The latter post he resigned in 1849, and the former in October 1850, on his appointment as president of Cheshunt College. In 1848 he was the pioneer of the ‘missions to working men,’ and took the most prominent part in rendering successful the concert-hall lectures established by Nathaniel Caine at Liverpool in 1850. The university of Glasgow conferred on him the degree of D.D. in 1849, in recognition of the value of his theological works. He resigned Cheshunt College in 1856, and died at his residence, Roman Road, Barnsbury, London, on 2 Jan. 1858. He married Sarah Hilton in July 1821, and left several children.
He wrote: 1. ‘The Ten Commandments illustrated,’ 1824, 8vo. 2. ‘The Missionary Church,’ 1832. 3. ‘The Miraculous Gifts considered,’ 1834. 4. ‘History of the Puritans,’ 1847. 5. ‘The Work of the Spirit,’ 1849. 6. ‘Memoir of R. W. Hamilton, D.D.,’ 1850. He also published several discourses and charges, edited the works of Thomas Adams (fl. 1612–1653) [q. v.], the puritan divine, 1847; and, for the monthly series of the Religious Tract Society, wrote: 1. ‘History of Greece,’ 1848. 2. ‘Lives of Illustrious Greeks,’ 1849. 3. ‘Life of Mohammed.’ 4. ‘Julius Cæsar.’ 5. ‘Life of Isaac Newton.’ He was joint editor of the fifth series of the ‘Eclectic Review,’ and a contributor to the ‘British Quarterly Review’ and other periodicals of the denomination to which he belonged. A posthumous volume of sermons appeared in 1859, edited by his eldest son, William Stowell (d. 1877).
An unsatisfactory portrait, painted by Parker, was presented by subscribers to Rotherham College in 1844; it is engraved in the ‘Memoir’ by Stowell's son.
[William Stowell's Memoir of the Life and Labours of W. H. Stowell, 1859; Congregational Year Book, 1859, p. 222; Guest's History of Rotherham, 1879; Athenæum, 1859, ii. 237; Brit. Mus. Cat.; Hugh Stowell Brown's Autobiography, 1887, p. 20; private information.]
STOWFORD or STONFORD, JOHN (1290?–1372?), judge, is stated to have been born at Stowford in the parish of West Down, Devonshire, about 1290 (Prince, Worthies of Devon, p. 559). He was perhaps a son of John de Stoford, who was manucaptor in 1307 for a burgess returned to parliament for Plympton (Parl. Writs, ii. 5). Stowford was an attorney for Hugh d'Audeley on 12 April 1329 and 17 June 1331 (Cal. Pat. Rolls, Edward III, i. 381, ii. 42). During 1331 he appears on commissions of oyer and terminer in the counties of Kent, Devon, and Pembroke, and on 12 Feb. 1332 was on the commission of peace for Devonshire (ib. ii. 57, 131, 199, 286). His name occasionally appears in judicial commissions in subsequent years, and in 1340 he is mentioned as one of the keepers of the coast of Devonshire (Fœdera, ii. 1112). In the same year he was made one of the king's serjeants, and on 23 April 1342 was appointed one of the judges of the court of common pleas. From 10 Nov. to 8 Dec. 1345 he acted temporarily as chief baron of the exchequer. Afterwards he resumed his place in the court of common pleas, where he continued to sit till midsummer 1372 (Dugdale, Orig. p. 45). He probably died soon after, and is said to have been buried in the church of West Down. Stowford made a benefaction to the convent of St. John at Wells in 1336 (Cal. Pat. Rolls, Edward III, iii. 334). He is said to have built the bridge over the Taw, near Barnstaple, and also a bridge between that town and Pilton. He married Joan, coheiress of the Tracys of Woollocombe. He and his wife held lands at South Petherton and Drayton, Somerset (ib. ii. 489).
[Prince's Worthies of Devon; Foss's Judges of England.]
STRACHAN, ARCHIBALD (d. 1651?), colonel, is first mentioned as serving under Cromwell at Preston in 1648, with the rank of major. According to Baillie, his former life had been ‘very lewd,’ but he had reformed, ‘inclined much in opinion towards the sectaries,’ and remained with Cromwell till the death of Charles I. He was employed in the negotiations between Argyll and Cromwell in September 1648 (Carlyle, Letter 75). He brought the news of Charles's execution to Edinburgh, and, after much discussion on account of the scandals of his past conduct, the commission of the kirk on 14 March 1649 allowed him to sign the covenant.
He was given a troop of horse, and helped to disperse the levies of Mackenzie of Pluscardine at Balveny on 8 May. The levies numbered 1,200, but they were routed by 120 horsemen. Alexander Leslie, first earl of Leven [q. v.], wished to get rid of him as a ‘sectary,’ but the kirk supported him, and he for his part was eager to clear the army of malignants (see Murdoch and Simpson, p. 302. The date of this letter, as Dr. Gardiner has shown, should probably be 3 June 1649). As to any danger from Montrose, he says, ‘If James Grahame land neir this quarters [Inverness], he will suddenly be de . . ed. And ther shalbe no need of the levy of knavis to the work tho they should be willing.’
