Cornish Worthies: Sketches of Some Eminent Cornish Men and Families, Volume 2 (of 2)Tregellas, Walter H. (Walter Hawken)
History
Cornish Worthies: Sketches of Some Eminent Cornish Men and Families, Volume 2 (of 2)
Tregellas, Walter H. (Walter Hawken)
Cornwall (England : County) -- Biography
James II., however, seems to have shown the Earl of Bath--who was a
staunch Protestant--little favour. So Grenville declared for the Prince
of Orange; and, having first seized Plymouth citadel, admitted the
Dutch fleet into that harbour; his nephew Bevill performing a similar
service with his uncle's own regiment at Jersey. King William III.
consequently created him a member of his Privy Council, and continued
him in his previous offices.
The Earl's eldest son, Charles, was accidentally killed by the
discharge of a pistol at his father's funeral; and the title
consequently devolved upon his son William Henry, thus giving rise to
the observation that at one time there were 'three Earls of Bath above
ground at the same time.' From the first Earl descended, in the female
line, the present representatives of the family--the Thynnes, not
unknown to fame.
And Sir Bevill had another son, Dennis, who was by no means
undistinguished in his own walk of life. Born in 1636/7, and educated
probably at Eton,[36] he was entered a Gentleman Commoner of Exeter
College, Oxford, on 22nd Sept., 1657; took his degree of M.A. on 28th
Sept., 1660, and that of D.D. on 20th Dec, 1670. Kilkhampton was his
first preferment, though he does not appear to have taken up residence
there. He was Chaplain in Ordinary to Charles II.; and in 1684 was
made Archdeacon and Dean of Durham. But he was a true Grenville in his
attachment to the Stuarts; and early in 1690 went into exile with James
II., residing at Corbeil, in France (near the place whence his family
are supposed to have sprung), rather than acknowledge William III. as
his sovereign. He left several works behind him, and died in Paris in
1703.
There are many incidents, however, connected with his career which seem
to require a fuller notice of the Cavalier Dean. The command, 'Fear
God,' scarcely commended itself more forcibly to his conscience than
its complement 'Honour the King;' and, although he was in a _very_
small minority, his high-minded consistency and loyalty were such,
that, whatever we may think of his prudence, or of the practicability
of his views, we are bound, I think, to honour the man who chose rather
to sacrifice the highest preferments than to swear allegiance to one
whom he, at least, regarded as an invader and a usurper.
There are full details of the latter part of his career preserved
in the library of the Dean and Chapter of Durham, from which I have
gathered most of the following accounts.
He married Ann, daughter of Bishop Cosin (an unhappy union, for her
husband--and two physicians confirmed his statement--alleged that the
lady was subject to fits of temporary insanity), at a time when the
Church of England was in sad disorder, and when vigorous, earnest
spirits were wanted to remedy the listless slovenliness of many of her
clergy.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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