MIDDLETON, CONYERS (1683-1750), English divine, was born at Richmond in Yorkshire on the 27th of December 1683. He graduated at Cambridge, took orders, and in 1706 obtained a fellowship, which he soon resigned upon contracting an advantageous marriage. In 1717 a dispute with Richard Bentley, who made an extortionate demand on the occasion of Middletons being created D.D., involved him in an acrimonious controversy. He wrote several trenchant pamphlets, among them the Remarks and Further Remarks on Bentleys Proposals for a New Edition of the Greek Testament, an endeavour to visit his grievances upon the text of the New Testament. In 1723 he was involved in a lawsuit by personalities against Bentley, which had found their way into his otherwise judicious tract on library administration, written on the occasion of his appointment as university librarian. In 1726 he offended the medical profession by a dissertation contending that the healing art among the ancients was only exercised by slaves or freedmen. Between the dates of these publications he visited Italy, and made those observations on the pagan origin of church ceremonies and beliefs which he subsequently embodied in his Letter from Rome (1729). This cogent tract probably contributed to prepare the storm which broke out against him on his next publication (1731). In his remonstrance with Daniel Waterland on occasion of the latters reply to Matthew Tindals Christianity as Old as the Creation, Middleton takes a line which in his day could hardly fail to expose him to the reproach of infidelity. He gives up the literal truth of the primeval Mosaic narratives; and, in professing to indicate a short and easy method of confuting Tindal, lays principal stress on the indispensableness of Christianity as a mainstay of social order. This was to resign nearly everything that divines of the Waterland stamp thought worth defending. Middleton was warmly assailed from many quarters, and retreated with some difficulty under cover of a sheaf of apologetic pamphlets and a more regular attendance at church. His next important publication was a Life of Cicero (1741), largely told in that statesmans own words. Though Middletons reputation was much enhanced by this piece of work, there is no doubt that he drew largely from the scarce book of William Bellenden, De tribus luminibus Romanorum. The work was undertaken at the instance of Lord Hervey, in correspondence with whom also originated his disquisition on The Roman Senate, published in rj47. The same year and the following produced the most important of all his writings, the Introductory Discourse and the Free Inquiry concerning the miraculous powers which are supposed to have subsisted in the church from the earliest ages. In combating this belief Middleton indirectly established two propositions of capital importance. He showed that ecclesiastical miracles must be accepted or rejected in the mass; and he distinguished between the authority due to the early fathers testimony to the beliefs and practices of their times, and their very slender credibility as witnesses to matters of fact. Some individual grudge seems to have prompted him to expose, in 1750, Bishop Sherlocks eccentric notions of antediluvian prophecy, which had been published 25 years before. On the 28th of July 1750 he died at Hildersham, near Cambridge.
Middletons most ambitious work is obsolete from no fault of his, but his controversial writings retain a permanent place in the history of opinion. In his more restricted sphere he may not inappropriately be compared with Lessing. Like Lessings, the character of his intellect was captious and iconoclastic, but redeemed from mere negation by a passion for abstract truth, too apt to slumber until called into activity by some merely personal stimulus. His diction is generally masculine and harmonious. Pope thought him and Nathaniel Hooke the younger the only prose writers of the day who de~,erved to be cited as authorities on the language. Samuel Parr, while exposiing his plagiarisms, heaps encomiums on his style. But his bes~. qualities, his impatience of superstition and disdain of mere external authority, are rather moral than literary.
The best general view of his intellectual character and influence is to be found in Sir Leslie Stephens English Thought in the Eighteenth Century, ch. vi. A handsome edition of his works, containing several posthumous tracts, but not including the Life of Cicero, appeared in 4 vols. in 1752 and in 5 vols. in 1755.
Rector of Burfield Berkshire
3rd Baron Rokeby Morris Robinson
Morris Robinson, the present Baron Rokeby, of Armagh, and an English baronet, is descended from a long line of an illustrious family, the Robinsons of Rokeby and West-Layton, who have, at different times, filled various important offices in the state. They appear to have come into possession of the Layton estate in 1644, by marriage with a daughter of the Laytons. -Richard Layton, a younger son of the Laytons, of West-Layton, was dean of York in Henry the 8th's time, and was one of the persons whose authority that monarch principally made use of in dissolving the monasteries. The first Lord Rokeby was Richard Robinson, created a baron in 1777, Sir Leonard Robinson being knighted by King William III. -Heir presumptive, Matthew Montague, Esq. his Lordships brother. -Debrett."
possibly the father of Sarah who married William Hougham
I Jane Hougham the wife of Solomon Hougham of the City of London Merchant (late the relict of Thomas Jewer of the city of Bath deceased) by virtue of the power and authority given and reserved to me in and by an indenture of three parts bearing date the 30th day of December 1800 made in contemplation of the marriage then intended and which was shortly afterwards and solemnised between the said Solomon Hougham and me of all and every other powers and authorities given to or vested in me or enabling me in this behalf do by this my last will and testament in writing give dispose of appoint and bequeath all my eight hundred pounds bank four percent consolidated annuities and all other the estate and property of which I am empowered to dispose of in the manner following that is to say I give unto my dear husband Solomon Hougham all the plate and linen likewise all the household furniture china and glass belonging to me in the house No 4 Catherines Place Bath or elsewhere for his own use and I give and appoint unto my dear sister Sarah Bound widow for during her natural life one clear annuity or yearly sum of eighty pounds of lawful British money to be paid in four equal quarterly payments on the 25th day of March 24th day of June the 20th day of September the 25th day of December in every year the first payment thereof to be paid upon such of the named dates of payments as shall first happen next after my decease and I do give unto my much esteemed brother in law William Charles Rawpath ten guineas for a ring also to Clementina Clark ten guineas for mourning and I give unto Joane Stewart wife of Robert Stewart my best enamel gold watch and chain also all my diamond rings pearls and jewels and I give all the rest residue and remainder of my said bank annuities estate and property in possession and reversion which I have a power to dispose of subject to the payment of the said like annuity and the charges of proving this my will and executing the same unto my niece Joane Stewart the wife of Robert Stewart and my other niece her sister Elizabeth Bound to be equally divided between them share and share alike as tenants in common and I do appoint my said husband Solomon Hougham sole executor of this my will hereby revoking all formed wills by me at any time made and do declare this to be my last will and testament in witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this Sixteenth day of September 1811 (JH) Signed sealed published and declared by Jane Hougham the testatrix as and for her last will and testament in the presence of us who hereunto subscribe our names as witnesses Sol’m Royes 137 Aldersgate Street Jonathan Crowe No 19 Charterhouse Square
Proved at London 20th January 1812 before the worshipful John Danbury Doctor of Laws by the oath of Solomon Hougham the husband and sole executor his having first sworn to administer