37 6* A T T E R B U R Y. minder- fchool under Dr. Bufby, and fent to Chrid church, Oxford, at the age of eighteen. He was ordained deacon in Seftembtr 1679, being then bachelor of arts ; and prieft the year following, whtn alfo he commenced matter of arts. In 168^, he I'-^ved the cffice of chaplain to fir William Prit- cbard lord n ayor of London. In February 1684, he was inliituted ifl>>r of Symel in Northamptonftire, which living he afterwards refined upon his accepting of other prefer- ments. July 8, 1687, he accumulated the degrees of bache- lor and doct r of civil law. In 1691, we find him lecturer of St. Man Hill in London. Soon after his marriage [A] he fettled at Highgate, where he fupplied the pulpit of the reverend Mr. Daniel Lathom, who was very old and infirm, and had loft his fight ; and, upon the death of this gentleman was., ii; Jim? 1695, elected by the truftees of Highgate chapel to be tho- . acher. He had a little before been appointed one of the- fix pro. ching chaplains to the princefs Anne of Denmark at Whitehall and St James's, wh ch place he con- tinued to fupply after {he came to the crown, and likewife curing part of the reign of George I. When he nrft refided at Highgate, obferving what difficulties the poor in the neigh- bouihood underwent for want of a good phyfician or apothe- cary, he fet himfelf to the ftudy of phyfic ; and after acquir- ing confiderable (kill, pra&ifed it gratis occafioiully among his | o,i neighbours. In 1707, the queen p re fen ted him to the rectory of Shepperton in Middlesex ; and in March 1719, the bifnop of London collated him to the reftory of Horn- fey, which was the more agreeable to him, becaufe the chapel of Highgate being fituate in that parifii, many of his conftant hearers became now his parilhioners. in 1720, on a report of the death of Dr. Sprat, archdeacon of Rochelter. he applied to his brother, in whole gift this pre- ferment was, to be appointed to fucceed him. The bifhop giving his brother fome reafons why he thought it improper t'> make him his archdeacon, the doctor replied, u Your
- loidlbip very well knows that Lanfranc archbifhop of Can-
terbury hid a brother for his archdeacon 5 and that fir Fhcirras ?,'jore'> father was a puifne judge when he was " lord chancellor. And thus, in the (acred hiftory, did God himfelf appoint that the fafety and advancement of the pa- triarchs fnould be procured by their younger brother, and tc tc [*] He married the daughter of of London in 1707; by whom he had Mr. John Bed'ngfield, brother to fir three fons and a daughter : but none Robert B . knight, lord major furvived him. " that
