320

THE GLOUCESTER CANONRY.

maintenance, that canonship or prebend in the cathedral church of the holy and undivided Trinity of Gloucester, which should first happen to be void, and in the gift of her Majesty her heirs and successors from and after the date of the said grant; to have and to hold the said canonship or prebend, to the said Colwell Brickenden, master of the said college and his successors, masters of the same college, of her Majesty, her heirs and successors, in pure and perpetual alms, for and during his and their respective continuance in the said mastership; and did thereby likewise unite such canonship or prebend, as aforesaid, to the said corporation for ever [here follows the recital of a similar grant of a Rochester prebend to the provosts of Oriel and a Norwich canonry to the masters of Catherine Hall in Cambridge], Be it therefore enacted by the Queen's most excellent majesty etc., That the said several and respective recited letters patents and all and singular the clauses articles and things therein respectively contained shall be and are hereby ratified and confirmed, and the said several and respective canonships or prebends shall be, from time to time, for ever, held and enjoyed, according to the true intent and meaning of the several and respective letters patents aforesaid.'

CHAPTER XXIV.

GEORGE THE FIRST'S REIGN-JOURNAL OF A

GENTLEMAN-COMMONER.

DR. MATTHEW PANTING, the next Master, was elected Sept. 3, 1714. A fortnight earlier he was instituted to the Rectory of St. Ebbe's. He matriculated Nov. 5, 1698, aged 15 (son of Matthew, of Oxford); B.A. 1702; M.A. and Fellow 1705; B.D. and D.D. 1715; Rector of Coln Rogers 1718; died Feb. 12, 173, and was buried in St. Aldate's, where there was formerly an inscription to his memory on a pillar facing the lower south door.' Johnson admired him as 'a fine Jacobite fellow.' Panting gave Whitefield the servitor's place which brought him to the College, and though he spoke sternly to him he does not appear to have gone beyond his duty. Hearne styles him an honest gent,' and says: 'He had to preach the sermon at S. Mary's on the day on which George Duke and Elector of Brunswick usurped the English throne; but his sermon took no notice, at most very little, of the Duke of Brunswick '.' This was a few weeks before his election as Master.

Dr. Panting's mastership is notable for the building of the Chapel. His son, Matthew, was Fellow of All Souls. In one of the buttery books is scrawled by the Bible Clerk 'Pretty Miss Pant.' The St. Aldate's registers contain the names of several of his children.

The first alumnus of note at the beginning of the Hanoverian period was PHILIP MORANT (1700-1770). This learned antiquary, the second son of Stephen Morant 2 by his wife Mary Filleul, was born at St. Saviour's, Jersey, Oct. 6, 1770.

1 The Terrae Filius of 1721 complains that if you were to turn out one Jacobite H-d of a college, another as bad is ready to step in his room.' In 1733, after the rejection of the Excise Bill, town and gown drank the healths of James the Third, Ormonde, and Bolingbroke, round bonfires amid boisterous revelry. Charles Wesley writes in 1734, 'My brother [John] has been much mauled and threatened more for his Jacobite sermon on the 16th of June.' The Government showed considerable forbearance. Still, as the high churchmen had no deaneries or sees to look forward to, it was fair they should have their fling.

2 The Morant arms (temp. Edw. III) are in the east window of Warehorne Church, Kent, viz. gules, on a chevron, arg., three talbots passant sable.

Y

Philip passed from the tuition of the Rev. Thomas Woods at Abingdon School-where is preserved a copy of the De Oratore, given to the Library by Mr. Mourant, a former scholar'-to Pembroke, Dec. 17, 1717. B.A. June 10, 1721. He resided at

the College till his ordination, Sept. 23, 1722.

Bishop Gibson nominated him to the preachership of the Anglican church at Amsterdam, but he did not go there. Instead he was licensed as curate of Great Waltham, Essex, where he remained from 1722 (1724, Dict. Nat. Biog.) till 1732, helping the Vicar, Nicholas Tindal, in preparing a new edition of Rapin's History of England. Morant greatly impressed Bishop Gibson by his argumentative power and antiquarian learning, and on his recommendation the Regent, Queen Caroline, made him, Aug. 16, 1732, chaplain at Amsterdam. He retained this post till Michaelmas 1734. On April 20, 1733, he was preferred to the rectory of Shellow Bowells, and held it till Nov., 1734. From Jan. 17, 1734, to April, 1738, he was Rector of Broomfield; from Sept. 19, 1735, to 1743, Rector of Chignal Smealey; from March 9, 1738, to 1770, Rector of St. Mary's, Colchester; from Jan. 21, 1743, to Oct. 1745, Rector of Wickham Bishop's; from Sept. 14, 1745, to 1770, Rector of Aldham-all these places are in Essex. He thus was always a dualist, though not a pluralist. The wide knowledge of Essex thus acquired fitted him to be the historian of that county. Morant's great work, the History and Antiquities of the County of Essex (2 vols. folio, 1760-8), incorporates his History of Colchester. On Nov. 20, 1755, he was elected F.S.A., and on the recommendation of Thomas Astle, Keeper of the Tower Records, husband of Morant's only daughter, he was intrusted by the House of Lords with the preparation for the press of the ancient records of Parliament. He had great skill in palæography, and, as a native of Jersey, he possessed an unusual familiarity with the old Norman-French. The Rotuli Parliamentorum between 1278 and 1413 were edited by him. A chill caught in being rowed towards Lambeth, where he lived in order to be near his labours, ended his life, Nov. 25, 1770. He was taken to Aldham to be laid beside his wife (Anne, daughter and heiress of Solomon Stebbing of Great Tey) in the chancel of the now ruined church of Aldham. The slab is still visible. A marble tablet, bearing an inscription written by Astle, was removed to the new church in 1854 :

PHILIPPO MORANT, A.M. hujus Ecclesiae Rectori: Vir fuit Eximia simplicitate et moribus plane antiquis, bonorum studiosus, omnibus benevolens, eruditione denique multiplici repletus. Gentium origines agrorum limites in hac provincia feliciter investigavit; ad vitas Britannorum insignium illustrandas quam plurimum contulit. His studiis a prima juventute usque ad mortem totum se dedit, nec ostentandi gratia sed quod reipublicae prodesset. Obiit Novbris 25° A.D. 1770. Aet. 70. Et ANNAE uxori ejus matronarum decori ex antiquis familiis Stebbing et Creffield oriundae: Obiit Julii 20o A.D. 1767. Aet. 69. Optimis parentibus Tho: et A: Maria Astle posuerunt.

Until 1734 he spelled his name Mourant, and was so matriculated, but

MORANT; A GENTLEMAN-COMMONER'S JOURNAL. 323

afterwards reverted to the earlier and more correct form. Morant published a number of historical and theological writings. The articles in Biographia Britannica signed 'C.' (Colchester) are by him, and also the Life of Stillingfleet. A number of his letters and collections are in the British Museum among the Stowe MSS. The Marquess of Buckingham acquired the MSS. under Astle's will. Other Morant papers and sermons are at Colchester. Mr. C. F. D. Sperling has written an account of Morant and his works in the Essex Review for January 1894. The portrait prefixed is most characteristic of 'mores plane antiqui'-a keen-looking portly man in a wig, with a very large aquiline nose.

Bishop ROBERT DOWNES, who entered July 15, 1721 (B.A. from Merton 1724; D.D. at Trinity, Dublin, 1740), the son of Bishop Henry Downes, became Bishop of Ferns 1744, of Down 1752, and of Raphoe 1753 till his death, June 30, 1763.

JOURNAL OF A GENTLEMAN-COMMONER.

The following excerpts from some portions of the Diary of Mr. (afterwards Sir) ERASMUS PHILIPPS, son of Sir John Philipps, fourth baronet, of Picton Castle, and other seats in Wales, give a not unpleasing picture of a young man of quality of this date:

2

1720, Augst 1. Went from London wth my Father and Bro. John in Haynes' Grand Alrighman Coach for Oxford, where my brother and self were, the next day, Aug. 2, admitted Fellow Commoners of Pembroke College by Mathew Panting, D.D., the Master of It, and took an oath to obey the Master and observe the statutes of the College, etc. Paid Mr. Hopkins, the College Butler, 17. 2s. 6d. Entrance money. Din'd the same day wth the Revd. Mr. Sam. Horne (Master of Arts, one of the Fellows and Junior Dean of the College) whose pupil I was. Next day din'd wth the Master and his Lady at the Lodgings.

4

Augst 4... Paid the Revd. Mr. Wm. Jordan (one of the Fellows of Pembroke and one of the Bursars and Chaplain to ditto 3) and the Revd. Mr. Wm. Blandy (another Fellow and the other Bursar) 10l. for my Caution, to remain in their hands till I leave College: paid 'em also ros. for a key of the College Garden.

Sept 20. Rode to Portmead (1 mile from Oxford) where Mr. Stapleton's horse run against Mr. Jerningham's and won the 407. plate.

1

1 Notes and Queries, Second Series, Nov. 10, 1860: College Life at Oxford One Hundred and Thirty Years Ago.'

2 Afterwards Sir John, the benefactor mentioned on page 301.

3 Afterwards Johnson's tutor.

324

DIARY OF A GENTLEMAN-COMMONER.

Sep: 21st. The Galloway Plate, value 157., was run for by one horse; after which several horses ran for a Hanger, which showed good diversion. At night went to Assembly at the Angel, where the affair was a Flat Crown.

22nd. Walked to Portmead, where Mr. Freeman's Horse run against Mr. Jerningham's and Mr. Garret's Mare, and won the 207. Plate. After this was a Foot race between several Taylors for geese, etc. At night went to the Ball at the Angel. A Guinea Touch.

23rd. Several horses run for a Leash of does given by Montague Venables Bertie, Earl of Abingdon. [He gives a list of the company present.]

24. I was made free of the Bodleian Library, and took the usual Oath not to Embezzle the Books, etc.

25. Made a present to the Bodleian Library of a Grammatica Damulica (a Malabar Grammar), a very great Curiosity. . .

ditto. Presented Pembroke College Library wth Mr. Prior's Works in Folio, neatly bound, weh cost me 17. 35. Revd. Mr. Thomas Tristram, M.A. and Fellow and Librarian of the College, entered me on this occasion a Benefactor to its Library.

Sept... Din'd with Dr. Hugh Boulter, the Dean of Christ Church and Bishop of Bristol at his lodgings in College.

Sept... In this month I was twice Senior of Pembroke College Hall 2. Oct. 30. My Father and Bro. Buckley, with Cosin Rowland Phillips of Orlandon, and Mr. Bernewitz came to Oxford from Picton Castle, and next day went for London.

Xmer 20.

I set out from Oxford for London.

1

172 Jany 5. My sister Katharine died at Picton Castle in the 23d year of her Age, and was in a few days after Interred in Prendergast Church; the Revd. Mr. Jno. Pember, Rector of the Parish, preaching her Funeral Sermon. . . . A neat marble Stone is erected for her,

...

1 Prior says: 'And Cowley's verse keeps fair Orinda young.' Orinda' had married into the Philipps family. On the flyleaf of the Poems the gift is dated 'Decris, die 7mo. 1721.'

2 Custom for him that comes first into the Hall any day at Dinner or Suppertime, whether Graduate or Undergraduate, to sit Senior all the Time and exercise his Authority in giving others Leave to go down, if desir'd, etc. The same Custom is observ'd in University and Wadham Colleges.' (Pointer.)

3 Bulkeley Philipps of Abercover. From him descended the Lord Milford of the second creation and the baronet of the second creation, to whom, successively, Richard Lord Milford bequeathed the large Pembrokeshire estates. The will was disputed recently by the present baronet of the first creation.

* A third cousin (ob. 1768). From his uncle descends the present head of the family, the Rev. Canon Sir James Erasmus Philipps, twelfth baronet, to whom I am indebted for access to family records.