Andrew Allam

the son of a sufficient Plebeian of both his names, by Bridget Derling his Wife, was born at Garsingdon near to, and in the County of, Oxon, in Apr. 1655 and baptized there on the 23 of the same month, educated in Grammar learning in a private School at Denton in the Parish of Cudesdon near to his native place, under a noted Master named Will. Wildgoose M. of Arts of Brasn. Coll. (much fam’d for his dexterity in Pedagogy) became a Batler of S. Edmunds Hall in Easter term 1671; where, had it not been his misfortune to fall under the tuition of a careless and crazed person, he might have prov’d a prodigy in several sorts of learning. After he had taken the degrees in Arts, he became a Tutor, Moderator, a Lecturer in the Chappel, and at length Vice-principal of his House. In all which offices he behaved himself much to the credit, honor and flourishing thereof. In 1680, at Whitsontide, he entred into holy Orders, and in 83 he was one of the Masters of the Schools; which last place he executed with very great judgment and prudence. He was a person of eminent virtues, was sober, temperate, moderate and modest even to example. He understood the controversial writings between Conform [•] sts and Nonconformists, Protestants and Papists, far beyond his years, which was advanc’d by a great and happy memory: And I am perswaded had he not been taken off by the said Offices, he would have gone beyond all of his time and age in those matters, and might have proved an useful and signal member to the Church of England, for which he had most zealous respect. He understood the world of men well, authors better, and nothing but years and experience were wanting in, to make, him a compleat walking Library. His works that are extant are (1) The learned Preface, or Epistle to the Reader, with a dedicatory Epist. in the Printers name, set before The Epistle Congratulatory of Lysimachus Nicanor, &c. to the Covenanters of Scotland, &c. Oxon. 1684. (2) The Epistle, with the account therein of Dr. Rich. Cosins’s life, set before the said Cosins’s book, entit. Ecclesiae Anglicanae Politeia in tabulas digesta. Oxon 1684. in a thin fol. The ded. Epist. to Sir Leolin Jenkins in the Printers name, was written by Christoph. Wase superior Beadle of Law in the Univ. of Oxon. (3) The Epistle before, with a review and correction of, the book entit. Some plain discourses on the Lords Supper, &c. Written by Dr. George Griffith B. of S. Asaph—Oxon. 1684. oct. (4) Five or six sheets of his own hand writing and composure, containing corrections in, and addit. to, a book entit.—Angliae Notitia; or the present state of England, &c. written by one who had been also of S. Edm. Hall. They were made by Mr. Allam in the edit. of that book, printed at Lond. 1684. and were all, as I presume, inserted in that edition which came out at that place in 1687, but without any acknowledgment, (with shame be it spoken) from the author of that Notitia, who neither returned those thanks that he ought, out of common civility, to have done, or granted him his company or acquaintance, when he went to Lond, to desire it, purposely to communicate such things by word of mouth, which he could not, without great trouble, by his Pen, concerning various matters in that book. (5) He also began, and made divers additions in Helvicus his Historical and Chronological Theatre, as occasion required, and would have quite finished the supplement at the end, from 1660 to 1685, had he not been cut off by cruel death. These things were printed with that author at Lond. 1687 fol: But the Reader is to understand, that whereas there was a colom in that book of the said editi-of 1687 made, to contain the names of the famous Jesuits, from the first foundation of their order, to the year 1685, which was not in any of the Latine editions, ’twas not done by Allam, but by a busie body, nor that passage under the year 1678 which runs thus. Titus Oates discovers a pretended Popish Plot. (6) He had laid the foundation of a Notitia Ecclesiae Anglicanae; wherein he would have spoken of the foundation of all Cathedrals, with a touch of their Statutes and Customs. Which done, to set down the names of the present Bishop, Dean, Archdeacon, Cannons and Officers of each Cathedral, but death also prevented the finishing this. He also many times lent his assisting hand to the author of this present work, especially as to the Notitia of certain modern writers of our Nation, while the said author was day and night drudging after those more antient. For the truth is (which hath been a wonder to him since his death) he understood well what he wanted and what would be fit for him to be brought into this work, which none else in the University could, (as he and the author knew full well to their great reluctancy) or would give any assistance or encouragement. Further it must not be forgotten that he translated into English The Life of Iphicrates, written in Lat. by Corn. Nepos and remitted into the book of Lives of that author, translated by several Oxford hands—Oxon. 1684. oct. p. 99, &c. At length after a great deal of fear of, and avoidance from, the disease called the Small pox, he was in unseasonable weather overtaken by it: so that being not able to overcome its encounters, he did surrender up his spotless soul, (being too worthy for this world, and the people he lived with) and was wedded to his Saviour Jesus Ch. on the 17. of June (about noon) in sixteen hundred eighty and five:1685. whereupon his body was buried the same day, late at night, at the west end of the Church of S. Peter in the East in Oxon, under the South wall, joyning on the S. side of the tomb-stone of Silv. Wood.