William Coward (merchant)
Encyclopedia
William Coward was a London merchant in the Jamaica
trade, remembered for his support of Dissenters, particularly his educational philanthropy.
in 1685, and built an Independent meeting-house there, with Hugh Farmer
as the first minister. He became known for strict household arrangements, his doors being closed against visitors at eight o'clock in the evening. He was spoken of as eccentric, in his old age, when anecdotes circulated; and he had a very public quarrel with Thomas Bradbury
.
He instituted a course of lectures On the most important Doctrines of the Gospel, in the church of Paved Alley, Lime Street; twenty-six in all, published in two volumes in 1730-1, were delivered, and became known as the "Lime Street Lectures". A total of nine preachers took part, among them Abraham Taylor and John Gill
. (This was not the first lecture series Coward had sponsored: the first was at Little St. Helen's in 1726.) A third course took place at Bury Street, St. Mary-Axe, in 1733, this last set being printed in 1735. These lecture series retained their influence a century later, Samuel Miller
writing that "The Lime Street and Bury Street Lectures, contain some of the most able, useful, and pious disquisitions of the English dissenting divines."
In the spring of 1734 he contemplated founding a dissenting academy at Walthamstow, for the education of children of Dissenters for the ministry, and the post of professor of divinity was offered to Philip Doddridge
, after hesitations over whether Taylor should have the position. The scheme itself came to nothing, although Coward continued, while alive, to assist the poorer ministers and to aid in the teaching of their children. He died at Walthamstow on 28 April 1738, aged ninety.
and Daniel Neal
, who were to take care that the students should be instructed according to ‘the assembly's catechism, and in that method of church discipline which is practised by the congregational churches.’
For many years two educational institutions, conveniently known as Daventry Academy
and Hoxton Academy (both in practice moved their locations at need), were almost entirely maintained from the income of the trusts.
In the London region (in fact east of the city as it then was, in the area of Hackney
) there was an academy run first by David Jennings
, a Bury Street lecturer and another of the original trustees, then taken over by Samuel Morton Savage
, who moved it after 1762 from his own residence in Wellclose Square
to Hoxton Square
. The London establishment relied on the Coward Trust after withdrawal of congregationalist funds, and for some period had no presbyterian-funded students; it never achieved the same reputation as Daventry, despite having Andrew Kippis
and Abraham Rees
(a former pupil of Jennings) as tutors. Among its well-known pupils was William Godwin
, refused entry to the nearby Homerton Academy on suspicion of Sandemanian tendencies, and a student at the Hoxton Academy from 1773. In 1785 the grant was withdrawn from the Hoxton Academy.
The "Daventry" academy took over Doddridge's Northampton
establishment, in which Coward had earlier shown an interest. Its best known student was Joseph Priestley
. In 1833, following several moves, it relocated to London
, to Byng Place, south of the Catholic Apostolic Church
, where its final home had been built by Thomas Cubitt
the year before. "Here it took the name of Coward College and remained as a residential College for Theological Students until May, 1850", when it merged, with two other academies, into New College London
. An account of these training colleges is in the official Calendar of the Associated Colleges, pp. 41–50.
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
trade, remembered for his support of Dissenters, particularly his educational philanthropy.
Life
After a period in Jamaica, where he built up an estate, he retired to WalthamstowWalthamstow
Walthamstow is a district of northeast London, England, located in the London Borough of Waltham Forest. It is situated north-east of Charing Cross...
in 1685, and built an Independent meeting-house there, with Hugh Farmer
Hugh Farmer
Hugh Farmer was an English Dissenter and theologian.He was educated at the Dissenting Academy in Northampton under Philip Doddridge, and became pastor of a congregation at Walthamstow, Essex. In 1701 he became preacher and one of the Tuesday lecturers at Salters' Hall, London...
as the first minister. He became known for strict household arrangements, his doors being closed against visitors at eight o'clock in the evening. He was spoken of as eccentric, in his old age, when anecdotes circulated; and he had a very public quarrel with 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,...
.
He instituted a course of lectures On the most important Doctrines of the Gospel, in the church of Paved Alley, Lime Street; twenty-six in all, published in two volumes in 1730-1, were delivered, and became known as the "Lime Street Lectures". A total of nine preachers took part, among them Abraham Taylor and John Gill
John Gill (theologian)
John Gill was an English Baptist pastor, biblical scholar, and theologian who held to a firm Calvinistic soteriology. Born in Kettering, Northamptonshire, he attended Kettering Grammar School where he mastered the Latin classics and learned Greek by age 11...
. (This was not the first lecture series Coward had sponsored: the first was at Little St. Helen's in 1726.) A third course took place at Bury Street, St. Mary-Axe, in 1733, this last set being printed in 1735. These lecture series retained their influence a century later, Samuel Miller
Samuel Miller (theologian)
Samuel Miller was a Presbyterian theologian who taught at Princeton Theological Seminary.-Biography:Samuel Miller was born in Dover, Delaware on October 31, 1769. His father was the Rev. John Miller . Miller attended the University of Pennsylvania and graduated in 1789...
writing that "The Lime Street and Bury Street Lectures, contain some of the most able, useful, and pious disquisitions of the English dissenting divines."
In the spring of 1734 he contemplated founding a dissenting academy at Walthamstow, for the education of children of Dissenters for the ministry, and the post of professor of divinity was offered to Philip Doddridge
Philip Doddridge
Philip Doddridge DD was an English Nonconformist leader, educator, and hymnwriter.-Early life:...
, after hesitations over whether Taylor should have the position. The scheme itself came to nothing, although Coward continued, while alive, to assist the poorer ministers and to aid in the teaching of their children. He died at Walthamstow on 28 April 1738, aged ninety.
Legacy
His property was valued at £150,000, and the bulk was said to have been left in charity. Coward's will is dated 25 November 1735. Property was left in trust ‘for the education and training up of young men … between 15 and 22, to qualify them for the ministry of the gospel among the protestant dissenters.’ There were four trustees of the Coward Trust, including initially Isaac WattsIsaac Watts
Isaac Watts was an English hymnwriter, theologian and logician. A prolific and popular hymnwriter, he was recognised as the "Father of English Hymnody", credited with some 750 hymns...
and Daniel Neal
Daniel Neal
Daniel Neal was an English historian.Born in London, he was educated at the Merchant Taylors' School, and at the universities of Utrecht and Leiden...
, who were to take care that the students should be instructed according to ‘the assembly's catechism, and in that method of church discipline which is practised by the congregational churches.’
For many years two educational institutions, conveniently known as Daventry Academy
Daventry Academy
Daventry Academy was a dissenting academy, that is, a school or college set up by English Dissenters. It moved to many locations, but was most associated with Daventry, where its most famous pupil was Joseph Priestley...
and Hoxton Academy (both in practice moved their locations at need), were almost entirely maintained from the income of the trusts.
In the London region (in fact east of the city as it then was, in the area of Hackney
Hackney (parish)
Hackney was a parish in the historic county of Middlesex. The parish church of St John-at-Hackney was built in 1789, replacing the nearby former 16th century parish church dedicated to St Augustine . The original tower of that church was retained to hold the bells until the new church could be...
) there was an academy run first by David Jennings
David Jennings (tutor)
David Jennings was an English Dissenting minister and tutor, known also as the author of Jewish Antiquities.-Life:He was the younger son of the ejected minister John Jennings , whose ministry to the independent congregation at Kibworth was continued by his elder brother John...
, a Bury Street lecturer and another of the original trustees, then taken over by Samuel Morton Savage
Samuel Morton Savage
-Life:He was born in London on 19 July 1721. His grandfather, John Savage, was pastor of the seventh-day baptist church, Mill Yard, Goodman's Fields. Savage was related to Hugh Boulter....
, who moved it after 1762 from his own residence in Wellclose Square
Wellclose Square
Wellclose Square lies in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, between Cable Street to the north and The Highway to the south.The western edge, now called Ensign Street, was previously called Well Street. The southern edge was called Neptune street. On the north side is Graces Alley, home to...
to Hoxton Square
Hoxton Square
Hoxton Square is a garden square situated in Hoxton in the London Borough of Hackney, in London's East End. Formerly home to industrial premises, since the 1990s it has become the heart of the Hoxton arts and media scene, as well as being a hub of the thriving local entertainment district...
. The London establishment relied on the Coward Trust after withdrawal of congregationalist funds, and for some period had no presbyterian-funded students; it never achieved the same reputation as Daventry, despite having Andrew Kippis
Andrew Kippis
Andrew Kippis was an English nonconformist clergyman and biographer.The son of Robert Kippis, a silk-hosier, he was born at Nottingham. Having gone to school at Sleaford in Lincolnshire he passed at the age of sixteen to the Dissenting academy at Northampton, of which Dr Philip Doddridge was then...
and Abraham Rees
Abraham Rees
Abraham Rees was a Welsh nonconformist minister, and compiler of Rees's Cyclopaedia .- Life :He was the second son of Lewis Rees, by his wife Esther, daughter of Abraham Penry, and was born at born in Llanbrynmair, Montgomeryshire. Lewis Rees Abraham Rees (1743 – 9 June 1825) was a Welsh...
(a former pupil of Jennings) as tutors. Among its well-known pupils was William Godwin
William Godwin
William Godwin was an English journalist, political philosopher and novelist. He is considered one of the first exponents of utilitarianism, and the first modern proponent of anarchism...
, refused entry to the nearby Homerton Academy on suspicion of Sandemanian tendencies, and a student at the Hoxton Academy from 1773. In 1785 the grant was withdrawn from the Hoxton Academy.
The "Daventry" academy took over Doddridge's Northampton
Northampton
Northampton is a large market town and local government district in the East Midlands region of England. Situated about north-west of London and around south-east of Birmingham, Northampton lies on the River Nene and is the county town of Northamptonshire. The demonym of Northampton is...
establishment, in which Coward had earlier shown an interest. Its best known student was Joseph Priestley
Joseph Priestley
Joseph Priestley, FRS was an 18th-century English theologian, Dissenting clergyman, natural philosopher, chemist, educator, and political theorist who published over 150 works...
. In 1833, following several moves, it relocated to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, to Byng Place, south of the Catholic Apostolic Church
Catholic Apostolic Church
The Catholic Apostolic Church was a religious movement which originated in England around 1831 and later spread to Germany and the United States. While often referred to as Irvingism, it was neither actually founded nor anticipated by Edward Irving. The Catholic Apostolic Church was organised in...
, where its final home had been built by Thomas Cubitt
Thomas Cubitt
Thomas Cubitt , born Buxton, Norfolk, was the leading master builder in London in the second quarter of the 19th century, and also carried out several projects in other parts of England.-Background:...
the year before. "Here it took the name of Coward College and remained as a residential College for Theological Students until May, 1850", when it merged, with two other academies, into New College London
New College London
New College London was founded as a Congregationalist college in 1850.-Predecessor institutions:...
. An account of these training colleges is in the official Calendar of the Associated Colleges, pp. 41–50.
Further reading
- P. Toon, The Lime Street Lectures (1730–31) and Their Significance, The Evangelical Quarterly 41.1 (Jan.-Mar. 1969): 42-48.
See also
- List of founders of English schools and colleges