coffee-house, and stands on King's-college Rents, towards the South-east angle of their designed quadrangle. The Tory part of the University supported Thomas Whitstones of Whittlesey, esq. and a member of the body; the other party set up John Bacon of Cambridge. The election came on upon the 12th of June 1728, when it was pretended that Mr. Bacon was chosen by a majority of legal and statutable votes; but this not appearing so to the gentlemen who supported Mr. Whitstones, the Vice-Chancellor ordered him to be declared duly elected. Upon this determination, the party injured made a complaint against the Vice Chancellor to the King; who laying it before the Privy Council, they were pleased to reverse the Vice-Chancellor's decree, and ordered him to declare Mr. Bacon duly elected into that office, and to cause the University Seal to be affixed to his appointment. The affair thus related, I take from a Pamphlet supposed to have been written by that pragmatical Coxcomb, Dr. Chapman, then Master of Magdalen College, called "An Inquiry into the Right of Appeal from the Chancellor, &c. in Matters of Discipline, &c. Lond. 8vo. 1751," p. 47, 48, 49.

After having presided over this House near eight years, he gave way to fate, on 24 Jan. 1734-5, and was buried in the College Chapel.

I remember to have seen him when I was first admitted of the University: his appearance was not advantageous, being small, and not at all bettered by a squint in one of his eyes; but, what was more to the purpose, he was generally esteemed a very worthy man. I have seen a small and ordinary picture of him, in his scarlet gown, which is extremely like him, at Mr. Alderman Norfolk's in Jesus-lane. His will is entered in one of Mr. Baker's MS Volumes, vol. XXXVI. No. 22, p. 263; where more particulars, possibly, may be met with concerning him *.

* MS. Cole, vol. xlix.-(No. 5850 of the Donation MSS.)

DR.

Dr. JOHN NEWCOME.

Dr. Newcome had made an attempt for this Mastership in 1727, when Dr. Lambert carried it against him, where some features of his character may be discerned: On that Master's death, he was more successful, being elected into his place, on another warm contest, on February 6, 1734-5; when he, Dr. Williams, Mr. Parnham, and Mr. Chapelow, were the candidates. This contest I well remember; being after my admission into the University. Dr. Newcome's character will be discussed in the present article. Dr. Williams was then President of the College, Orator of the University, and generally esteemed a very worthy, upright man, and seemed as much calculated for the post he aimed at, and deserved, as he that attained it. But there are always great heats and divisions in this society; and perhaps Dr. Newcome's then living in his Professorial house in the town might have been no disadvantage to his having been brought into College *.

Dr. Williams was son to a Rector of Dodington, and slightly allied to the Peyton family; he resided, some years after his disappointment, in the College, by which he was presented to the Rectory of Barrow, where he soon after married the only daughter of Dr. Dighton of Newmarket: rather a disproportionate match in point of age. By her he left three children; a son, who, on the alliance abovesaid, was sent, as Founder's kinsman, to New College, and is now Fellow of Winchester College;

* In my vol. XXI. (p. 85, 86,) of these Collections, is an exact list of the poll on this election, drawn up by Dr. Williams, and communicated to me with many things of the sort, by my late worthy friend, Dr. Zachary Grey, rector of Houghton Conquest in Bedfordshire.

VOL. I.

O o

and

and two daughters, unmarried: she afterwards married Dr. John Gordon of Cambridge, where they resided many years, but now at Lincoln, where he is both Archdeacon and Chancellor; and by her has two sons, if not other children.

Mr. Caleb Parnham *, another of the candidates, was then one of the Senior Fellows, and afterwards took the rectory of Ufford near Stamford, being a native of that part of the kingdom. He was

*B. A. 1715; M. A. 1719; B. D. 1727.

The following particulars of Mr. Parnham were communicated to Mr. Jones of Welwyn. Nov. 3, 1764.

"In compliance with your request, I took a ride last Thursday to Barnack. The account Mr. Rennell gave me of Mr. Parnham was (as far as I can recollect) that, some time before his death, he had the misfortune to have his shoulder put out, or his collar-bone broke (I cannot recollect which of the two), which he bore with a great deal of patience. After some time, a little scurf appeared upon one of his toes, and from that a mortification ensued, which was thought to be the cause of his death; though, a few days before he departed, he complained of a pain in his breast. Mr. Rennell visited him very often in his illness, and, I believe, was at his house when he died. He laments the loss of so good a neighbour very much. He says, that as Mr. Parnham lived, so he died; viz. a good Christian, full of faith, fortitude, and resignation to the will of God. Mr. Rennell happened to be at Ufford one day, when there was some company visiting him, a pretty while before Mr. Parnham's mortification appeared. He took him into his study, and told him he did not expect to live long, and therefore desired him to accept of his books, and told him, he might take them away when he pleased. Mr. Rennell was very much shocked at this prelude; but Mr. Parnham was not in the least discomposed, but joined his company again with all the cheerfulness imaginable: and a little before his death he nominated Mr. Rennell to bury him, and specified the persons who were to be his bearers, &c. with as much serenity and unconcern as if he had only been going to sleep: he himself was the only person unmoved in the room. Mr. Rennell says farther, that Mr. Parnham was a person of remarkable courage and resolution in his life-time, and continued so to his death; talked of his own erit, as if he had only proposed going a short journey. This is the sum and substance of what I can recollect relating to this good man. Mr. Rennell was so obliging and courteous as to favour me with a sight of his Library, which is the completest private one I ever saw; being now much larger than when you saw it, by the addition of Mr. Parnham's books, &c. Mr. Parnham's Manuscripts and Papers were burnt by his orders. J. MORGAN."

Mr.

esteemed a very good sort of man, of the tallest stature I ever saw, and had one of the best bass voices in the University; where at public concerts, and our weekly musick-club, I have often heard him, with great pleasure, both play on the violoncello, and accompany it with his voice.

The other candidate, Mr. Chapelow, was either then, or soon after, Professor of Arabick, and beneficed in Hertfordshire:, esteemed an able man in his profession, and constantly read lectures during one Term at Cambridge on the Oriental languages. As Mr. Chapelow had no children by his wife, and

Mr. Jones adds, "I wish I could have had a fuller account of this most valuable man, whom I so greatly respected, and with whom I had been so long acquainted. When I was last at Cambridge, a worthy person gave me some short account of his last illness, as he had received it from Ufford, or the neighbour hood of that place. Amongst other particulars, he had been informed, that Mr. Parnham, having overheard the consultations of his Surgeons, or at least suspecting that they judged him to be past their cure, bid them be very easy, and not at all concerned, for he himself was not. Then he sent for a friend in whom he confided (probably Mr. Rennell), directing him to send a messenger on purpose, immediately after his decease, to the Master and Society of St. John's in Cambridge, who were the patrons of his Benefice, to acquaint them with his departure, &c. The friend, not apprehending such danger before, expressed his deep concern. Mr. Parnham, on the other hand, appeared quite calm and undisturbed, and his mind was steady and well prepared. And he went on accordingly, with great composure and prudence, to give his friend farther directions relating to several particulars, which he was desirous night be done soon after his decease, as well as before it. He died in 1764. He had long been an useful member of, and an honour to, his College, above-mentioned; and was one of the principal candidates for the Headship thereof at the last election, when Dr. Newcome was chosen.

"Sir John Heathcote, a lessee of the Church of Lincoln, relating to the Prebend of the late Dr. Cobden, wherein he was succeeded by Dr. Law (and wherein Mr. Parnham had some concern), being refused a renewal of his lease upon his terms, appointed the Prince of Wales, our present Sovereign, to be one of the lives included in the lease, when he consented to the terms proposed; saying, "I will nominate one for whom the dog shall be obliged to pray in the day-time, wishing him dead at night.",

was much in favour with Bishop Sherlock, whose wife was related to the Chesters of Cockenhatch in Hertfordshire, on that Bishop's providing for one of the Pernes in the Diocese of Salisbury, he got a promise from Chester Perne, of Little Abington, esq. his brother, to give the Rectory of Knapwell to Mr. Musgrave, Fellow of Peter-house, son of Mr. Musgrave of Gransden, who had married his niece: Mr. Musgrave held it with the vicarage of Triplow.

John Newcome was the son of a baker, of Grantham in Lincolnshire, in which town he was born; and in the free-school there received his education. He was afterwards sent to this College, where he became Fellow; and on the death of Dr. Jenkin, in 1727, was chosen Lady Margaret's Professor of Divinity. On the death of Dr. Lambert, he again entered the lists, and was so fortunate to out-run his opposers. As he was chosen Professor for Lady Margaret at a time when the Regius Professor of Divinity, the great Dr. Richard Bentley, was withdrawing himself from all public business, the duty of the Chair devolved upon him; which he exercised with tolerable abilities.

[Here Mr. Cole proceeds with the character in terms which I do not think proper to copy; and adds :]

If this picture of him is not like, I know one that is more so, and much better painted: it is by the hand of a master *, Dr. William King, of St. Mary Hall, who, in his "Key to the Fragment," severely handles him, after having before dispatched Dr. Gooch, afterwards Bishop of Ely. Allowance must, however, be made for the warmth of Dr. King's principles, whose integrity was hurt by the duplicity of Dr. Newcome's conduct.

If this likeness of him should be found fault with, as too severe; there is a softer one of him, drawn by

* See also some very severe lines in the Capitade, printed in the Gent. Mag. vol. LI. p. 530.

the