Henry Compton (abt. 1632 - 1713)

Born about 1632 in Compton Wynyates, Warwickshire, England

Ancestors

Died 7 Jul 1713 at about age 81 in Fulham, Middlesex, England

Biography

Henry was born about 1632, the youngest of the six sons of Spencer Compton Earl of Northampton and his wife, Mary Beaumont. He was educated at Queen's College, Oxford leaving in 1654 without a degree and travelling abroad. ^[1]

With the Restoration of 1660 he became a cornet in the Royal Regiment of Horse, the troop of his brother, Charles but soon left the army for the church. He graduated as Doctor of Divinity in 1669.

In 1674 he was appointed Bishop of Oxford and in 1675 Bishop of London and was later entrusted with the education of the Princesses Mary and Anne, daughters of James, Duke of York, brother of Charles II. Henry hoped to reunite the Protestant dissenters with the Anglican Church but his tolerance did not extend to Roman Catholics to whom he was so strongly opposed that on the accession of James Duke of York as James II he lost his positions. He was one of those who invited William of Orange to England in 1688. Restored to his position as Bishop of London Henry officiated at the Coronation of William and Mary.

Henry died at Fulham on 7 July 1713 aged 81 and was buried at All Saints, Fulham. ^[2]

Henry Compton, Bishop responsible for the American plantations; as such he was able to user botanically minded curates to hunt for plants and to send them back to him. One of his best contacts was John Banister Banister-59 who served as rector of the parish of Charles City, Virginia. ^[3]

Notes

"His wife was thought to be Margaret b ca 1740." ^[4] There is no mention of a wife found anywhere else so far.

"He sent his second cousin, John Compton, to Maryland where Henry had been given a land grant, and from afar, Henry helped set up the Anglican Church in Maryland." ^[5]

Sources

1. ↑ Cambrige Alumni: M.A. 1661. S. of Spencer (1614), Earl of Northampton. Matric. from Queen's College, Oxford, Dec. 12, 1654. Left without a degree, and travelled abroad. Entered Christ Church, Oxford, 1666, and incorporated as M.A. Faculty (from Canterbury) for both orders, 1666. B.D. and D.D. (Oxford) 1669. Master of St Cross Hospital, Winchester, 1667. Canon of Christ Church, 1669. R. of Cottenham, Cambs., 1671. R. of Witney, Oxon., 1674. Bishop of Oxford, 1674. Dean of the Chapel Royal, 1675-85. Bishop of London, 1675-1713. Died at Fulham, July 7, 1713, aged 81. Buried there. (D.N.B.; Al. Oxon.)
2. ↑ Find a Grave [1]
3. ↑ page 211 "The Curious World of Samuel Pepys and John Evelyn" by Margaret Willes, 2017, Yale University Press, New Haven and London. Call 941.060 WIL
4. ↑ residue from earlier discussions
5. ↑ Wikipedia [2]

• Andrew M. Coleby, ‘Compton, Henry (1631/2–1713)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, Jan 2008 accessed 28 July 2017. This is a subscription site but access is free to readers of British libraries whose library subscribes.

• Wikipedia [3]

See also

• The National Archives [4]

Acknowledgments

Thanks to David Compton for starting this profile. Click the Changes tab for the details of contributions by David and others.