William Delaune D.D. (14 April 1659 – 23 May 1728) was an

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clergyman and academic,

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of St John's College, Oxford, and chaplain to Queen Anne.

Life

Delaune was son of Benjamin Delaune of

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, by Margaret, daughter of George Coney, born 14 April 1659. He entered Merchant Taylors' School 11 September 1672, proceeded to St John's College, Oxford, in 1675, graduated

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in 1679,

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in 1683, and B.D. in 1688. Having taken holy orders, he became chaplain to

Peter Mews Peter Mews (25 March 1619 – 9 November 1706) was an English Royalist theologian and bishop. He was a captain captured at Naseby and he later had discussions in Scotland for the Royalist cause. Later made a Bishop he would report on non-confor ...

, bishop of Winchester, who presented him to the living of

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. He subsequently held that of

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. In 1697, he proceeded D.D., and on 14 March 1698 was elected President of St John's. Installed

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of Winchester in 1701, he was appointed

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of the

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in October of the following year. His tenure of this office, which lasted until October 1706, was more profitable to himself than to the university. Thomas Hearne claims that he was nicknamed " Gallio" by his systematic neglect of his duties, and charges him with embezzling the contents of the University Chest. Delaune made advances to himself out of the university exchequer to the extent of £3,000, which he did not repay. His successor William Lancaster made attempts to recover the money, apparently without much success, and subsequent vice-chancellors were less exacting. He paid a composition of £300. in full discharge of the debt in 1719. He was a gambler, losing heavily, and this was regarded as a scandal. Hearne mentions that a candidate taunted him in public with the comment '' Jacta est alea''; the same story is told in '' Terrae Filius'', the author of which, Nicholas Amhurst, Delaune is said to have expelled from St John's. Amhurst's own mocking account of his 1719 expulsion from Oxford was dedicated to Delaune, and mixes satire inextricably with politics.Amhurst, Nicholas, 'Delaune, William (1659–1728)', '' Dictionary of National Biography'', London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900.. Delaune was elected Margaret Lecturer in Divinity on 18 February 1715, and installed prebendary of

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. He was also one of Queen Anne's chaplains, and acquired some reputation as a preacher. He died on 23 May 1728, and was buried without the usual eulogistic epitaph in St John's College Chapel. Delaune published in 1728 ''Twelve Sermons upon several Subjects and Occasions'', dedicated to

Montagu Venables-Bertie, 2nd Earl of Abingdon Montagu Venables-Bertie, 2nd Earl of Abingdon PC (4 February 1673 – 16 June 1743), styled Hon. Montagu Bertie until 1682 and Lord Norreys from 1682 to 1699, was an English nobleman. Career Montagu was the eldest son of James Bertie, 1st Earl o ...

References

Sources

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Delaune, William 1659 births 1728 deaths People educated at Merchant Taylors' School, Northwood Alumni of St John's College, Oxford 17th-century English Anglican priests 18th-century English Anglican priests Fellows of St John's College, Oxford Presidents of St John's College, Oxford Lady Margaret Professors of Divinity