Nathaniel Spinckes


Nathaniel Spinckes was an English nonjuring clergyman, the leader in the dispute about the "usages" which split the nonjurors of the "non-usagers",, against returning to the first prayer-book of Edward VI, as the "usagers", led by Jeremy Collier, advocated.

Life

He was born at Castor, Northamptonshire, where his father, Edmund Spinckes, was rector of the parish. His mother was Martha, eldest daughter of Thomas Elmes of Lilford, to whom Edmund Spinckes was chaplain. Nathaniel received his early education from a neighbouring clergyman, Samuel Morton, rector of Haddon. On 9 July 1670 he matriculated at Trinity College, Cambridge; in 1673 he migrated to Jesus College where he was elected scholar on the Rustat foundation. He graduated B.A. in 1674, and M.A. in 1677.
On 21 May 1676 he was ordained deacon by Henry Compton, Bishop of London, in the chapel of London House, and on 22 December 1678 he was ordained priest by Thomas Barlow, Bishop of Lincoln, at St. Margaret's Church, Westminster. He acted for some time as chaplain to Sir Richard Edgcomb in Devon. He then moved to Petersham, and in 1681 became chaplain to John Maitland, 1st Duke of Lauderdale, forming a lifelong friendship with his fellow chaplain, George Hickes. Following the Duke's death in August 1682, he went to London where he became curate and lecturer at St. Stephen, Walbrook. In 1685 he was presented by the dean and chapter of Peterborough to the rectory of Peakirk-cum-Glinton in the north corner of Northamptonshire. There he married Dorothy, daughter of Thomas Rutland of London. On 21 July 1687 he was installed in the prebend of Major Pars Altaris in Salisbury Cathedral, and on 24 September 1687 was instituted to the rectory of St Martin's, Salisbury, of which Francis Hill was patron.
After the Glorious Revolution he declined to take the oath of allegiance to William III and Mary II, and was deprived of all his preferments in 1690. He had inherited a small patrimony from his father, who died in 1671, but this was not sufficient to maintain his family. He received support from the more wealthy nonjurors. Among the many friends of Spinckes was Robert Nelson, who made him a bequest.
He was entrusted with the management of the fund raised by the deprived bishops; and on Ascension day 1713 he was consecrated bishop, together with Jeremy Collier and Samuel Hawes, by his friend Hickes, as suffragan-bishop of Thetford, assisted by two Scottish bishops, Archibald Campbell and James Gadderar, at Hickes's own private chapel in St. Andrew's, Holborn. Spinckes died 28 July 1727, and was buried in the cemetery of the parish of St. Faith, on the north side of St. Paul's Cathedral, in London, his wife surviving him only one week. Of a large family, only two survived their parents: William, who became a successful merchant; and Anne, who married Anthony Cope.

Works

He was a voluminous writer. His major publications were:
Besides these works, Spinckes wrote a preface to his friend Hickes's Sermons on Several Subjects,, and also published a volume of posthumous discourses by Hickes, with a preface, in 1726. He is said to have assisted in the publication of John Ernest Grabe's Septuagint, of Richard Newcourt's Repertorium Ecclesiasticum, of Laurence Howell's Canons, of John Potter's Clemens Alexandrinus, and of John Walker's Sufferings of the Clergy.