Ralph Brideoake

son of Rich. Brid. (by Cicely his wife dau. of John Booth of Lancashire) and he the son of another Richard of Adbaston, was born, as I have been informed, at Chitham Hill near Manchester in the said County, was admitted a Student in Brasn. Coll. 15 Jul. 1630, aged 16 years, took one degree in Arts, and determining soon after, his Disputations did so much please Dr. Pink Warden of New Coll, then Vicechancellour of the Univ, that he forthwith, upon enquiry that his condition was mean, made him a Pro-Chaplain of the said New Coll. In 1636, he, among many others, was actually created Mast. of Arts, by vertue of his Maj. Letters dated at Oxon, he being then accounted a good Greecian and Poet: But having nothing to keep up the degr. of Master only his employment in the said Coll, he became Curat of Wytham near Oxon, for Dr. Joh. Brikenden sometimes of Magd. Coll, and Corrector of the Press in Oxon. In which last employment, hapning to correct a book of Dr. Tho. Jackson President of C. C. Coll, to whom he had often recess, that Doctor had such an affection for him, that upon the vacancy of the Free-school at Manchester, founded by Bishop Hugh Oldham (of which the President of the said Coll. for the time being is Patron) he forthwith gave the government of it to him. So that being soon after setled there, he, by his interest and great forwardness, became Chaplain to the Earl of Derby, whom and his family he much, pleased: And when Latham House in Lanc. belonging to the said Count was besieged by the Forces belonging to Parliament, he was all the time in it, and did good service. When the Kings Cause declined he stuck close to the said family, and managed, as ’tis said, most of the Estate belonging to it. In 1651 his Lord James Earl of Derby being engaged for K. Ch. 2. at Worcester fight, and before, he was, after the loss of the day, taken by the Parliamenteers in Cheshire: Whereupon he being like to lose his life, this his Chaplain Mr. Brideoake, with others, were desired to sollicit the Grandees at Westminster to save him; and Will. Lenthall the Speaker of the House of Com. being much plyed by the said Chaplain with more than ordinary reason and application, Lenthall thereupon (when he saw nothing could save his Lords life) finding him to be a man of parts and business, made him his own proper Chaplain, and soon after Preacher of the Rolls in Chancery lane: Which act of his, tho noble and generous, yet he was clamour’d at, and gained the ill will of divers members of Parliament, for his entertaining openly, and afterwards preferring, a Malignant, as they term’d him. Soon after by Lenthall’s endeavours he became Vicar of a Market Town in Oxfordshire called Witney, where being setled, he preached twice every Lords day, and in the Evening catechised the Youth in his own house, outvying in labour and vigilancy any of the godly Brethren in those parts. He also, by his Patron’s means, got the Rectory of the said place (which had been leased out) to be annexed to the Vicaridge, whereby it became one of the richest Rectories in Oxford Diocess; and not long after he was made Minister of S. Bartholmew near the Royal Exchange in London, where in holding forth, preaching, and laying about him in the Pulpit, he equalled any of the holy Brethren of that City. On the 14 of March 1659 he was appointed one of the Commissioners by Act of Parliament for the approbation and admission of Ministers of the Gospel after the Presbyterian mode: but that Act soon after vanishing upon the approach of his Majesties restauration, he, by his unwearied diligence and application, was made Chaplain to his Majesty, installed Canon of Windsore, in the place of Dr. Thom. Howell B. of Bristow (several years before dead) on the 11 day of July, and actually created Doct. of Div. in the beginning of Aug. following, an. 1660. About that time he became Rector of the rich Church of Standish in his native Country, given formerly to him by the Earl of Derby, but hindred from enjoying it by the Triers in Oliver’s Reign, between whom and him, followed some controversie concerning that matter, but how terminated I cannot tell. In Sept. 1667 he was made Dean of Salisbury in the place of Dr. Rich. Baylie deceased, and in Feb. 1674 he was by the endeavours of Lodovisa Dutchess of Portsmouth (whose hands were always ready to take bribes) nominated by the King to be Bishop of Chichester, on the translation of Dr. P. Gunning from thence to Ely. So that being consecrated thereunto on the 18 day of April an. 1675, had liberty then allowed to him to keep his Canonry of Windsore in commendam with that See, which he did to his dying day. This person, who had spent the chief part of life in continual agitation, for the obtaining of Wealth and setling a Family, (for he was a married man and left behind him 3 sons at his death) was suddenly taken from this world as he was visiting his diocess, on the fifth day of Octob. in sixteen hundred seventy and eight:1678. Whereupon his body being conveyed to Windsore, was buried in Bray’s Chappel, joyning on the south side to the outer Chappel of S. George in the Castle there. Soon after was a fair altar monument erected over his grave, with his Statue from head to foot, adorned with Pontificalia (all curiously cut from one entire piece of Alabaster) laying thereon, with this inscription engraven upon it. M. S. maturus Deo mortalitatem exuit Rev. in Christo Pater Radulphus Brideoake. Vir audacter probus, magnus, sed humilis. Ingens Atticae, & omnis eloquentiae Thesaurus. Exule Carolo II. bonis omnibus mulctatus, reverso à sacris, hujus capellae Canonicus, Decanus Sarisburiensis, postea Cicestrensis Episcopus ΦΙΛΟΞΕΝΟΣ ΦΙΛΑΤΑΘΣ, Dioeceseos tanquam Familiâs Pater. Qui (alienae salut iconsulens immemor suae) dum Gregem visitaret, grassante febri correptus Episcopali munere immortuus est, iii non. Octob. MDCLXXVIII, aetatis suae LXIV. Marito optimo monumentum hoc posuit conjux moestissima M. B. that is, Mary Brideoake, second daughter of Sir ..... Sal. tonstall of Okenden in Essex Kt, by his second wife.