John Pocklington
Encyclopedia
John Pocklington was an English Laudian clergyman and polemicist. By order of the Long Parliament
, two of his works were burned in public.
, where he matriculated around 1595, and graduated B.A. at the newly-founded Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge
, in 1598. He was admitted a fellow of his college on the Blundell foundation in 1600, commenced M.A. in 1603, and proceeded to the degree of B.D. in 1610. While at Cambridge he held high-church views.
In January 1610 he was presented to the vicarage of Babergh
, Suffolk
. On 13 January 1612 he was elected to a fellowship at Pembroke College, Cambridge
, which he resigned in 1618. He was created D.D. in 1621. He became rector of Yelden, Bedfordshire
, vicar of Waresley
, Huntingdonshire
, and one of the chaplains to Charles I. In 1623 he was collated a prebend in Peterborough Cathedral
, and in 1626 to one at Lincoln. He was also appointed chaplain to John Williams, bishop of Lincoln
. Pocklington was appointed a canon of the collegiate chapel of Windsor by patent on 18 Dec. 1639, and installed on 5 Jan. 1639-1640. On 14 Sept. 1640 he was at York, and wrote a long letter to Sir John Lambe, describing the movements of the royal army.
After his trial, Pocklington died on 14 November 1642, and was buried on the 16th in the precincts of Peterborough cathedral.
Among the king's pamphlets in the British Museum is 'The Petition and Articles exhibited in Parliament against John Pocklington, D.D., Parson of Yelden, Bedfordshire, Anno 1641,' London, 1641; reprinted in Howell's 'State Trials'. He was charged with being a ringleader in ritualistic innovations. On 12 February 1641 he was sentenced by the House of Lords never to come within the verge of the court, to be deprived of all his preferments, and to have his two books, 'Altare Christianum' and 'Sunday no Sabbath,' publicly burnt in the city of London and in each of the universities by the hand of the common executioner. When Pocklington was deprived of his preferments, William Bray
, who had licensed his works, was enjoined to preach a recantation sermon in St. Margaret's Church, Westminster.
Long Parliament
The Long Parliament was made on 3 November 1640, following the Bishops' Wars. It received its name from the fact that through an Act of Parliament, it could only be dissolved with the agreement of the members, and those members did not agree to its dissolution until after the English Civil War and...
, two of his works were burned in public.
Life
He received his education at St John's College, CambridgeSt John's College, Cambridge
St John's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. The college's alumni include nine Nobel Prize winners, six Prime Ministers, three archbishops, at least two princes, and three Saints....
, where he matriculated around 1595, and graduated B.A. at the newly-founded Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge
Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge
Sidney Sussex College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge in England.The college was founded in 1596 and named after its foundress, Frances Sidney, Countess of Sussex. It was from its inception an avowedly Puritan foundation: some good and godlie moniment for the mainteynance...
, in 1598. He was admitted a fellow of his college on the Blundell foundation in 1600, commenced M.A. in 1603, and proceeded to the degree of B.D. in 1610. While at Cambridge he held high-church views.
In January 1610 he was presented to the vicarage of Babergh
Babergh
Babergh is a local government district in Suffolk, England. Its council headquarters is based in Hadleigh, whilst its largest town is Sudbury.The district was formed on 1 April 1974 by the merger of the Borough of Sudbury, Hadleigh urban district, Cosford Rural District, Melford Rural District and...
, Suffolk
Suffolk
Suffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east...
. On 13 January 1612 he was elected to a fellowship at Pembroke College, Cambridge
Pembroke College, Cambridge
Pembroke College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England.The college has over seven hundred students and fellows, and is the third oldest college of the university. Physically, it is one of the university's larger colleges, with buildings from almost every century since its...
, which he resigned in 1618. He was created D.D. in 1621. He became rector of Yelden, Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire is a ceremonial county of historic origin in England that forms part of the East of England region.It borders Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Northamptonshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the west and Hertfordshire to the south-east....
, vicar of Waresley
Waresley
Waresley is on the B1040 road between Gamlingay and Eltisley, five miles south-east of the town of St Neots and seven miles north-east of Sandy, Bedfordshire, England...
, Huntingdonshire
Huntingdonshire
Huntingdonshire is a local government district of Cambridgeshire, covering the area around Huntingdon. Traditionally it is a county in its own right...
, and one of the chaplains to Charles I. In 1623 he was collated a prebend in Peterborough Cathedral
Peterborough Cathedral
Peterborough Cathedral, properly the Cathedral Church of St Peter, St Paul and St Andrew – also known as Saint Peter's Cathedral in the United Kingdom – is the seat of the Bishop of Peterborough, dedicated to Saint Peter, Saint Paul and Saint Andrew, whose statues look down from the...
, and in 1626 to one at Lincoln. He was also appointed chaplain to John Williams, bishop of Lincoln
Bishop of Lincoln
The Bishop of Lincoln is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Lincoln in the Province of Canterbury.The present diocese covers the county of Lincolnshire and the unitary authority areas of North Lincolnshire and North East Lincolnshire. The Bishop's seat is located in the Cathedral...
. Pocklington was appointed a canon of the collegiate chapel of Windsor by patent on 18 Dec. 1639, and installed on 5 Jan. 1639-1640. On 14 Sept. 1640 he was at York, and wrote a long letter to Sir John Lambe, describing the movements of the royal army.
After his trial, Pocklington died on 14 November 1642, and was buried on the 16th in the precincts of Peterborough cathedral.
Works and prosecution
He published 'Sunday no Sabbath. A Sermon preached before the Lord Bishop of Lincolne at his Lordshipa Visitation at Ampthill. . . Aug. 17, 1635,' London (two editions), 1636. This was followed by 'Altare Christianum; or the dead Vicars Plea. Wherein the Vicar of Gr[antham], being dead, yet speaketh, and pleadeth out of Antiquity against him that hath broken downe his Altar,' London, 1637. The arguments advanced in the latter work were answered in 'A Quench-Coale,' 1637.Among the king's pamphlets in the British Museum is 'The Petition and Articles exhibited in Parliament against John Pocklington, D.D., Parson of Yelden, Bedfordshire, Anno 1641,' London, 1641; reprinted in Howell's 'State Trials'. He was charged with being a ringleader in ritualistic innovations. On 12 February 1641 he was sentenced by the House of Lords never to come within the verge of the court, to be deprived of all his preferments, and to have his two books, 'Altare Christianum' and 'Sunday no Sabbath,' publicly burnt in the city of London and in each of the universities by the hand of the common executioner. When Pocklington was deprived of his preferments, William Bray
William Bray (clergyman)
William Bray was an English clergyman, chaplain to Archbishop William Laud. As licenser of publications of John Pocklington, he was drawn into Pocklington's case before the Long Parliament.-Life:...
, who had licensed his works, was enjoined to preach a recantation sermon in St. Margaret's Church, Westminster.