John Hoadly (1711–1776) was an English cleric, known as a poet and dramatist. John Hoadly by Francis Hayman

Life

Born in Broad Street, London, on 8 October 1711, he was the youngest son of Bishop Benjamin Hoadly by his wife Sarah Curtis. After attending

Newcome's school Newcome's School was a fashionable boys' school in Hackney, then to the east of London, founded in the early 18th century. A number of prominent Whig families sent their sons there. The school closed in 1815, and the buildings were gutted in 182 ...

at Hackney, where he played the part of Phocyas in John Hughes's ''Siege of Damascus'',’ he was sent in 1730 to Corpus Christi College, Cambridge. At about the same time he entered the

Middle Temple The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple, commonly known simply as Middle Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court exclusively entitled to call their members to the English Bar as barristers, the others being the Inner Temple, Gray's Inn ...

in order to qualify for the bar. Having graduated LL.B. in 1735 Hoadly decided to become a clergyman, a career in which his father had patronage. On 29 November 1735 he was appointed chancellor of the

diocese of Winchester The Diocese of Winchester forms part of the Province of Canterbury of the Church of England. Founded in 676, it is one of the older dioceses in England. It once covered Wessex, many times its present size which is today most of the historic enl ...

, and was ordained deacon by his father on the following 7 December, and priest the 21st of the same month. He was immediately received into

Frederick, Prince of Wales Frederick, Prince of Wales, (Frederick Louis, ; 31 January 170731 March 1751), was the eldest son and heir apparent of King George II of Great Britain. He grew estranged from his parents, King George and Queen Caroline. Frederick was the fa ...

's household as his chaplain, as he afterwards was in that of the Princess Dowager, on 6 May 1751. Hoadly accumulated preferments. He obtained the rectory of Mitchelmersh,

Hampshire Hampshire (, ; abbreviated to Hants) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in western South East England on the coast of the English Channel. Home to two major English cities on its south coast, Southampton and Portsmouth, Hampshire ...

, on 8 March 1737, that of

Wroughton Wroughton is a large village and civil parish in northeast Wiltshire, England. It is part of the Borough of Swindon and lies along the A4361 between Swindon and Avebury; the road into Swindon crosses the M4 motorway between junctions 15 ...

Wiltshire Wiltshire (; abbreviated Wilts) is a historic and ceremonial county in South West England with an area of . It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset to the southwest, Somerset to the west, Hampshire to the southeast, Gloucestershire ...

, on 8 September, and that of Alresford, Hampshire, and the eighth prebendal stall in

Winchester Cathedral The Cathedral Church of the Holy Trinity,Historic England. "Cathedral Church of the Holy Trinity (1095509)". ''National Heritage List for England''. Retrieved 8 September 2014. Saint Peter, Saint Paul and Saint Swithun, commonly known as Winches ...

on 29 November of the same year. On 9 June 1743 he was instituted to the rectory of St. Mary, near

Southampton Southampton () is a port city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. It is located approximately south-west of London and west of Portsmouth. The city forms part of the South Hampshire built-up area, which also covers Po ...

, and on 16 December 1746 to the vicarage of Overton, Hampshire. On 4 January 1748

Thomas Herring Thomas Herring (169323 March 1757) was Archbishop of Canterbury from 1747 to 1757. Early life and education He was the son of John Herring, rector of Walsoken in Norfolk, who had previously been vicar of Foxton, near Cambridge, and his wife, ...

, archbishop of Canterbury, conferred on him the degree of LL.D. In May 1760 he was appointed to the mastership of St. Cross, Winchester. All these preferments he retained until his death (16 March 1776), except the rectory of Wroughton and the prebend of Winchester, which he resigned in June 1760.

Associates

David Garrick was a friend and correspondent of Hoadly's. Hoadly, Garrick and

William Hogarth William Hogarth (; 10 November 1697 – 26 October 1764) was an English painter, engraver, pictorial satirist, social critic, editorial cartoonist and occasional writer on art. His work ranges from realistic portraiture to comic strip-like ...

once enacted together ''Ragandjaw'', a parody on the ghost scene in Shakespeare's '' Julius Cæsar''. Hoadly wrote the verses for ''

A Rake's Progress ''A Rake's Progress'' (or ''The Rake's Progress'') is a series of eight paintings by 18th-century English artist William Hogarth. The canvases were produced in 1732–1734, then engraved in 1734 and published in print form in 1735. The series ...

'', the printed set of engraving by Hogarth. He was also a friend of

Sarah Fielding Sarah Fielding (8 November 1710 – 9 April 1768) was an English author and sister of the novelist Henry Fielding. She wrote ''The Governess, or The Little Female Academy'' (1749), thought to be the first novel in English aimed expressly at child ...

Works

Hoadly assisted his brother

Benjamin Hoadly Benjamin Hoadly (14 November 1676 – 17 April 1761) was an English clergyman, who was successively Bishop of Bangor, of Hereford, of Salisbury, and finally of Winchester. He is best known as the initiator of the Bangorian Controversy. Li ...

M.D. in writing ''The Contrast; or, a tragical comical Rehearsal of two modern Plays, and the Tragedy of Epaminondas'', which was brought out at the theatre in Lincoln's Inn Fields on 30 April 1731, and performed three times without success. It ridiculed living poets, especially James Thomson. At the desire of their father the bishop it was suppressed. ''The Contrast'' was never printed. It is extant in manuscript, in the

Bodleian Library The Bodleian Library () is the main research library of the University of Oxford, and is one of the oldest libraries in Europe. It derives its name from its founder, Sir Thomas Bodley. With over 13 million printed items, it is the second- ...

, having been rediscovered in 2004. Other works by Hoadly were: * ''Love's Revenge: a dramatic pastoral'' (anon.), 1734 (

737 737 most commonly refers to: * Boeing 737, an American narrow-body passenger airplane ** Boeing 737 Classic ** Boeing 737 MAX ** Boeing 737 Next Generation * AD 737, a year in the common era * 737 BC, a year * 737 (number), a number 737 may als ...

and 1745); set to music by Maurice Greene. * ''Jephtha, an oratorio'' (anon.), 1737; music by Greene. * ''Phoebe, a pastoral opera'' (anon.), 1748; music by Greene. * ''The Force of Truth, an oratorio'' (anon.), 1764. He wrote the fifth act of James Miller's tragedy '' Mahomet the Imposter'' (1744), and completed and revised

George Lillo George Lillo (3 February 1691 – 4 September 1739) was an English playwright and tragedian. He was also a jeweller in London. He produced his first stage work, ''Silvia, or The Country Burial'', in 1730, and a year later his most famous play, ...

's adaptation of '' Arden of Feversham'' (1762). He is said to have assisted his brother Benjamin in the composition of ''

The Suspicious Husband ''The Suspicious Husband'' is a 1747 comedy play by the British writer Benjamin Hoadly.Nicoll p.207 It premiered at the Covent Garden Theatre in February 1747. The original cast included David Garrick as Ranger, Roger Bridgewater as Strictland, ...

''.’ He left several dramas in manuscript: among others ''The Housekeeper, a Farce'', on the plan of

James Townley Rev. James Townley (6 May 1714 – 15 July 1778) was an English dramatist, the second son of Charles Townley, a merchant. Early life, education and marriage Townley was born in 1714 probably at Tower Hill, London, the second son of Charles Town ...

's ''

High Life Below Stairs ''High Life Below Stairs'' is a 1759 comedy play by the British writer James Townley.Worrall p.30 An afterpiece, it premiered at Drury Lane on a double bill with a revival of Dryden's ''The Mourning Bride''. A popular hit, it was frequently reviv ...

'' (in favour of which it was rejected by Garrick); and a tragedy on the life of

Thomas Cromwell Thomas Cromwell (; 1485 – 28 July 1540), briefly Earl of Essex, was an English lawyer and statesman who served as chief minister to King Henry VIII from 1534 to 1540, when he was beheaded on orders of the king, who later blamed false charge ...

. Some of his poems are in

James Dodsley James Dodsley (1724–1797) was an English bookseller. Life Dodsley was born near Mansfield in Nottinghamshire in 1724. He was probably employed in the shop of his prosperous brother, Robert, by whom he was taken into partnership—the firm tra ...

's ''Collection''; they include a translation of Edward Holdsworth's ''Muscipula''. He also edited his father's works (three volumes, 1773), to which he prefixed a short ''Life'' originally in the ''Biographia Britannica''.

Notes

;Attribution {{DEFAULTSORT:Hoadly, John 1711 births 1776 deaths 18th-century English Anglican priests English dramatists and playwrights Writers from London People from the City of London Alumni of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge People educated at Newcome's School English male dramatists and playwrights English male poets