Henry Wilkinson

junior, commonly called Dean Harry, son of Will. Wilk. of Adwick, or Adwickstreet, in the West Riding of Yorkshire Priest; was born there, an. 1616, instructed mostly in Grammar learning in Edw. Sylvesters School in Allsaints Parish within the City of Oxon, entred a Communer of Magd. Hall in 1631, took the degrees in Arts, entred into holy Orders, and became a noted Tutor in, and moderator or Dean of, his House. At length upon the eruption of the Civil War in 1642, he left the University, adher’d to the Parliament party, took the Covenant and became a forward and frequent preacher among them. After the Garrison of Oxon was surrendred to the Parliament Forces, he returned to the University, and by the authority of the then dominant party he was created Bach. of Divinity, made Principal of his Hall and Moral Philosophy Reader of the University. Afterwards we find him one of the most frequent and active preachers among the Presbyterians in the University, whether at S. Maries, S. Martin commonly called Carfax, S. Pet. in the East, &c. being then Doct. of Divinity, and took all the ways imaginable to make his House flourish with young Students. At length the Act of Conformity being published in 1662, he, rather than conform, left his Principallity (tho perswaded to the contrary by some of the Heads of the University, purposely to keep him there, because he was a good Disciplinarian) and lived for some time in these parts. Afterwards, upon the receipt of a Call, he lived by the help of the Brethren at Buckminster in Leycestershire, where he exercised his gifts in Conventicles, as he did afterwards at Gosfield in Essex, and in 1673 and after, at Sybill-Hennyngham near to that place, and a length at Great Connard near Sudbury in Suffolke; at which last place he finished this mortal life, as I shall tell you by and by, having before suffered by imprisonments, mulcts and loss of his Goods and Books for preaching in Conventicles against the Act. He was a zealous person in the way he professed, but oversway’d more by the Principles of education than reason. He was very courteous in speech and carriage, communicative of his knowledge, generous, and charitable to the poor; and so publick spirited (a rare thing in a Presbyterian) that he alwaies minded the common good, more than his own concerns. His works as to learning are these,

Conciones tres apud Academicos Oxonii nuper habitae. Oxon. 1654. oct. The first is on Psal. 119.9. The second on Eccles. 2.1. and the third on 1. Pet. 4.11.

Brevis tractatus de jure divino diei dominici. Ibid. 1654. 58. oct.

Conciones sex ad Academicos Oxonienses. Ib. 1658. oct. Among which are the former three.

Conc. duae ap. Ox. nuper habitae. Ibid. 1659. qu. Both on 1. Cor. 16.22.

Concio de brevitate opportuni temporis Oxon habita ad Bac. die Cinerum, 7. Mar. 1659. Ib. 1660. qu, preached on 1. Cor. 7.29.

Several English Sermons, as (1) Sermon at Haseley in the County of Oxon, at the funeral of Margaret, late wife of Dr. Edw. Corbet Pastor of Hasely, on Col. 1.27. Ox. 1657. oct. (2) Three decads of Sermons lately preached to the University in S. Maries Ch. in Oxon. Ox. 1660. qu. (3) Several Sermons concerning Gods All-Sufficiency, and Christs preciousness. Lond. 1681. oct. &c.

Catalogus librorum in Bibl. Aul. Madg. Oxon. Ox. 1661. oct.

The doctrine of contentment briefly explained, and practically applied in a Treatise on 1. Tim. 6.8. Lond. 1671. oct.

Characters of a sincere heart, and the comforts thereof, collected out of the word of God. Lond. 1674. oct.

Two treatises concerning (1) Gods All-Sufficiency. (2) Christs Preciousness. Being the substance of some Sermons long since preached in the Univ. of Ox. Lond. 1681. oct. These two treatises are the same with the Several Sermons before mention’d, with some alterations in, and additions to, them, purposely to please his friend and favourer (one of his perswasion) called Joh. Clark of S. Edm. Bury Esq. by a dedication to him, set before them.

Praelectiones Morales. MS. in Magd. Hall Libr. They are his Lectures that he read in the Moral Philosophy School while he was public Reader of that Lecture. At length, after the latter part of the life of this zealous Theologist had been spent in trouble and adversity for the cause he professed, he very devoutly surrendred up, his soul to God at Great Connard before mention’d, on the 13 day of May in sixteen hundred and ninety:1690. Whereupon his body being conveyed to Mildin or Milding near Lavenham in Suffolk, by very many persons of his perswasion, and by some others too, was buried in the Church there on the 15 day of the same month. Soon after was a stone laid over his grave, with a short inscription thereon.