Appendix XI: Protestant Dissenting Members

Published in The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1690-1715, ed. D. Hayton, E. Cruickshanks, S. Handley, 2002
Available from Boydell and Brewer

Protestant Dissenting Members

The identification of Protestant Dissenters among the English and Welsh Members is hampered by deficiencies in the evidence, and the tendency of some Dissenters to attend their parish church, occasionally, in order to qualify themselves for office, or even on a regular basis. The more conservative Presbyterians, who had hoped for a comprehensive church settlement in 1689, continued to regard themselves as members of the Church of England, and saw no contradiction in attending both church and meeting house. Many were drifting into permanent conformity with the established church.

1

In a minority of cases, numbering 39 in all, there is unequivocal evidence of a continued attachment to a Dissenting congregation. These Members are listed below according to denomination, where known. The symbol ° denotes an occasional conformist; ‡ more consistent attendance at the Established Church (often presumed rather than documented).

Presbyterian:

 
 

Samuel Barnardistonº

 

Hugh Boscawen Iº

 

John Buller I‡

 

John Burridge I

 

Philip Foley

 

Thomas Foley I

 

Thomas Foley III‡

 

Sir Edward Harleyº/‡

 

Edward Harleyº/‡

 

Joshua Lomax

 

John Londonº

 

Sir William Lowtherº

 

Sir John Maynardº

 

Sir Robert Rich, 2nd Bt.º

 

Francis St. Johnº

 

Sir Walter St. John, 3rd Bt.º

 

John Swinfen (Swynfen)º

 

Richard Taylorº

 

William Trenchardº

 

John Whiteº

 

Thomas White II

 

Sir William Yorkeº

   

Independent:

 
 

John Burton

 

Samuel Foote‡

 

Grey Neville

 

Thomas Owenº

 

Arthur Shallettº

   

Baptist:

 
 

Gregory Page

   

Quaker:

 
 

Edmund Waller

   

Unclassified (probably Presbyterian or Independent):

 

John Elwill

 

Sir Bartholomew Gracedieuº

 

William Harris

 

Thomas Lamplughº

 

Thomas Lascellesº

 

John Rogersº

 

Martin Ryderº

 

Sir John Thompson, 1st Bt.‡

 

Thomas Westbyº

 

Sir Walter Yonge, 3rd Bt.º

2

In a further 31 cases the evidence for Nonconformity is strong but not conclusive. These ‘probable’ Dissenters are listed below, again according to denomination where known, and with ‘occasional’ or more consistent conformity indicated by means of symbols.

Presbyterian:

 
 

Sir Edward Abneyº

 

Sir Thomas Abneyº

 

Sir Henry Ashurst, 1st Bt.º

 

Henry Ashurstº

 

Sir William Ashurstº

 

Sir John Carew, 3rd Bt‡

 

Sir John Fagg, 1st Bt.º

 

Richard Hampden Iº

 

Sir Henry Hoghton, 5th Bt.º

 

Samuel Ogleº

 

Joseph Paiceº

 

Philip Papillonº

   

Independent:

 
 

George Boddingtonº

   

Baptist:

 
 

Sir Owen Buckinghamº

   

Quaker:

 
 

John Archdale

   

Unclassified (probably Presbyterian or Independent):

 

Richard Bekeº

 

Sir Thomas Pope Blount, 1st Bt.º

 

Robert Burridgeº

 

James Butler‡

 

Sir William Cowper, 2nd Bt.º

 

Richard Dukeº

 

Richard Ellysº

 

Thomas Fairfax, 5th Ld. Fairfax [S]º

 

Thomas Heath IIº

 

John Hopkinsº

 

Jonathan Hutchinsonº

 

Henry Probertº

 

Sir Charles Raleighº

 

Sir Thomas Roberts, 4th Bt‡

 

William Stockdaleº

 

John Thornhagh (Thornhaugh)‡

3

Ninety-six Members can only be classified as ‘possible’ Dissenters. Symbold are again employed to distinguish ‘occasional’ and regular conformists.

Presbyterian:

 
 

Richard Assheton (Ashton)º

 

Michael Biddulph‡

 

John Birch I‡

 

John Birch II‡

 

Hugh Boscawen II‡

 

Thomas Browne‡

 

John Dryden‡

 

Sir William Ellys, 2nd Bt.‡

 

Thomas Foley II‡

 

Henry Grey (formerly Neville)‡

 

Edward Irby‡

 

Sir William Langham‡

 

James Lowther‡

 

Sir Thomas Mompesson‡

 

Richard Neville‡

 

Arthur Owen II‡

 

Sir Hugh Owen, 2nd Bt.‡

 

Thomas Papillonº

 

John Phillipps‡

 

Richard Swinfen (Swynfen)‡

 

John Wildman‡

   

Independent:

 
 

Bussy Mansel‡

   

Baptist:

 
 

Josiah Diston‡

 

Benjamin Overton‡

   

Quaker:

 
 

Sir Charles Wager‡

   

Unclassified (probably Presbyterian or Independent):

 

Sir Thomas Alston, 3rd Bt.‡

 

John Arnold‡

 

Ralph Bell‡

 

Edmund Boulter‡

 

Anthony Bowyer‡

 

Edward Brent‡

 

John Bright‡

 

William Brockman‡

 

John Bromley I‡

 

Edward Bullock‡

 

John Burridge II‡

 

Felix Calvert‡

 

Thomas Carr‡

 

John Cholmley‡

 

Awnsham Churchill‡

 

William Churchill‡

 

Thomas Clarke‡

 

Sir Robert Clayton‡

 

Sir John Cope, 5th Bt.‡

 

William Cowper‡

 

Thomas Ellys‡

 

John Eyles‡

 

Sir Henry Furnese‡

 

Nathaniel Gould‡

 

George Gregory‡

 

Thomas Guy‡

 

Sir Eliab Harvey‡

 

Michael Harvey‡

 

Gilbert Heathcote‡

 

Sir Roger Hill‡

 

John Lamotte Honywood‡

 

Owen Hughes

 

John Hutton I‡

 

Thomas Johnson+‡

 

Peter King‡

 

Daniel Lascelles‡

 

Nicholas Lechmere‡

 

Sir William Leman, 2nd Bt.‡

 

Thomas Lewes‡

 

Henry Liddell‡

 

John Michell I‡

 

Henry Mildmay‡

 

Richard More‡

 

Isaac Newton‡

 

Humphrey Nicoll‡

 

Archdale Palmer‡

 

Francis Pengelly‡

 

John Pershall‡

 

Sir Henry Pickering, 2nd Bt.‡

 

Alexander Pitfield‡

 

David Polhill‡

 

Sir Charles Pye, 2nd Bt.‡

 

Richard Pye I‡

 

Isaac Rebow‡

 

Sir Richard Reynell, 2nd Bt.‡

 

Thomas Ridge

 

Sir John Rogers, 2nd Bt.‡

 

Samuel Shepheard I‡

 

Bennet Sherard, 3rd Baron Sherard [I]‡

 

Robie Sherwin‡

 

Christopher Stockdale (formerly Walters)‡

  John Taylor‡
 

Thomas Tipping‡

 

Samuel Travers‡

 

Roger Tuckfield‡

 

Lionel Vane‡

 

Sir Thomas Webster, 1st Bt.‡

 

Walter White‡

 

Roger Whitley‡

 

Robert Wilmot‡

 

Robert Yate

 

It is possible to identify 34 Episcopalians among the Scots, that is to say Members who expressed an unambiguous sympathy for the Episcopalian cause, acted in Parliament to secure a legislative toleration for Episcopalians or to protect Episcopalian ministers, and in some cases, of which Sir Alexander Cumming, 1st Bt., would be one, used the ecclesiatical patronage at their disposal to find livings for Episcopalian clergy. With the single exception of William Livingston, who seems to have abandoned his Episcopalian allegiance and eventually to have conformed to the Presbyterian Church of Scotland, all appear consistently in this period as ‘dissenters’ in a Scottish context.

 

Sir Alexander Areskine (Erskine), 2nd Bt.

 

John Bruce

 

John Carnegie

 

Hon. William Cochrane

 

Sir Alexander Cumming, 1st Bt.

 

Alexander Duff

 

Hon. Sir James Dunbar (formerly Sutherland), 1st Bt.

 

Sir John Erskine (Areskine), 3rd Bt.

 

John Erskine

 

William Gordon, Ld. Haddo

 

Mungo Graham (Graeme)

 

William Grierson

 

Sir Peter Halkett (alias Wedderburn), 1st Bt.

 

James Halyburton (Haliburton)

 

Sir James Hamilton, 2nd Bt.

 

George Hamilton

 

William Livingston

 

Alexander Mackenzie

 

George Mackenzie

 

Hon. Sir Kenneth Mackenzie, 3rd Bt.

 

Sir John Malcolm, 1st Bt.

 

Alexander Murray

 

Lord James Murray

 

Hon. James Murray

 

James Oswald

 

Sir Hugh Paterson, 3rd Bt.

 

Sir Alexander Ramsay, 5th Bt.

 

Sir David Ramsay, 4th Bt.

 

Hugh Rose I

 

James Scott I

 

James Scott II

 

William Seton

 

Hon. John Stewart

 

George Yeaman

Ref Volumes: 1690-1715

Author: D. W. Hayton

End Notes