, the most valuable contributor to ecclesiastical history and biography
, the most valuable contributor to ecclesiastical history and biography that ever appeared in
this country, is said to have been of German extraction.
His father John Strype, or Van Stryp, was a native of
Brabant, and fled to England for the sake of religion. He
was a merchant and silk-throwster. His son is said to have
been born at Stepney, Nov. 1, 1643, but he calls himself
a native of London, and his baptism does not occur in the
register of Stepney, though the names of some of his
brothers and sisters are there entered, and his father lies
buried in the church-yard. The reason why he calls himself a Londoner probably was, that he was born in Strype’s
yard, formerly in Stepney, but afterwards in the parish of
Christ-church, Spitalfields. After being educated in St.
Paul’s school for six years, he was matriculated of Jesuscollege, Cambridge, July 5, 1662, whence he removed to
Catherine-hall, where he took his degree of A. B. in 1665,
and that of M. A. in 1669, His first preferment was the
donative, or perpetual curacy of Theydon-Boys in the
county of Essex, conferred upon him July 14, 1669; but
he quitted it a few months after, on being appointed minister of Low-Leyton in the same county, which he retained
all his life. The circumstances attending this preferment
were rather singular, Although he enjoyed it above sixtyeight years, and administered the sacrament on Christmasday, for sixty-six years successively, yet he was never
instituted nor inducted. The reason assigned for this irregularity is, that the living being small, the patrons allowed
the parish to choose a minister. Accordingly Mr. Strype
having, on the vacancy which occurred in 1669, preached
before them, he was duly elected to be their curate and
lecturer, and they entered into a subscription-bond for his
maintenance, promising to pay the sums annexed to their
names, “provided he continues the usual custom of his
predecessor in preaching twice every Sunday.
” The subscriptions in all amounted to 69l. Many years after this,
viz in 1674, he was licensed by Dr. Henchman, then
bishop of London, to preach and expound the word of
God in the parish church of Low-Leyton, and to perform
the full office of priest and curate there, during the vacancy of the vicarage, which license, and no other instrument, he used to exhibit at the visitations, as late as 1720.
In 1677, as he seemed secure of his possession, he rebuilt the vicarage, with 140l. of his own money, aided by
contributions from his parishioners, and expended considerable sums also in the repairs of the chancel. After his
death, his executors derived some advantage from the
manner in which he held this living; for, being sued by his
successor for dilapidations, only 40l. could be recovered,
as the plea was, that he had never been instituted nor inducted, and that the parsonage- house was built and ought
to be repaired by the parish. It is probable that the quiet
possession he so long enjoyed was owing to the high esteem
in which he was held by the heads of the church, for his
eminent services as a historian.
Soon after he came to reside at Low-Leyton, he got
access to the valuable manuscripts of sir Michael Hickes,
knt. once of Ruckholt’s in this parish, and secretary to
William lord Burleigh, and began from them some of
those collections which he afterwards published. It appears, however, that he extended his inquiries much farther, and procured access to every repository where records
of any kind were kept; made numerous and indeed voluminous transcripts, and employed many years in comparing, collating, and verifying facts, before he published
any thing. At the same time he carried on an extensive
correspondence with archbishop Wake, and the bishops Atterbury, Burnet, Nicolson, and other eminent clergymen or
laymen, who had a taste for the same researches as himself.
Towards his latter days, he had the sinecure of Terring, in
Sussex, given him by archbishop Tenison, and was lecturer of Hackney till 1724, when he resigned that lecture.
When he became old and infirm, he resided at Hackney
with Mr. Harris an apothecary, who had married his granddaughter, and there he died Dec. 11, 1737, at the very
advanced age of ninety-four , one instance at least, that
the most indefatigable literary labour is not inconsistent
with health.