderman, and then Sheriff of London, and a preacher at St. Mary Magdalene, in Milk Street; but whether he did then enjoy the vicarage of Barking in Essex, which he did after his Majesty's restoration, I cannot tell. After the King's return he showed himself very forward to express his loyalty, and was made domestic chaplain to Henry Duke of Gloucester, procured himself to be actually created Doctor of Divinity, though not of full standing for it; was made Prebendary of Twyford in the cathedral church of St. Paul, minister of St. Thomas Apostle in London, prebendary of Shalford in the church of Wells, and chaplain in ordinary to his Majesty. In Nov. 1672* he was installed Prebend of Durham, struck in on the death of Dr. Tully his quondam tutor, and was made Dean of Ripon, in the latter end of 1675. Afterwards putting in with great boldness before his seniors for a bishoprick, particularly that of St. David, but put aside by Dr. L. Womack, was at length made Bishop of Chester on the death of the most learned and religious Dr. John Pearson, to which see being consecrated with Dr. Lloyd to St. David, and Dr. Parker to Oxon, at Lambeth, on 17th Oct. 1686, had liberty then allowed to him to keep the vicarage of Barking, and the rectory of Wigan in Lancashire, which he before had obtained in commendam with his bishoprick. In the next year, he being then in favour with King James the Second, and ready upon all occasions to run with his humour, purposely to obtain a translation to a better bishoprick, he was by him not only added to the number of Ecclesiastical Commissioners, but also appointed one of the three Delegates or Commissioners (Sir Robert Wright, Chief Justice of the King's Bench, and Sir Thomas Jenner, one of the Barons of the Exchequer, being the other two,) to go to Oxon to examine and determine the affairs relating to Magdalene College, and what they did there in ejecting the President and Fellows thereof, a book, entitled, " An Impartial Relation of the illegal proceedings against St. Mary Magdalene College, in Oxon," &c. Lond. 1689, 4to. sec. edit, collected by a Fellow of that College, will at large tell you. At that time this Bishop making it his sole endeavour to be gracious with the then great and leading men, and to show himself in all public assemblies, particularly in those wherein the Roman Catholic Bishops were consecrated, he gained the ill-will so much of the sons of the Church of England, that when the Prince of Aurange made his expedition into England, he out of fear of suffering for what he had acted, and of the insults of the rabble (then committing great disorders in London and most parts of the nation), did withdraw himself in private, skulk, and in a disguise fled into France