Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Killingworth, Grantham

by Alexander Gordon

KILLINGWORTH, GRANTHAM (1699–1778), baptist controversialist, grandson of Thomas Grantham (1634–1692) [q. v.], was born in Norwich in 1699. He was a layman, a personal friend of William Whiston, whom he supplied with evidence of cures effected through ‘prayer, fasting, and annointing with oyl’ by a unitarian baptist minister, William Barron (d. 7 Feb. 1731, aged 51). Killingworth wrote on the perpetuity of baptism, against Thomas Emlyn [q. v.]; in favour of adult baptism, against John Taylor, D.D., and Michajah Towgood; and of close communion, against James Foster [q. v.], John Wiche, and Charles Bulkley [q. v.] He died in 1778, leaving a considerable endowment to the Priory Yard general baptist chapel, Norwich.

Among his publications are:

1. ‘A Supplement to the Sermons … at Salters' Hall against Popery,’ 1735, 8vo; 3rd ed. 1736, 8vo; 5th ed. 1738, 8vo, with appendices, including his answer to Emlyn's ‘Previous Question,’ 1710, 4to.
2. ‘An Examination,’ &c., 1741, 8vo, of Foster's ‘Discourse’ (1744) on ‘catholic communion.’
3. ‘An Answer to the Defence of Dr. Foster,’ &c., 1752, 8vo (the ‘Defence’ was by ‘Philocatholicus,’ i.e. John Wiche, general baptist minister at Maidstone).
4. ‘An Answer to Mr. Charles Bulkley's Pleas for Mixt Communion,’ 1756, 8vo.
5. ‘A Letter … to the late … Mr. Whiston,’ &c., 1757, 8vo.

[Whiston's Memoirs, 1753, pp. 297, 306, 372; Bulkley's Notes on the Bible, 1802, iii. xv sq.; Toulmin's Historical View of Dissenters, 1814, p. 353; Neal's Puritans, 1822, i. xxvii.; Christian Life, 12 Aug. 1876, p. 164.]

A. G.