Thomas Frankland

a Lancashire man born, was entred a Student in Brasnose Coll. on the first of May, an. 1649, aged 16 years, took a degree in Arts, and in 1654 was made Fellow thereof. Afterwards proceeding in his Faculty, he became a preacher (tho not in Episcopal Orders) in these parts. In 1662 he was admitted one of the Proctors of the University, and in the year after, being then in holy Orders, he was with much adoe (his Grace being denied three times as I shall till you elsewhere) admitted to the reading of the Sentences. Afterwards he applied his studies to the Faculty of Physick, setled in London and pretended to be a Doctor of that Faculty of Oxon, when he was in the company of Cambridg men, and to be Doctor of Cambridg, when in the company of Oxford men. At length being a Candidate to be Fellow of the Coll. of Physitians, which he could not be without being Doctor, he produced a forged Certificate or Diploma to attest that he was Doctor of that Faculty, and thereupon he was at length admitted Fellow of the said Coll, and afterwards was Censor thereof. But he being of an haughty, turbulent and huffing spirit, and therefore much dislik’d by the Society, especially the Juniors, some of them, whom he had much displeased, were resolv’d to take him shorter and humble him. Whereupon, they having received a hint that he was no Doctor, they sent privately to Dr. Jam. Hyde the Kings Professor of Physick and Mr. Ben. Cooper the public Registrary of the Univ. of Oxon, that they would search the Registers thereof, and certifie them whether he the said Tho. Frankland ever took the degree of Doctor of Phys. among them: whereupon they, upon their search, finding no such matter, did accordingly certifie them of it. Afterwards they sent a Latine Letter to the Vice-chancellour, Doctors, Proctors and Masters of the University to acquaint them with the forgery of the said Thom. Frankland, desiring them withall that they would certifie the President and Community of the Coll. of Physitians that he was no Doctor of Phys. of their University, which they accordingly did, in Nov. 1677. However this being a just reason for his ejection. yet notwithstanding, by the connivance of the Seniors of the said College, he did continue afterwards among them, but lost much of his Credit, and Practice too, as I have heard. This person, who was esteemed a good Scholar while he continued in Oxon, hath written and published.

The Annals of K. James and K. Charles the first, containing a faithful History and impartial account of the great affairs of State, and transactions of Parliament in England, from the tenth of K. James, 1612, to the eighteenth of K. Charles, 1642. Wherein several passages, relating to the late Civil Wars (omitted in former Histories) are made known. Lond. 1681. in a large folio. It was also commonly reported, that he was author of a book entit. The honors of the Lords Spiritual asserted, and their privileges to vote in Capital Cases in Parl. maintained by Reason and Precedents, &c. Lond. 1679. in 7. sh. in fol. but how true I cannot tell. Quaere. He died in the Prison called the Fleet in London, about Midsomer, in sixteen hundred and ninety,1690. and was buried in the middle Isle of the Church of S. Vedastus in Foster-Lane within the said City, as I have been lately enformed thence.