John Law (bishop)
Encyclopedia
John Law DD
(1745–1810) was an English
mathematician
and clergy
man who began his career as a Fellow
of Christ's College, Cambridge
, and went on to become chaplain
to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland
and Church of Ireland
bishop
of Clonfert and Kilmacduagh
(1782–1787), Killala and Achonry
(1787-1795), and finally of Elphin (1795–1810).
He was a lifelong friend and correspondent of the philosopher
William Paley
.
, later Bishop of Carlisle
, Law was born at Greystoke
in Cumberland
, where his father was rector
. He was educated at Charterhouse School
and Christ's College, Cambridge
, where in 1766 he graduated Bachelor of Arts
with first-class honours in the Mathematical Tripos and was named as second Wrangler. He proceeded Master of Arts in 1769.
of Christ's and an Anglican
clergy
man, and spent several years as a tutor
and lecturer
at Cambridge. In 1773 his father gave him his first benefice
s, as vicar
of Warkworth
, Northumberland
, and as prebendary
of Carlisle. In 1777 he was promoted Archdeacon
of Carlisle. In April 1782, he went to Ireland
as chaplain
to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland
, William Cavendish-Bentinck, 3rd Duke of Portland
, who had large estates in Cumberland
.
Law was quickly nominated as Bishop of Clonfert and Kilmacduagh
on 26 July 1782 and consecrated on 21 September. The same year, he graduated Doctor of Divinity
. The appointment to Clonfert was unexpected. It was later reported that the Duke of Portland, after a long legal battle with Sir James Lowther
over estates in Carlisle, was anxious to reward a man who had helped him in that matter with other preferments then held by Law.
Law was a lifelong friend of William Paley
, with whom he corresponded for decades. Paley and Law had been friends at Cambridge, where Law lectured on mathematics and Paley on metaphysics
and morals
. When Law became Bishop of Clonfert, Paley was his successor as Archdeacon of Carlisle, and it was the urging of Law which led Paley to expand his Cambridge lectures into his book The Principles of Moral and Political Philosophy (1785). In that work, the chapter on Reverencing the Deity was ascribed to Law. Among other matters, they corresponded on the scientific proofs which could be used to support a theological argument. In 1797, for instance, Law wrote to Paley: "In your chapter on divine contrivance, you must have an article on the solar system
..."
On taking up the post in Clonfert, Law hired the mathematician
John Howard
as his steward
, but dispensed with Howard's services in 1786 after "an unfortunate marriage".
Law was translated to Killala and Achonry
on 10 November 1787. On learning that almost the whole population of his new see were Roman Catholics, he commented "That as it was a hopeless task to make them protestants
, it would answer every desirable purpose to make them good catholicks." At his own expense, Law then distributed throughout the diocese a new edition of the Rev. John Gother's The Sincere Christian's Guide in the Choice of Religion.
He was translated again to become Bishop of Elphin in 1795, being nominated on 11 March and appointed by letters patent
on 27 March. He died in Dublin on 18 March 1810 and was buried in the Chapel of Trinity College
, where he had founded prizes for mathematics
.
, Cumberland
, but they had no children. His wife, born on 4 August 1741, was the half-sister of James Wallace
, barrister
, of Featherstone Castle
, Member of Parliament
, Solicitor General
and Attorney General
, and the aunt of Thomas Wallace, 1st Baron Wallace
.
Law was the elder brother of Edward Law, 1st Baron Ellenborough
(1750–1818), who became Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales
, and of George Henry Law
, Bishop of Chester
and Bishop of Bath and Wells
. Another brother, Thomas Law (1759–1834), was a business man who settled first in British India and then in 1793 in the United States
, where he married as his second wife Eliza Parke Custis
, a granddaughter of Martha Washington
. Eliza and Thomas Law divorced in 1811.
Doctor of Divinity
Doctor of Divinity is an advanced academic degree in divinity. Historically, it identified one who had been licensed by a university to teach Christian theology or related religious subjects....
(1745–1810) was an English
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
mathematician
Mathematician
A mathematician is a person whose primary area of study is the field of mathematics. Mathematicians are concerned with quantity, structure, space, and change....
and clergy
Clergy
Clergy is the generic term used to describe the formal religious leadership within a given religion. A clergyman, churchman or cleric is a member of the clergy, especially one who is a priest, preacher, pastor, or other religious professional....
man who began his career as a Fellow
Fellow
A fellow in the broadest sense is someone who is an equal or a comrade. The term fellow is also used to describe a person, particularly by those in the upper social classes. It is most often used in an academic context: a fellow is often part of an elite group of learned people who are awarded...
of Christ's College, Cambridge
Christ's College, Cambridge
Christ's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge.With a reputation for high academic standards, Christ's College averaged top place in the Tompkins Table from 1980-2000 . In 2011, Christ's was placed sixth.-College history:...
, and went on to become 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...
to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland
Lord Lieutenant of Ireland
The Lord Lieutenant of Ireland was the British King's representative and head of the Irish executive during the Lordship of Ireland , the Kingdom of Ireland and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland...
and Church of Ireland
Church of Ireland
The Church of Ireland is an autonomous province of the Anglican Communion. The church operates in all parts of Ireland and is the second largest religious body on the island after the Roman Catholic Church...
bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
of Clonfert and Kilmacduagh
Bishop of Clonfert and Kilmacduagh
The Bishop of Clonfert and Kilmacduagh was the Ordinary of the Church of Ireland diocese of Clonfert and Kilmacduagh, comprising the southern part of County Galway and a small area of County Roscommon, Ireland.-History:...
(1782–1787), Killala and Achonry
Bishop of Killala and Achonry
The Bishop of Killala and Achonry was the Ordinary of the Church of Ireland diocese of Killala and Achonry in the Ecclesiastical Province of Tuam. The diocese comprised part of Counties Mayo and Sligo in Ireland....
(1787-1795), and finally of Elphin (1795–1810).
He was a lifelong friend and correspondent of the philosopher
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
William Paley
William Paley
William Paley was a British Christian apologist, philosopher, and utilitarian. He is best known for his exposition of the teleological argument for the existence of God in his work Natural Theology, which made use of the watchmaker analogy .-Life:Paley was Born in Peterborough, England, and was...
.
Early life
The son of Edmund LawEdmund Law
Edmund Law was a priest in the Church of England. He served as Master of Peterhouse, Cambridge, as Knightbridge Professor of Philosophy in the University of Cambridge from 1764 to 1769, and as bishop of Carlisle from 1768 to 1787....
, later Bishop of Carlisle
Bishop of Carlisle
The Bishop of Carlisle is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Carlisle in the Province of York.The diocese covers the County of Cumbria except for Alston Moor and the former Sedbergh Rural District...
, Law was born at Greystoke
Greystoke, Cumbria
Greystoke is a village and civil parish on the edge of the Lake District National Park in Cumbria, England, about west of Penrith. The village centres on a green surrounded by stone houses and cottages.-Buildings:...
in Cumberland
Cumberland
Cumberland is a historic county of North West England, on the border with Scotland, from the 12th century until 1974. It formed an administrative county from 1889 to 1974 and now forms part of Cumbria....
, where his father was rector
Rector
The word rector has a number of different meanings; it is widely used to refer to an academic, religious or political administrator...
. He was educated at Charterhouse School
Charterhouse School
Charterhouse School, originally The Hospital of King James and Thomas Sutton in Charterhouse, or more simply Charterhouse or House, is an English collegiate independent boarding school situated at Godalming in Surrey.Founded by Thomas Sutton in London in 1611 on the site of the old Carthusian...
and Christ's College, Cambridge
Christ's College, Cambridge
Christ's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge.With a reputation for high academic standards, Christ's College averaged top place in the Tompkins Table from 1980-2000 . In 2011, Christ's was placed sixth.-College history:...
, where in 1766 he graduated Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
with first-class honours in the Mathematical Tripos and was named as second Wrangler. He proceeded Master of Arts in 1769.
Career
Law became a FellowFellow
A fellow in the broadest sense is someone who is an equal or a comrade. The term fellow is also used to describe a person, particularly by those in the upper social classes. It is most often used in an academic context: a fellow is often part of an elite group of learned people who are awarded...
of Christ's and an Anglican
Anglicanism
Anglicanism is a tradition within Christianity comprising churches with historical connections to the Church of England or similar beliefs, worship and church structures. The word Anglican originates in ecclesia anglicana, a medieval Latin phrase dating to at least 1246 that means the English...
clergy
Clergy
Clergy is the generic term used to describe the formal religious leadership within a given religion. A clergyman, churchman or cleric is a member of the clergy, especially one who is a priest, preacher, pastor, or other religious professional....
man, and spent several years as a tutor
Tutor
A tutor is a person employed in the education of others, either individually or in groups. To tutor is to perform the functions of a tutor.-Teaching assistance:...
and lecturer
Lecturer
Lecturer is an academic rank. In the United Kingdom, lecturer is a position at a university or similar institution, often held by academics in their early career stages, who lead research groups and supervise research students, as well as teach...
at Cambridge. In 1773 his father gave him his first benefice
Benefice
A benefice is a reward received in exchange for services rendered and as a retainer for future services. The term is now almost obsolete.-Church of England:...
s, as vicar
Vicar
In the broadest sense, a vicar is a representative, deputy or substitute; anyone acting "in the person of" or agent for a superior . In this sense, the title is comparable to lieutenant...
of Warkworth
Warkworth, Northumberland
Warkworth is a village in Northumberland, England. It is probably best known for its well-preserved medieval castle, church and hermitage. At the time of the 2001 census, the population of Warkworth was 1,493.-Geography:...
, Northumberland
Northumberland
Northumberland is the northernmost ceremonial county and a unitary district in North East England. For Eurostat purposes Northumberland is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "Northumberland and Tyne and Wear" NUTS 2 region...
, and as prebendary
Prebendary
A prebendary is a post connected to an Anglican or Catholic cathedral or collegiate church and is a type of canon. Prebendaries have a role in the administration of the cathedral...
of Carlisle. In 1777 he was promoted Archdeacon
Archdeacon
An archdeacon is a senior clergy position in Anglicanism, Syrian Malabar Nasrani, Chaldean Catholic, and some other Christian denominations, above that of most clergy and below a bishop. In the High Middle Ages it was the most senior diocesan position below a bishop in the Roman Catholic Church...
of Carlisle. In April 1782, he went to Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
as 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...
to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland
Lord Lieutenant of Ireland
The Lord Lieutenant of Ireland was the British King's representative and head of the Irish executive during the Lordship of Ireland , the Kingdom of Ireland and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland...
, William Cavendish-Bentinck, 3rd Duke of Portland
William Cavendish-Bentinck, 3rd Duke of Portland
William Henry Cavendish-Bentinck, 3rd Duke of Portland, KG, PC was a British Whig and Tory statesman, Chancellor of the University of Oxford and Prime Minister. He was known before 1762 by the courtesy title Marquess of Titchfield. He held a title of every degree of British nobility—Duke,...
, who had large estates in Cumberland
Cumberland
Cumberland is a historic county of North West England, on the border with Scotland, from the 12th century until 1974. It formed an administrative county from 1889 to 1974 and now forms part of Cumbria....
.
Law was quickly nominated as Bishop of Clonfert and Kilmacduagh
Bishop of Clonfert and Kilmacduagh
The Bishop of Clonfert and Kilmacduagh was the Ordinary of the Church of Ireland diocese of Clonfert and Kilmacduagh, comprising the southern part of County Galway and a small area of County Roscommon, Ireland.-History:...
on 26 July 1782 and consecrated on 21 September. The same year, he graduated Doctor of Divinity
Doctor of Divinity
Doctor of Divinity is an advanced academic degree in divinity. Historically, it identified one who had been licensed by a university to teach Christian theology or related religious subjects....
. The appointment to Clonfert was unexpected. It was later reported that the Duke of Portland, after a long legal battle with Sir James Lowther
James Lowther, 1st Earl of Lonsdale
Sir James Lowther, 1st Earl of Lonsdale was the son of Robert Lowther and Catherine Pennington.He married Mary Crichton-Stuart, daughter of John Stuart, 3rd Earl of Bute and Mary Wortley-Montagu, 1st Baroness Mount Stuart on 7 September 1761.On 9 June 1792 he fought a duel with a Captain Cuthbert...
over estates in Carlisle, was anxious to reward a man who had helped him in that matter with other preferments then held by Law.
Law was a lifelong friend of William Paley
William Paley
William Paley was a British Christian apologist, philosopher, and utilitarian. He is best known for his exposition of the teleological argument for the existence of God in his work Natural Theology, which made use of the watchmaker analogy .-Life:Paley was Born in Peterborough, England, and was...
, with whom he corresponded for decades. Paley and Law had been friends at Cambridge, where Law lectured on mathematics and Paley on metaphysics
Metaphysics
Metaphysics is a branch of philosophy concerned with explaining the fundamental nature of being and the world, although the term is not easily defined. Traditionally, metaphysics attempts to answer two basic questions in the broadest possible terms:...
and morals
Ethics
Ethics, also known as moral philosophy, is a branch of philosophy that addresses questions about morality—that is, concepts such as good and evil, right and wrong, virtue and vice, justice and crime, etc.Major branches of ethics include:...
. When Law became Bishop of Clonfert, Paley was his successor as Archdeacon of Carlisle, and it was the urging of Law which led Paley to expand his Cambridge lectures into his book The Principles of Moral and Political Philosophy (1785). In that work, the chapter on Reverencing the Deity was ascribed to Law. Among other matters, they corresponded on the scientific proofs which could be used to support a theological argument. In 1797, for instance, Law wrote to Paley: "In your chapter on divine contrivance, you must have an article on the solar system
Solar System
The Solar System consists of the Sun and the astronomical objects gravitationally bound in orbit around it, all of which formed from the collapse of a giant molecular cloud approximately 4.6 billion years ago. The vast majority of the system's mass is in the Sun...
..."
On taking up the post in Clonfert, Law hired the mathematician
Mathematician
A mathematician is a person whose primary area of study is the field of mathematics. Mathematicians are concerned with quantity, structure, space, and change....
John Howard
John Howard (mathematician)
John Howard , was a British schoolmaster and poet who as a mathematician worked on the geometry of the sphere.-Biography:Howard was born in the Fort George garrison, near Inverness, in 1753. He was the son of Ralph Howard, a private in the British Army, and he was brought up by relations in Carlisle...
as his steward
Steward (office)
A steward is an official who is appointed by the legal ruling monarch to represent him or her in a country, and may have a mandate to govern it in his or her name; in the latter case, it roughly corresponds with the position of governor or deputy...
, but dispensed with Howard's services in 1786 after "an unfortunate marriage".
Law was translated to Killala and Achonry
Bishop of Killala and Achonry
The Bishop of Killala and Achonry was the Ordinary of the Church of Ireland diocese of Killala and Achonry in the Ecclesiastical Province of Tuam. The diocese comprised part of Counties Mayo and Sligo in Ireland....
on 10 November 1787. On learning that almost the whole population of his new see were Roman Catholics, he commented "That as it was a hopeless task to make them 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...
, it would answer every desirable purpose to make them good catholicks." At his own expense, Law then distributed throughout the diocese a new edition of the Rev. John Gother's The Sincere Christian's Guide in the Choice of Religion.
He was translated again to become Bishop of Elphin in 1795, being nominated on 11 March and appointed by letters patent
Letters patent
Letters patent are a type of legal instrument in the form of a published written order issued by a monarch or president, generally granting an office, right, monopoly, title, or status to a person or corporation...
on 27 March. He died in Dublin on 18 March 1810 and was buried in the Chapel of 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...
, where he had founded prizes for mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
.
Family
On 17 January 1782, while living in Carlisle, Law married Anne Thomlinson, a daughter of the Rev. William Plaskett and widow of John Thomlinson of BlencogoBlencogo
Blencogo is a small farming village in Cumbria, England, UK, near Wigton on the Solway plain, in the Allerdale Borough Council area, off the B3502 Wigton to Silloth road...
, Cumberland
Cumberland
Cumberland is a historic county of North West England, on the border with Scotland, from the 12th century until 1974. It formed an administrative county from 1889 to 1974 and now forms part of Cumbria....
, but they had no children. His wife, born on 4 August 1741, was the half-sister of James Wallace
James Wallace (politician)
James Wallace was an English barrister, Member of Parliament, Solicitor General and Attorney General.-Life:The son of Thomas Wallace, of Asholme, Northumberland, attorney-at-law, Wallace was called to the Bar in 1757. In 1770, he was elected as one of the Members of Parliament for Horsham in Sussex...
, barrister
Barrister
A barrister is a member of one of the two classes of lawyer found in many common law jurisdictions with split legal professions. Barristers specialise in courtroom advocacy, drafting legal pleadings and giving expert legal opinions...
, of Featherstone Castle
Featherstone Castle
Featherstone Castle, a Grade I listed building, is a large Gothic style country mansion situated on the bank of the River South Tyne about southwest of the town of Haltwhistle in Northumberland, England....
, Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
, Solicitor General
Solicitor General for England and Wales
Her Majesty's Solicitor General for England and Wales, often known as the Solicitor General, is one of the Law Officers of the Crown, and the deputy of the Attorney General, whose duty is to advise the Crown and Cabinet on the law...
and Attorney General
Attorney General for England and Wales
Her Majesty's Attorney General for England and Wales, usually known simply as the Attorney General, is one of the Law Officers of the Crown. Along with the subordinate Solicitor General for England and Wales, the Attorney General serves as the chief legal adviser of the Crown and its government in...
, and the aunt of Thomas Wallace, 1st Baron Wallace
Thomas Wallace, 1st Baron Wallace
Thomas Wallace, 1st Baron Wallace PC was an English politician.-Background:Wallace was the son of James Wallace , a barrister who served as Solicitor General for England and Wales and as Attorney General, by Elizabeth, only daughter and sole heiress of Thomas Simpson, Esquire, of Carleton Hall,...
.
Law was the elder brother of Edward Law, 1st Baron Ellenborough
Edward Law, 1st Baron Ellenborough
Edward Law, 1st Baron Ellenborough PC KC was an English judge. After serving as a Member of Parliament and Attorney General, he became Lord Chief Justice.-Early life:...
(1750–1818), who became Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales
Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales
The Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales is the head of the judiciary and President of the Courts of England and Wales. Historically, he was the second-highest judge of the Courts of England and Wales, after the Lord Chancellor, but that changed as a result of the Constitutional Reform Act 2005,...
, and of George Henry Law
George Henry Law
George Henry Law was the Bishop of Chester and then, from 1824, Bishop of Bath and Wells. He was the son of Edmund Law, Bishop of Carlisle....
, Bishop of Chester
Bishop of Chester
The Bishop of Chester is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Chester in the Province of York.The diocese expands across most of the historic county boundaries of Cheshire, including the Wirral Peninsula and has its see in the City of Chester where the seat is located at the Cathedral...
and Bishop of Bath and Wells
Bishop of Bath and Wells
The Bishop of Bath and Wells heads the Church of England Diocese of Bath and Wells in the Province of Canterbury in England.The present diocese covers the vast majority of the county of Somerset and a small area of Dorset. The Episcopal seat is located in the Cathedral Church of Saint Andrew in...
. Another brother, Thomas Law (1759–1834), was a business man who settled first in British India and then in 1793 in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, where he married as his second wife Eliza Parke Custis
Elizabeth Parke Custis Law
Elizabeth Parke Custis Law was a granddaughter of Martha Dandridge Washington and the step-granddaughter of George Washington. She was a social leader of the District of Columbia and a preserver of the Washington family heritage.-Early life:Elizabeth Parke Custis was born on 21 August 1776...
, a granddaughter of Martha Washington
Martha Washington
Martha Dandridge Custis Washington was the wife of George Washington, the first president of the United States. Although the title was not coined until after her death, Martha Washington is considered to be the first First Lady of the United States...
. Eliza and Thomas Law divorced in 1811.
Publications
- A Sermon preached at the Visitation of the Right Reverend the Lord Bishop of London: in the church of Thaxted, in Essex, on Wednesday, May 28, 1778 (1778)
- Sermon preached in Christ Church, DublinChrist Church Cathedral, DublinChrist Church Cathedral is the cathedral of the United Dioceses of Dublin and Glendalough and the cathedral of the Ecclesiastical province of the United Provinces of Dublin and Cashel in the Church of Ireland...
, before the Incorporated Society (1796) - Sermon preached in St Paul's Cathedral, LondonSt Paul's CathedralSt Paul's Cathedral, London, is a Church of England cathedral and seat of the Bishop of London. Its dedication to Paul the Apostle dates back to the original church on this site, founded in AD 604. St Paul's sits at the top of Ludgate Hill, the highest point in the City of London, and is the mother...
, at the meeting of the charity school children (1797)