Richard Gilpin
Encyclopedia
Richard Gilpin M.D. was an English nonconformist minister and physician, prominent in the northern region.
, Westmorland
, and Ann, daughter of Ralph Tonstall of Coatham-Mundeville, County Durham
, he was born at Strickland, and baptised at Kendal on 23 October 1625. He was educated at Edinburgh University, graduating M.A. on 30 July 1646, and studying first medicine, then divinity. Neither the date nor the manner of his ordination is known.
He began his ministry at Lambeth
, continued it at the Savoy as assistant to John Wilkins
, and then returning to the north preached at Durham
. In 1650 William Morland had been sequestered from the rectory of Greystoke
, Cumberland
. For about two years the living had been held by one West, a popular preacher, who died of consumption
. Gilpin succeeded him in 1652 or early in 1653. In the parish of Greystoke there were four chapels, which Gilpin supplied with preachers. His parish was organised on the congregational model, having an inner circle of communicants and a staff of deacons; the presbyterian system had not been adopted in Cumberland. In August 1653 Gilpin set on foot a voluntary association of the churches of Cumberland and Westmorland, on the lines of Richard Baxter
's Worcestershire
‘agreement’ of that year, but giving to the associated clergy somewhat larger powers. The organisation worked smoothly and gained in adherents; the terms of agreement were printed in 1656; in 1658 Gilpin preached (19 May) before the associated ministers at Keswick
. His chief trouble was with the Quakers, who abounded in his district; one of his relatives at Kendal had been for a short time a Quaker.
Gilpin was in the habit of giving medical advice as well as spiritual counsel to his flock. By his purchase of the manor of Scaleby Castle, some twenty miles north of Greystoke, beyond Carlisle, he acquired a public position in the county. He was appointed Visitor to Durham College
, for which Oliver Cromwell
issued a patent on 15 May 1657.
At the Restoration
Gilpin was a prominent religious leaders in the north of England, and was offered the see of Carlisle, which he refused. He preached at Carlisle at the opening of the assize on 10 September 1660. When Richard Sterne became bishop (2 December), Gilpin was not called upon to vacate his living, but resigned it on 2 February 1661 in favour of the sequestered Morland, retired to Scaleby, and preached there in his large hall. He is also said to have preached occasionally at Penruddock
, a village in Greystoke parish, where John Noble, one of his deacons, gathered in his own house a nonconformist congregation, afterwards ministered to by Anthony Sleigh (died 1702). Shortly after the passing of the Uniformity Act of 1662 Gilpin moved to Newcastle-upon-Tyne, to minister to the hearers of the ejected lecturer, Samuel Hammond
. By 1663 John Cosin
was complaining of him. He did not wait for the indulgence of 1672, but openly disregarded the Conventicle Acts (1664
, 1670
) and the Five Mile Act (1665). He was several times fined for holding a conventicle
, but does not seem to have been interfered with after 4 August 1669.
At Newcastle he acquired a good practice as a physician, and graduated M.D. at Leiden University
on 6 July 1676. He was an effectice preacher and drew a diverse congregation. From 1694 to 1698 Gilpin had as assistant William Pell
, ejected from Great Stainton
, Durham. Pell was followed by Timothy Manlove
(died 3 August 1699), and Manlove by Thomas Bradbury
. After Bradbury was Benjamin Bennet
. Gilpin died on 13 February 1700.
Among Gilpin's manuscripts was a treatise on the ‘Pleasantness of the Ways of Religion,’ which Calamy desired to see in print; it has since been lost.
Life
The second son of Isaac Gilpin of Strickland Ketel, in the parish of KendalKendal
Kendal, anciently known as Kirkby in Kendal or Kirkby Kendal, is a market town and civil parish within the South Lakeland District of Cumbria, England...
, Westmorland
Westmorland
Westmorland is an area of North West England and one of the 39 historic counties of England. It formed an administrative county from 1889 to 1974, after which the entirety of the county was absorbed into the new county of Cumbria.-Early history:...
, and Ann, daughter of Ralph Tonstall of Coatham-Mundeville, County Durham
County Durham
County Durham is a ceremonial county and unitary district in north east England. The county town is Durham. The largest settlement in the ceremonial county is the town of Darlington...
, he was born at Strickland, and baptised at Kendal on 23 October 1625. He was educated at Edinburgh University, graduating M.A. on 30 July 1646, and studying first medicine, then divinity. Neither the date nor the manner of his ordination is known.
He began his ministry at Lambeth
Lambeth
Lambeth is a district of south London, England, and part of the London Borough of Lambeth. It is situated southeast of Charing Cross.-Toponymy:...
, continued it at the Savoy as assistant to John Wilkins
John Wilkins
John Wilkins FRS was an English clergyman, natural philosopher and author, as well as a founder of the Invisible College and one of the founders of the Royal Society, and Bishop of Chester from 1668 until his death....
, and then returning to the north preached at Durham
Durham
Durham is a city in north east England. It is within the County Durham local government district, and is the county town of the larger ceremonial county...
. In 1650 William Morland had been sequestered from the rectory of 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:...
, 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....
. For about two years the living had been held by one West, a popular preacher, who died of consumption
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
. Gilpin succeeded him in 1652 or early in 1653. In the parish of Greystoke there were four chapels, which Gilpin supplied with preachers. His parish was organised on the congregational model, having an inner circle of communicants and a staff of deacons; the presbyterian system had not been adopted in Cumberland. In August 1653 Gilpin set on foot a voluntary association of the churches of Cumberland and Westmorland, on the lines of Richard Baxter
Richard Baxter
Richard Baxter was an English Puritan church leader, poet, hymn-writer, theologian, and controversialist. Dean Stanley called him "the chief of English Protestant Schoolmen". After some false starts, he made his reputation by his ministry at Kidderminster, and at around the same time began a long...
's Worcestershire
Worcestershire
Worcestershire is a non-metropolitan county, established in antiquity, located in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire" NUTS 2 region...
‘agreement’ of that year, but giving to the associated clergy somewhat larger powers. The organisation worked smoothly and gained in adherents; the terms of agreement were printed in 1656; in 1658 Gilpin preached (19 May) before the associated ministers at Keswick
Keswick, Cumbria
Keswick is a market town and civil parish within the Borough of Allerdale in Cumbria, England. It had a population of 4,984, according to the 2001 census, and is situated just north of Derwent Water, and a short distance from Bassenthwaite Lake, both in the Lake District National Park...
. His chief trouble was with the Quakers, who abounded in his district; one of his relatives at Kendal had been for a short time a Quaker.
Gilpin was in the habit of giving medical advice as well as spiritual counsel to his flock. By his purchase of the manor of Scaleby Castle, some twenty miles north of Greystoke, beyond Carlisle, he acquired a public position in the county. He was appointed Visitor to Durham College
Durham College (17th-century)
New College, Durham was a university institution set up by Oliver Cromwell, to provide an alternative to the older University of Oxford and University of Cambridge. It also had the aim of bringing university education to Northern England. The idea met with opponents, including John Conant.Such a...
, for which Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell was an English military and political leader who overthrew the English monarchy and temporarily turned England into a republican Commonwealth, and served as Lord Protector of England, Scotland, and Ireland....
issued a patent on 15 May 1657.
At the Restoration
English Restoration
The Restoration of the English monarchy began in 1660 when the English, Scottish and Irish monarchies were all restored under Charles II after the Interregnum that followed the Wars of the Three Kingdoms...
Gilpin was a prominent religious leaders in the north of England, and was offered the see of Carlisle, which he refused. He preached at Carlisle at the opening of the assize on 10 September 1660. When Richard Sterne became bishop (2 December), Gilpin was not called upon to vacate his living, but resigned it on 2 February 1661 in favour of the sequestered Morland, retired to Scaleby, and preached there in his large hall. He is also said to have preached occasionally at Penruddock
Penruddock
Penruddock is a small village in Cumbria, England, a few miles to the west of Penrith. It forms part of the civil parish of Hutton.-History:The name Penruddock is Cumbric. With both red soil and red sandstone in the area to the south, the word Penruddock is likely derived from the word Pen and a...
, a village in Greystoke parish, where John Noble, one of his deacons, gathered in his own house a nonconformist congregation, afterwards ministered to by Anthony Sleigh (died 1702). Shortly after the passing of the Uniformity Act of 1662 Gilpin moved to Newcastle-upon-Tyne, to minister to the hearers of the ejected lecturer, Samuel Hammond
Samuel Hammond (minister)
Samuel Hammond D.D. was a Church of England minister, and later a nonconformist.-Biography:Hammond is said to have been a ‘butcher's son of York’, although the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography notes no butchers of his surname on the lists of freemen of that city.In 1638 Hammond entered...
. By 1663 John Cosin
John Cosin
John Cosin was an English churchman.-Life:He was born at Norwich, and was educated at Norwich grammar school and at Caius College, Cambridge, where he was scholar and afterwards fellow. On taking orders he was appointed secretary to Bishop Overall of Lichfield, and then domestic chaplain to...
was complaining of him. He did not wait for the indulgence of 1672, but openly disregarded the Conventicle Acts (1664
Conventicle Act 1664
The Conventicle Act of 1664 was an Act of the Parliament of England that forbade conventicles...
, 1670
Conventicles Act 1670
The Conventicles Act 1670 is an Act of the Parliament of England with the long title "An Act to prevent and suppress Seditious Conventicles." The Act imposed a fine on any person who attended a conventicle of five shillings for the first offence and ten shillings for a second offence...
) and the Five Mile Act (1665). He was several times fined for holding a conventicle
Conventicle
A conventicle is a small, unofficial and unofficiated meeting of laypeople, to discuss religious issues in a non-threatening, intimate manner. Philipp Jakob Spener called for such associations in his Pia Desideria, and they were the foundation of the German Evangelical Lutheran Pietist movement...
, but does not seem to have been interfered with after 4 August 1669.
At Newcastle he acquired a good practice as a physician, and graduated M.D. at Leiden University
Leiden University
Leiden University , located in the city of Leiden, is the oldest university in the Netherlands. The university was founded in 1575 by William, Prince of Orange, leader of the Dutch Revolt in the Eighty Years' War. The royal Dutch House of Orange-Nassau and Leiden University still have a close...
on 6 July 1676. He was an effectice preacher and drew a diverse congregation. From 1694 to 1698 Gilpin had as assistant William Pell
William Pell (minister)
William Pell was an English nonconformist minster, ejected in 1662, a tutor of Durham College subsequently imprisoned for illegal preaching.-Life:...
, ejected from Great Stainton
Great Stainton
Great Stainton is a village in the borough of Darlington and ceremonial county of County Durham, England. It is situated to the north of Darlington, and to the west of Stockton-on-Tees.-External links:...
, Durham. Pell was followed by Timothy Manlove
Timothy Manlove
Timothy Manlove was an English Presbyterian minister and physician. Dying young, he is now known as a supporter of the anti-materialist philosophy of Richard Bentley.-Life:Son of Edward Manlove the poet, he was born at Ashbourne, Derbyshire...
(died 3 August 1699), and Manlove by Thomas Bradbury
Thomas Bradbury
-Life:Bradbury was born in Yorkshire, and was educated for the congregational ministry Attercliffe Academy; Oliver Heywood gave him books. He preached his first sermon on 14 June 1696, and went to reside as assistant and domestic tutor with Thomas Whitaker, minister of the independent congregation,...
. After Bradbury was Benjamin Bennet
Benjamin Bennet (Presbyterian minister)
Benjamin Bennet was an English Presbyterian minister.-Life:Bennet was born in Wellsborough, in Sibson, Leicestershire. He received his elementary education in his parish school...
. Gilpin died on 13 February 1700.
Works
He published:- ‘The Agreement of the Associated Ministers and Churches of Cumberland and Westmerland’ (sic), &c., 1646, (anon.).
- ‘The Temple Rebuilt,’ &c., 1658, (sermon, Zach. vi. 13, to associated ministers).
- ‘Disputatio Medica Inauguralis de Hysterica Passione,’ &c., 1676.
- ‘Dæmonologia Sacra; or, a Treatise of Satan's Temptations,’ &c., 3 pts., 1677; 2nd edit. Edinburgh, 1735; new edition, by A. B. Grosart, Edinburgh, 1867, (a work of religious experience, the first title somewhat misleading).
- ‘The Comforts of Divine Love,’ &c., 1700 (funeral sermon for Manlove). Posthumous was
- ‘An Assize Sermon … at Carlisle,’ &c., London and Newcastle, 1700 (preached in 1660, see above).
Among Gilpin's manuscripts was a treatise on the ‘Pleasantness of the Ways of Religion,’ which Calamy desired to see in print; it has since been lost.
Family
He was twice married; his second wife, who survived him, was Susanna, daughter of William Brisco of Crofton, Yorkshire. She moved to Scaleby Castle, and died on 18 January 1715. His children were:- William, born 5 September 1657, remained a churchman, became recorder of Carlisle (1718), was noted for artistic and antiquarian tastes, married Mary, daughter of Henry Fletcher of Tallantire, Cumberland, and was buried 14 December 1724.
- Isaac, born 12 July 1658, died 21 February 1719.
- Susanna, born 17 October 1659, married Matthias Partis.
- Anne, born 5 December 1660, married Jeremiah Sawrey of Broughton Tower, Lancashire; buried 11 April 1745.
- Elizabeth, born 3 August 1662.
- Richard, born 4 May 1664, died young.
- Mary, born 28 December 1666.
- Dorothy, born 13 August 1668, married, first, Jabez Cay, M.D., of Newcastle-upon-Tyne; secondly, on 29 December 1704, Eli Fenton; died April 1708.
- John, born 13 February 1670, merchant at Whitehaven, made a fortune in the Virginia trade; married Hannah, daughter of Robert Cay of Newcastle-upon-Tyne; buried 26 November 1732.
- Frances, born 27 July 1671, died young.
- Bernard, born 6 October 1672, died young in Jamaica.
- Frances, born 27 January 1675, died young.
- Thomas, born 27 July 1677, died 20 June 1700.