protestations Owen was one of the first to prove, by personal experience. The restoration was scarcely accomplished, when he was disturbed by a body of the county militia, while peaceably conducting service in his house at Stadham, and his little congregation was dispersed.

At the passing of the Act of Uniformity Owen was silenced. He now appears to have removed to London, where he is entered in one of the spy books of the time as, 'meeting often with Mr. Goodwin, and as dwelling in the fields near to Moorgate, where the quarters hang,' it is added, 'Jessey often meets with them.' He was a frequent sufferer from the persecutions which were urged on the Nonconformists, and, at one time, seems to have meditated exile, by accepting an invitation which he received to succeed John Norton,* at Bofton, in New England. After the declaration of indulgence, Owen began to preach more publicly in London, to a regular congregation, and his venerable friend, Joseph Caryl, having died soon ‘afterwards,' the congregations of the two minifters united, and continued to assemble under his miniftry in the place of worship in Leadenhall Street. Here his congregation embraced several of the aristocracy, by whose influence with the King Owen was enabled to do much for the protection of many a sufferer for conscience sake.' Among others whom he thus befriended was John Bunyan. In 1676 he lost his first wife, and, about eighteen months afterwards, married again to Michal, widow of Thomas D'Oyley, of Chifhelhampton, near Stadham. This lady brought him 'a considerable fortune, which, with his own property, and a legacy that was left him about the same time by his cousin, made his condition easy and even affluent, so that he was able to keep a carriage during his remaining years, and also a country house at Ealing, in Middlesex.' Not long after his marriage his health began to decline, he therefore resigned his paftoracy, and finally retired to Ealing, where he died August 24, 1683. Eleven days afterwards a long and mournful procession, composed of more than sixty noblemen,

Ante pp. 149, 167.

in carriages drawn by six horses each, and of many others in mourning coaches and on horseback, silently followed the mortal remains of Owen along the streets of London, and deposited them in Bunhill Fields-the Puritan necropolis.'*

John Page. Ejected from HUNNINGHAM, in the county of Norfolk. He appears to have been appointed to the sequeftration of William Fairfax, at East Ham, in 1655, but had left in 1656, when he was succeeded by John Clark.t

Elias Pledger. Ejected from the rectory of ST. ANTHOLINS, in the city of London. He was probably related to Elias Pledger, of Great Waltham. He was educated at the grammar school at Felstead, under Martin Holbeach, where, as I am kindly informed by the Rev. W. S. Grignon, the present master, he obtained an exhibition of five pounds a year for three years in the University of Cambridge.' In 1642, having obtained his degree, he settled at Chipping Ongar, where he is reported, in 1650, as 'a preaching minifter.' He had removed from Ongar by 1655. Where he now settled I have not been able to ascertain. The Rev. William Milner, the present rector of St. Antholins, obliges me with an extract from the parish registers, from which it appears that Pledger was admitted to that rectory on the death of Charles Offspring, who was buried there March 13, 1659. The same gentleman obliges me also with copies of the following entries in the

Life, by the Rev. A. Thomson, B.A., prefixed to Goold's edition of Owen's works, Edinburgh, 1850. Wood, Ath. Ox. ii. 149, 570, 737, 868, Fast. ii. 21, 98; Add. MSS. 15670, 77, 272; Whitelock, Memorials iii. 47, 241, 245, iv. 273, 413; Burton, Diary i. 96, ii. 97; Hanbury, Memorials iii. 410, 422, 429, 472; Scobell, Acts of the Interregnum ii. 104; Thurloe, State Papers iii. 281; Neal ii. 540; Parl. Hist. iii. 1499, 1582. John Thurloe was the son of Thomas Thurloe, rector of Abbots Roothing, 1612-1633, N. ii. 499, where he was born in 1616. His father was the prede

cessor of Burton, ante p. 450; Neal ii. 540; Parl. Hist iii. 1499-1582; Carlyle, Cromwell ii. 185, iii. 192; Jour H. of C. vii. 297, 529, 534, 553, 597; Perfect Diurnal, No. 10; Mercurius Politicus, No. 8; Wilson Hist. Diss. Churches i. 260; Massachusetts Hist. Soc. Ser. ii. ii. 266. Owen's daughter, Mary, was buried at Coggeshall, 1647, July 25, and another daughter of the same name was baptized there, 1650, Feb. 28. Dale, Annals 168.

+ Ante p. 233; Cal. Acc. 654. Leyson's Environs i. 663.

regifter: 9th April, 1660, Francis Mills and Elizabeth Pledger married. April 25, 1660, Elias, sonne of Elias Pledger, buried.' He was ejected in 1662. Some notes of his farewell sermon have been published in "The Compleat Collection of Farewell Sermons.' Lond, 1663, 8vo. March 16, 1663-4, Pledger is reported as having a 'conventicle at ye Pheasant, in Friday Streete.' He afterwards had a meeting house in Lothbury. He died suddenly, after preaching there, in the year 1676.' There is a sermon of his printed in the Morning Exercise at Cripplegate, on the queftion of the cause of inward trouble, and how a Christian should behave himself when inward and outward troubles meet.'*

William Sedgwick. Ejected in the city of ELY. He was the son of a gentleman of the same name who resided in London, and was born in Bedfordshire. He was educated at Oxford, in Pembroke College, under George Hughes, who was afterwards ejected in Plymouth. On leaving the University he was inftituted to the rectory of Farnham, 5th February, 1634, where he succeeded Thomas Symons. He removed from Farnham to Ely. On the 5th October, 1641, a petition was preferred against Dr. Fuller, dean of Ely, for opposing the order about lecturers, the zealots being desirous to set up Mr. Sedgwick, a factious minister, to preach a Thursday lecture in his parish.' Sedgwick soon became distinguished for the earnestness of his labours, and acquired the title of The Apostle of the Isle of Ely.' It should appear, however, that his labours ultimately proved too much for him, as Calamy tells us, that they who knew him well represent him as a pious man, with a disordered head.' Wood says that he was very unsettled in his opinions: sometimes he was a Presbyterian, sometimes an Independent, and, at other times, an Anabaptist. Sometimes he was a prophet, and would pretend to foretell matters in the pulpit. . . . . At other times, having received revelations, as he pretended, he would forewarn people of their sins in public discourses; and, upon pretence of a vision that

Palmer i. 93; Lands. MSS. 459; S. P. O. Dom. Ser. Charles II. lxxi. 48; ante p. 264; Holbeach, ante p. 318.

doomsday was at hand, he retired to the house of Sir Francis Russell, in Cambridgeshire, . . . . and finding divers gentlemen there at bowles, called upon them to prepare themselves for their dissolution, telling them that he had lately received a revelation that doomsday would be some day the next week. At which the gentlemen, being not pleased,' they and others always after called him Doomsday Sedgwick.' After his ejectment he lived mostly' at Lewisham, in Kent; but, about 1668, he removed to London, where he shortly died.

...

Sedgwick published, 1. Zion's Deliverance; a sermon preached at a public fast, 29th June, 1642, before the House of Commons.' 2. Another Sermon on Is. lxii. 7, 1643. 3. Some Flashes of Lightning in the Son of Man: in eleven sermons.' Lond., 1648, 8vo. 4. The Leaves of the Tree of Life, for the healing of the Nations.' Lond., 1648, 4to. When he had published this book, Wood tells us that 'he went to Carisbrook Castle . . . and desired. . to address himself to King Charles I. . . . . The King, therefore, came forth, and Sedgwick, in a decent manner, gave his Majesty the book. After he had read some part thereof, he returned it to the author, with this short admonition and judgment, ' By what I have read in this book, I believe the author stands in need of some sleep.' These words being taken by the author in the best sense, he departed with seeming satisfaction.' 5. A Prophecy concerning the King, the Army, London and the Parliament.' 1641. 6. Justice upon the Army Remonstrance; or, a Rebuke of that evil spirit that leads them in their councils and actions.' Lond., 1649, 4to. 7. 'A Second View of the Army Remonstrance.' 1649, 4to. 8. A Letter to Lord Fairfax.' 9. Animadversions on a Letter and Paper put out to his Highness by certain gentlemen and others in Wales.' Lond., 1656, 4to. 10. Animadversions upon a Book entituled Inquisition for the Blood of our Sovereign.' Lond., 1661, 8vo.*

Edward Sherman.. Ejected from the rectory of STOKE BY

* Ante p. 92; Cal. Acc. 117; Nalson, Coll. ii. 492; Wood, Ath. Ox. ii. 463.

IPSWICH. His name appears among the subscribers to the 'Effex Testimony,' 1648, as minister of Bradwell' (juxta Mare). Calamy says, 'He was a judicious, able preacher, but exceedingly modest.' After his ejection he became schoolmafter at Dedham, and so continued till he died. The institution of his succeffor, at Stoke, is entered in the register of the diocese as follows: 3rd Jan., 1663. Stoke juxta Gipsicũ p. deprivaciōem Mgri. Sherman ult. incumben. ibi virtute nuperi Actus parliament. pro uniformitate.'*

Joseph Sherwood. Ejected from ST. HILARY, Cornwall. He was settled at High Roothing, on the sequeftration of John Duke. His name appears in the 'Classis' as of that parish, but he must have left immediately after his appointment, as September 18, 1646, there is an entry in the minutes of the Committee for Plundered Minifters that, 'Joseph Sherwood having voluntarily relinquished the rectory, . . . . it is now sequestered to Francis Hylls, minifter of the word.' It should appear that he removed from Roothing to St. Hilary, and that that also was a sequeftration. The Rev. Thomas Pascal, the present vicar, informs me that the sequestered clergyman's name was William Carrick.

Sherwood was ejected under the act of 1660. He afterwards resided at St. Ives, Cornwall, and was a conftant preacher there and at Penzance. Some little time after his ejectment,' says Calamy, he was cited to the spiritual court for not going to church. He appeared, and gave for a reason that there was no preaching; that, as he was a minifter himself, he could not with any satisfaction attend there only to hear the clerk read the prayers; but promised to go the next Lord's day if there were a sermon. Finding, upon enquiry, that there was no minifter the next Lord's day, he went not; and so was cited again, and gave the same answer. The Lord's day following great multitudes came to church, out of novelty, to see Mr. Sherwood, who, being informed by the churchwarden (that was his friend), that there would be no sermon, went into the church and seated

• Ante p. 273; Cal. Acc. 645.