Portington, Esquier, vijs vjd, and to my maistres hys wyfe vijs vjd, to bee good M and maistres to my wife and to my childer. Item I gyf to Agnes my wyfe my ambling gelding. Item I gyve to Richard Mores & Martyne my sones ij brasen morters, and whether of theme is maried further to haue my newe brasen morter. Item I will that Agnes my wife haue my farmeholde wiche I dwelle upon during her lyf naturall, and aftre her decease to remayne to Martyne Mores my sone. And yf the said Martyne dye w1out ishue, then I will the said farmeholde remayne to Ric' Mores my sone and his heires. And yf the said Richard dye wout ishue, then I will the said farmeholde remane to Alice Mores, Agnes, Margarete and Juliane Mores, my doughters, and theire heires during the yeares, as planlie dothe apere by a paire of Indentures maid betwixte Mr Portington, Esquyer, and me the said Robt Mores. Item my dettes paid, I will that Agnes my wyfe haue one part of my goodes throughout. Item I will my children haue a noder parte to her childe porčone. Itm I will haue the thirde parte for my fun'all expenses, so that my wyf shall haue xxvjs viijd, and Alice Mores my doughter vjs viijd, Agnes Mores my doghter xiijs iiijd, Margarete Mores my doughter xs, and Juliane Mores my doghter x3, to bee taken forthe of my parte. The residew of my parte to bee diuided amonge

all my children. Item I make Agnes my wyfe and Martine my soñe my executors to fulfill my will. Item I will that Rauf Graue, Wim Mores and John Mylnegate, bee my superuisors of this my present testamente and laste will, to see it trew performed, and eu'yone of theme to haue iijs iiijd for ther labor. Theis bering witnes, William Dyneley, gentleman, St John Haryson, curate, Thomas Lynley and John Brodley, with oder moo.-[Proved 26 July, 1537]

JOHN SMYTH, OF LEEDS.

(xi. 268 b.)

In Dei noie Amen: the xxiiijth day of Decembre, in the yeare of oure lord God m'vxxxvij. I John Smyth, of the parishing of Ledes, hoole of mynd and good rememorance, make thys my last wyll and testamente, as in forme foloweth. Fyrste I bequethe my soule to the m'cie of God, and to the p'yer of oure ladie and all sanctes, and my bodie to be buryed in the churche erthe of Ledes. And I will that my mortuarie bee payd according to the Kinges actes. Also I bequethe to my suster Dawson of Burlay a maire, and to her soñe Thomas xxxvj sheipe, and to Richard of Wod vs of golde. And of all oder my goodes moueable and unmoueable, I make my hoole and sole executour my broder Richard Smyth of Guisley parishe, to devide them among my frendes and to dispose theme for my soule at hys discretione, as shall seme hym beste and as my truste ys in hym for the same. Also I bequest to the hygh alter of Ledes xijd. Witnesses of thys will to be trewe, Cristofer Coites, John Admergyll, William Dawson, Richard Wod, with oder moo.-[ Proved 17 January, 1537-8.]

G. D. L.

The Life and Funeral Sermon of the

Rev. Richard Stretton, M.A.

FIRST MINISTER OF MILL HILL CHAPEL, LEEDS, 1672-1677.

THE following life of the Rev. Richard Stretton and his funeral sermon have been taken from a copy in Dr. Williams's Library, Gordon Square, London. Extracts from it have been printed in D. H. Atkinson's Ralph Thoresby: his Town and Times, vol. ii, pp. 198 and 256, but a complete copy will doubtless be acceptable to the members of the Thoresby Society. It may here be added that Mr. Stretton's Bible is in the possession of the Rev. Charles Hargrove, the present minister at Mill Hill Chapel, who has kindly supplied the following transcript.

A

SERMON

Preach'd at

HABERDASHERS HALL,

July the 13th, 1712,

On Occasion of the

DEATH

Of the Reverend

Mr. RICHARD STRETTON, M.A.,
and Minister of the Gospel.

Who dy'd July the 3d. Aged Eighty.

By Matthew Henry, Minister
of the Gospel.

To which is added,

A Short Account of his LIFE.

London:

Printed for J. Lawrence, at the Angel in the Poultry; R. Robinson, at the Golden Lion in St. Paul's Church-yard; N. Cliffe, and D. Jackson, at the Bible and Three Crowns in Cheapside. 1712.

A

Short Account' of the

LIFE
of

Mr. RICHARD STRETTON.

He was the Son of Mr. William Stretton, of Great Cleybrook, near Lutterworth, in Leicestershire, where he was born, but was descended from the Strettons, of Stretton, in that County.

He was born about the Year 1632, but the exact Time of his Birth could not be recover'd, for this Reason; his Father being a Puritan, and the Minister of his Parish such a one as he could not with Satisfaction bring his Child to be baptiz'd by, he procur'd one Mr. Moor to baptize him, who was a Puritan Minister in the Neighborhood; and so he was not registered in the Church-Book.

He often spoke of it as an instance of God's Goodness to him, that he enabled his Father, though he had many Children, to bring him up a Scholar.

1 Thoresby wrote in his diary on 19 July, 1712:—“In the evening I walked to Goodman fields, to Mr. Stretton's, to persuade the printing some memoirs of his late excellent father, and to add his picture from the original, which he seemed inclinable to, and I promised what poor assistance lay in my power." And on 26 July, 1712, that "I walked from Lincoln's-Inn-fields quite through the City to Mr. Stretton's, at Goodman fields, to give him the memoirs I had drawn up of his late excellent father, to be inserted in his Life, shortly to be published, with the funeral sermon, by Mr. Henry." (Hunter, ii, pp. 142 and 146.) Matthew Henry was then minister at Mare Street, Hackney, having commenced his ministry there 18 May, 1712. His Commentary went through many editions. (See Dictionary of National Biography.) The pedigrees in Nichol's History of Leicestershire show no connection between Mr. Stretton and the Strettons of Stretton.

2 The Rev. C. T. Hayter, the vicar of Claybrooke, has written to say that, according to the History and Antiquities of Claybrooke, by Aubrey Macaulay, 1791 (uncle to Lord Macaulay), Gervas Aldred was vicar from 1623 to 1642. Macaulay mentions that William Stretton had property in Great Claybrooke in 1694, and that Thomas Stretton had property in Little Claybrooke in 1733; also that William Stretton, late of Lower Claybrooke (or Great Claybrooke), gave by his will to the poor of the said town 5, to be put out to interest by the minister and churchwardens, and the interest to be applied from time to time, for the use of the poor aforesaid, in such manner as the minister and churchwardens shall think fit and expedient. Thomas and Mary Stretton, of Wiltoft, were owners of land in Little Claybrooke in 1681.

3 Probably John Moor (1595?-1657), of Exeter College, Oxford; rector of Knaptoft, 1638, of Lutterworth, 1647; preached and wrote against enclosures. (Dictionary of National Biography.)

He had his Academical Education at New Colledge, in Oxford, and was Chaplain of the Colledge, as the noted Bishop Gunning' had been some Time before.

He commenc'd Master of Arts, July 9, 16582 (praestitis exercitiis per Statuta requisitis), as appears by a Testimonial under the Hand of the University Register.

In the beginning of that Year, having past through not only his Time, but his Studies in the University, he went to be Assistant to Dr. Cheynel, at Petworth, in Sussex, a great Living.

Soon after his Settlement there, he was publickly and solemnly ordained, and set apart to the Office of a Preaching Presbyter (so the Testimonial of his Ordination runs) and the Work of the Ministry, with Fasting, Prayer, and the Imposition of the Hands of Six Presbyters, in the Parish Church of Arundel, October 26, 1658. He having given sufficient Testimony of his competent Age, his unblameable Life and Conversation, of his Diligence and Proficiency in his Studies, and of his fair and direct Calling to the fore-mentioned Place; and they upon Examination finding him to be duly qualified and gifted for that Holy Office and Employment.

He continued at Petworth till Michaelmas, 1660, when Dr. Cheynel was put out to make Room for Dr. King, Bishop of Chichester. Mr. Stretton, however, staid, and preach'd there till November (as Dr. Calamy's Account is), having two friends, viz. Captain Taylor and Mr. Bernard, who were very great with the Bishop, and prevented him sending down any other. The Bishop by them offer'd Mr. Stretton 100 per Annum and the Choice of any Prebend he had that was vacant, if he would be his Curate at Petworth; but Mr. Stretton not being satisfied to conform, declin'd it; and upon the Bishop's sending another down to the Place, he quitted it.

1 Peter Gunning (1614-1684), Bishop of Chichester, 1669-75, and of Ely, 1675 until his death, 6 July, 1684. (Foster's Alumni Oxon., and Dictionary of National Biography.)

2 Matriculated 27 November, 1652 (subscribed "Streaton"); B.A. 16 March, 1655-6. (Foster's Alumni Oxon.) Oliver Heywood referred to him as Mr. Streaton.'

3 Francis Cheynel (1608-1665) was D.D. 24 July, 1649, president of St. John's College, 1648-50, Margaret professor of divinity, 1648-52, one of the assembly of divines, 1643. (Foster's Alumni Oxon.) See Calamy's Nonconformist Memorial, 2nd ed., vol. iii, p. 324, and the Dictionary of National Biography. Calamy states that Petworth was worth £700 per annum. Cheynell pestered the theologian, William Chillingworth, prebendary of Salisbury, when a prisoner, by his exhortations, and harassed his last hours. Cheynell appeared at Chillingworth's funeral in 1644, and after a long speech denouncing his heresies, flung a copy of his ' Religion of Protestants' into the grave that it might rot with its author, and see corruption. (Dictionary of National Biography, s.v. Chillingworth.)

Coming to London, quite at a loss how to dispose of himself, Mr. James Nalton' providentially met him in the Street; and having been spoken to by the Lord Fairfax to recommend a Chaplain to him, he presently brought Mr. Stretton to him; and upon his Recommendation my Lord accepted of him, and took him down with him to his Seat in Yorkshire, and soon found himself and his Family very happy in having such a skilful, faithful helper in the Things of God.

2

While he was Chaplain to my Lord Fairfax he married Deborah, Daughter of Mr. Robert Moreton, that excellent, pious, useful Man, that was some Time Minister at Church-Lawford, near Coventry, and Sister to Dr. Richard Moreton, who was turn'd out at Kinver, in Staffordshire, and afterwards was a very eminent Physician in London, and one of the Colledge. By her he had a Child or two born while he was in my Lord's Family, and great Respect was show'd him by the whole Family.

He continued there till my Lord Fairfax dy'd, preach'd his Funeral Sermon, which is in Manuscript in many Hands; as is also a Sermon preach'd while he was there on Occasion of the Marriage of a Relation of my Lord's.

My Lord was so wonderfully pleas'd with his great Piety and Prudence, and excellent Behaviour in his Family, that at his Marriage he settled a very considerable Annuity upon him for his and his

1 Nalton (1600?-1662) was commonly called "the Weeping Prophet." M.A. Trinity College, Cambridge, 1623; incumbent of St. Leonard's, Foster Lane, London, 1644-62; concerned in Love's plot, 1651. (Dictionary of National Biography.) See Calamy's Nonconformist Memorial, vol. i, p. 142.

2 For an account of Dr. Richard Morton (1637-1698) see Calamy's Nonconformist Memorial, 2nd ed., vol. iii, p. 235, and the Dictionary of National Biography.

3 Lord Fairfax died of a fever after a short illness at Nun Appleton, on November 12, 1671, and was buried at Bilbrough Church. His will and codicil are printed in his Life by Sir Clements R. Markham, p. 440. The codicil contains the following:-"Item I give to Mr. Richard Stretton, my Domesticke Chaplain, all my Tythes of Bilbrough and Sandwath, in the County of the Cittie of Yorke, for and duringe the terme of threescore yeares, if hee, the said Richard Stretton, doe soe longe live, Provided hee doe supply the office of a preachinge Minister there or procure one to doe itt, and afterwards the remainder in fee of the said Tythes I give to Henry Fairfax, of Oglethorpe aforesaid, and his heirs and assignes for ever, to the use and behoofe of a preachinge minister there, to be nominated by the said Henry Fairfax and his heires. Item I give to Mr. Richard Stretton aforesaid one sett of the great polyglott Bibles. Item I give to Thomas Stretton, sonne of the said Richard Stretton, the sume of Tenn pounds." Lord Fairfax also gave £100 for twenty poor ministers, to be nominated by Stretton and three other ministers. An extract from the funeral sermon is preserved at Leeds Castle. (Ibid., p. 399, note.)