Clement Barksdale (November 1609 – January 1687) was a prolific English religious author, polymath and

Anglican Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of th ...

priest. He lost his London parish in the

English Civil War The English Civil War (1642–1651) was a series of civil wars and political machinations between Parliamentarians (" Roundheads") and Royalists led by Charles I ("Cavaliers"), mainly over the manner of England's governance and issues of re ...

, but gained

Gloucestershire Gloucestershire ( abbreviated Glos) is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn and the entire Forest of Dean. The county town is the city of Gl ...

livings at the

Restoration Restoration is the act of restoring something to its original state and may refer to: * Conservation and restoration of cultural heritage ** Audio restoration ** Film restoration ** Image restoration ** Textile restoration * Restoration ecology ...

and taught at a private school.

Life

Clement Barksdale was born at

Winchcombe Winchcombe () is a market town and civil parish in the Borough of Tewkesbury in the county of Gloucestershire, England, it is 6 miles north-east of Cheltenham. The population was recorded as 4,538 in the 2011 census and estimated at 5,347 in ...

in November 1609. After earlier education at

John Roysse John Roysse (1500 or 1501–1571) was an English mercer and benefactor of Abingdon School in Abingdon, Oxfordshire. Personal life John Roysse was probably connected with the Roysse family of East Hagbourne but there are few records appertaining ...

's Free School in Abingdon, (now

Abingdon School Abingdon School is a day and boarding independent school for boys in Abingdon-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, England. The twentieth oldest independent British school, it celebrated its 750th anniversary in 2006. The school was described as "highly ...

), he entered Merton College, Oxford as "a servitor" in Lent term 1625, but moved shortly to

Gloucester Hall Gloucester College, Oxford, was a Benedictine institution of the University of Oxford in Oxford, England, from the late 13th century until the Dissolution of the monasteries in the 16th century. It was never a typical college of the Universit ...

(afterwards

Worcester College, Oxford Worcester College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. The college was founded in 1714 by the benefaction of Sir Thomas Cookes, 2nd Baronet (1648–1701) of Norgrove, Worcestershire, whose coat of arms w ...

), where he took his degrees in arts. He entered holy orders, and in 1637 acted as chaplain of Lincoln College. In the same year he moved to Hereford, where he became master of

Hereford Cathedral School Hereford Cathedral School is an independent, co-educational day and boarding school for pupils of ages 3 to 18 years, from Nursery to Sixth Form. Its headmaster is a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference. The school's premi ...

, vicar-choral, and soon after, Vicar of All Hallows there. When Hereford garrison was taken by the

parliamentary army The New Model Army was a standing army formed in 1645 by the Parliamentarians during the First English Civil War, then disbanded after the Stuart Restoration in 1660. It differed from other armies employed in the 1639 to 1653 Wars of the Thr ...

in 1646, he retreated to

Sudeley Castle Sudeley Castle is a Grade I listed castle in the parish of Sudeley, in the Cotswolds, near to the medieval market town of Winchcombe, Gloucestershire, England. The castle has 10 notable gardens covering some 15 acres within a 1,200-acre estate ...

to shelter with the Chandos family, to which he acted as chaplain in the opening years of the civil war. Later he found refuge at Hawling, Gloucestershire, in the Cotswold district, where he taught at a private school with success and had several pupils of rank. There he composed his ''Nympha Libethris, or the Cotswold Muse, presenting some extempore Verses to the Imitation of yong Scholars'' (1651). At the Restoration he was presented to the livings of

Naunton Naunton is a village in Gloucestershire, England. It lies on the River Windrush in the Cotswolds, an area of outstanding natural beauty. Stow-on-the-Wold is about 6 miles to the east. Community The population of Naunton in 2000 was 371, whic ...

near Hawling, and of

Stow-on-the-Wold Stow-on-the-Wold is a market town and civil parish in Gloucestershire, England, on top of an 800-foot (244 m) hill at the junction of main roads through the Cotswolds, including the Fosse Way (A429), which is of Roman origin. The town was founde ...

in Gloucestershire, which he retained until his death in January 1687 in his 79th year, when (says

Anthony à Wood Anthony Wood (17 December 1632 – 28 November 1695), who styled himself Anthony à Wood in his later writings, was an English antiquary. He was responsible for a celebrated ''Hist. and Antiq. of the Universitie of Oxon''. Early life Anthony W ...

) he left behind him "the character of a frequent and edifying preacher and a good neighbour".

Works

His major works are: *''Monumenta Literaria: sive Obitus et Elogia doctorum Virorum, ex Historiis Jac. Aug. Thuani,'' 1640 *''A Short Practical Catechism out of Dr. Hammond, with a Paper Monument,'' 1649 *''Adagilia Sacra Novi Testamenti … ab Andr. Schotto,'' 1651 *''Nympha Libethris, or the Cotswold Muse,'' 4 parts, 1651 *''Life of Hugo Grotius,'' 1652 *''Noctes Hibernæ: Winter Nights' Exercise,'' 1653 *''V. cl. Elogia Anglorum Camdeniana,''1653 *''The Disputation at Whinchcombe, 9 Nov. 1653,'' 1653 *''An Oxford Conference of Two Young Scholars touching their Studies,'' 1659 *''A Modest Reply in Three Letters touching the Clergy and Universities,'' 1659 * Sermons, separately published:''The Sacrifice,''1655;''King's Return,'' 1660; on 2 Samuel xv. 25, 1660; on Psalm cxxii. 6, 1680 *''Of Contentment,'' 1660, 4th edit. 1679 *''Defence of the Liturgy,'' 1661 *''Memorials of Worthy Persons,'' 1661 *''Remembrances of Excellent Men,'' 1670 *''Masora: a Collection out of the learned Master J. Buxtorfius's Comment. Masoreticus,'' 1665 *''Collection of Scripture illustrated by Mr. Richard Hooker,'' 1675 *''Three Ministers, … their Collections and Notices touching several Texts at their Weekly Meeting,'' 1675 *''Letter touching a College of Maids or a Virgin Society,'' 1675 *''Hugonis Grotii Annot. Selectæ ad vii. cap. S. Matthæi,'' 1675 *''Behold the Husbandman,'' 1677 *''Learn to die,''1679 *''Bezæ Epitaphia Selecta,'' 1680 *''Sententiæ Sacræ,'' 1680 *''Aurea Dicta: the King's gracious Words,'' 1681 *''Memorials of Alderman Whitmore, Bp. Wilkins, Reynolds,'' etc. 1681 *''Religion in Verse,'' 1683 *''Old Gentleman's Wish,'' 1684 *''Of Authors and Books,'' 1684 *''Century of Sacred Distichs, or Religion in Verse,''(this was ''Religion in Verse'' enlarged) *''Grateful Mention of Deceased Bishops,'' 1686 He made also translations of books and tractates by

Cyprian Cyprian (; la, Thaschus Caecilius Cyprianus; 210 – 14 September 258 AD''The Liturgy of the Hours according to the Roman Rite: Vol. IV.'' New York: Catholic Book Publishing Company, 1975. p. 1406.) was a bishop of Carthage and an early Chri ...

Grotius Hugo Grotius (; 10 April 1583 – 28 August 1645), also known as Huig de Groot () and Hugo de Groot (), was a Dutch humanist, diplomat, lawyer, theologian, jurist, poet and playwright. A teenage intellectual prodigy, he was born in Delft ...

Anna Maria van Schurman Anna Maria van Schurman (November 5, 1607 – May 4, 1678) was a Dutch painter, engraver, poet, and scholar, who is best known for her exceptional learning and her defence of female education. She was a highly educated woman, who excelled in ...

, and others.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Barksdale, Clement 1609 births 1687 deaths 17th-century English writers 17th-century English male writers 17th-century English educators Schoolteachers from Gloucestershire English chaplains People from Winchcombe Alumni of Merton College, Oxford 17th-century English Anglican priests People educated at Abingdon School

Life

Works

See also

References