, first master of Emanuel-college, Cambridge, and a benefactor to that
, first master of Emanuel-college, Cambridge, and a benefactor to that house, was
born of an ancient family at Chatterton, in Lancashire, in
1546. His parents were papists, and educated him in that
religion, sending him afterwards to study law in one of the
inns of court, but in the twentieth year of his age, he renounced this pursuit, and went to Cambridge, where his
talents and industry recommended him to a scholarship in
Christ’s-college. His father, enraged at this, sent him a
bag with a groat in it, and told him he might beg, as he
meant to disinherit him, and afterwards executed his threat.
Young Chaderton, however, persisted in his studies, and
in 1567, when B.A., was chosen fellow of his college. In
1578 he commenced B, D. and in the same year preached
a sermon at St. Paul’s cross, which he afterwards printed.
He was then chosen lecturer of St. Clement’s church,
Cambridge, where he preached for about sixteen years,
much followed and admired. Such was his reputation for
learning and piety, that when sir Walter Mildmay refounded Emanuel college, in 1584, he chose Chaderton
for the first master, and on his expressing some reluctance,
declared that if Chaderton would not be master, the foundation should not go on. In the beginning of the reign
of James I. he was one of the four divines for the conference at Hampton-court, and the same year was chosen
one of the translators of the Bible, and was one of the
Cambridge divines who translated from Chronicles to Canticles inclusive. In 1612, when the prince elector palatine
visited Cambridge, he requested Mr. Chaderton to commence D. D. with which he complied; and having regretted
that the founder of Emanuel had provided for only three
fellows, he made such application among his friends, as to
make provision for twelve fellows, and above forty scholars,
and procured some church livings for the college. Towards the close of his life, when Arminian doctrines became prevalent, dreading lest he might have an Arminian
successor, he resigned in favour of Dr. Preston, but survived him, and lived also to see Drs. Sancroft and Holdsworth masters. He was a man of acknowledged piety,
benevolence, and learning, and lived in great respect for
many years after his resignation. He died Nov. 1640,
aged about ninety-four, and was buried in St. Andrew’s
church. He appears to have been related to Dr. William
Cha-derton, successively bishop of Chester and Lincoln,
of whom some account is given by Peck in the preface to
his “Desiderata.
” Besides the sermon noticed above,
Dr. L. Chaderton wrote a treatise on Justification, which
Anthony Thysius, professor of divinity at Leyden, published with other tracts on the same subject; and some of
his Mss. are still in the public libraries, particularly in
the Brit, Mus, among the Harleian Mss. Moreri says his
“Life
” was published by William Dillingham, at Cambridge, in 1700, but this we have not seen.