Edward Welchman (1665–1739) was an English churchman, known as a theological writer. He was

Archdeacon of Cardigan This is a list of archdeacons of Cardigan. The Archdeacon of Cardigan is the priest in charge of the archdeaconry of Cardigan, an administrative division of the Church in Wales Diocese of St Davids The Diocese of St Davids is a diocese of the C ...

from 1727.

Life

The son of John Welchman, of

Banbury Banbury is a historic market town on the River Cherwell in Oxfordshire, South East England. It had a population of 54,335 at the 2021 Census. Banbury is a significant commercial and retail centre for the surrounding area of north Oxfordshire ...

Oxfordshire Oxfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the north west of South East England. It is a mainly rural county, with its largest settlement being the city of Oxford. The county is a centre of research and development, primarily ...

, he was born in 1665. He matriculated as a commoner of

Magdalen Hall, Oxford Hertford College ( ), previously known as Magdalen Hall, is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. It is located on Catte Street in the centre of Oxford, directly opposite the main gate to the Bodleian Library. The colleg ...

, on 7 July 1679. He was one of the choristers of

Magdalen College Magdalen College (, ) is a constituent college of the University of Oxford. It was founded in 1458 by William of Waynflete. Today, it is the fourth wealthiest college, with a financial endowment of £332.1 million as of 2019 and one of the st ...

in that university from 1679 till 1682. He proceeded B.A. on 24 April 1683, was admitted a probationer fellow of

Merton College Merton College (in full: The House or College of Scholars of Merton in the University of Oxford) is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Its foundation can be traced back to the 1260s when Walter de Merton, ch ...

in 1684, and commenced M.A. on 19 June 1688. His college presented Welchman in 1690 to the rectory of

Lapworth Lapworth is a village and civil parish in Warwickshire, England, which had a population of 2,100 according to the 2001 census; this had fallen to 1,828 at the 2011 Census. It lies six miles (10 km) south of Solihull and ten miles (16&nbs ...

, Warwickshire, and he was also rector of Berkeswell in the same county. He became archdeacon of Cardigan and a prebendary of

St. David's Cathedral St Davids Cathedral ( cy, Eglwys Gadeiriol Tyddewi) is situated in St DavidsBritain's smallest city in the county of Pembrokeshire, near the most westerly point of Wales. Early history The monastic community was founded by Saint David, Abbot ...

on 7 August 1727. Later he became chaplain to the

bishop of Lichfield The Bishop of Lichfield is the ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Lichfield in the Province of Canterbury. The diocese covers 4,516 km2 (1,744 sq. mi.) of the counties of Powys, Staffordshire, Shropshire, Warwickshire and West Mi ...

, who collated him to the prebend of Wolvey in

Lichfield Cathedral Lichfield Cathedral is an Anglican cathedral in Lichfield, Staffordshire, England, one of only three cathedrals in the United Kingdom with three spires (together with Truro Cathedral and St Mary's Cathedral in Edinburgh), and the only medie ...

on 28 September 1732. Welchman obtained the rectory of

Solihull Solihull (, or ) is a market town and the administrative centre of the wider Metropolitan Borough of Solihull in West Midlands County, England. The town had a population of 126,577 at the 2021 Census. Solihull is situated on the River Blythe i ...

Warwickshire Warwickshire (; abbreviated Warks) is a county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, and the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare at Stratford-upon-Avon an ...

, in 1736, and held it until his death on 19 May 1739. He was a friend of Deane Swift.

Works

Welchman is counted as a

Reformed Reform is beneficial change Reform may also refer to: Media * ''Reform'' (album), a 2011 album by Jane Zhang * Reform (band), a Swedish jazz fusion group * ''Reform'' (magazine), a Christian magazine *''Reforme'' ("Reforms"), initial name of the ...

theologian. His major work was a Latin explanation of the

39 Articles The Thirty-nine Articles of Religion (commonly abbreviated as the Thirty-nine Articles or the XXXIX Articles) are the historically defining statements of doctrines and practices of the Church of England with respect to the controversies of the ...

. An English translation from the sixth edition appeared 1776. It continued to be used at Oxford into a period towards the end of the 18th century when its Calvinist interpretations, for example of

predestination Predestination, in theology, is the doctrine that all events have been willed by God, usually with reference to the eventual fate of the individual soul. Explanations of predestination often seek to address the paradox of free will, whereby G ...

, were falling out of fashion there. Welchman's other publications included: * ''A Defence of the Church of England from the Charge of Schism and Heresie, as laid against it by the Vindicator of the deprived Bishops'' (anon.), London, 1693. Against

Henry Dodwell Henry Dodwell (October 16417 June 1711) was an Anglo-Irish scholar, theologian and controversial writer. Life Dodwell was born in Dublin in 1641. His father, William Dodwell, who lost his property in Connacht during the Irish rebellion, was ...

. * ''The Husbandman's Manual: directing him how to improve the several actions of his calling, and the most usual occurrences of his life, to the glory of God, and the benefit of his soul'', London, 1695; 25th edit. London, 1818; new edit. London, 1821. In the genre of the time of spiritual metaphors drawn from agriculture. * ''A Practical Discourse on the Parable of Dives and Lazarus'' (1704) * ''Dr. Clarke's Scripture Doctrine of the Trinity examined; to which are added some remarks on his sentiments, and a brief examination of his Doctrine'', Oxford, 1714. * An edition with notes of ''D. Aurelii Augustini Hipponensis Episcopi Liber de Hæresibus ad quod-vult-Deum, una cum Gennadii Massiliensis Appendice'', Oxford, 1721. * ''A Conference with an Arian; occasion'd by Mr. Whiston's Reply to the Earl of Nottingham'' (anon.), Oxford, 1721. * ''A Dialogue betwixt a Protestant Minister and a Romish Priest'', 3rd edit. London, 1723; 4th edit. 1735. * ''Novatiani Presbyteri Romani Opera, quæ extant, omnia, correctius longe quam unquam antehac edita, notisque illustrata'', Oxford, 1724.

Family

Welchman's son John graduated M.A. at Oxford, and became vicar of Tamworth, Warwickshire.

Notes

;Attribution {{DEFAULTSORT:Welchman, Edward 1665 births 1739 deaths 17th-century English clergy 18th-century English Anglican priests Archdeacons of Cardigan English theologians Fellows of Merton College, Oxford Alumni of Magdalen Hall, Oxford 17th-century Anglican theologians 18th-century Anglican theologians