Zachary Crofton (1626–1672) was an

Anglo-Irish Anglo-Irish people () denotes an ethnic, social and religious grouping who are mostly the descendants and successors of the English Protestant Ascendancy in Ireland. They mostly belong to the Anglican Church of Ireland, which was the establis ...

nonconforming minister and controversialist, in England from the 1640s.

Life

He was born in Ireland and principally educated at Dublin. He came to England about 1646. His first living was at

Wrenbury Wrenbury-cum-Frith is a village and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire East, and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. It lies on the River Weaver, around 8.5 miles south-west of Crewe. The civil parish of Wrenbury cum Frit ...

Cheshire Cheshire ( ) is a ceremonial and historic county in North West England, bordered by Wales to the west, Merseyside and Greater Manchester to the north, Derbyshire to the east, and Staffordshire and Shropshire to the south. Cheshire's county t ...

, from which he was expelled in 1648 for refusing to take the engagement. He then came to London, and was for some time minister of St. James's, Garlick Hythe, and then obtained the rectory of St. Botolph, Aldgate. He held that position until 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 ...

, when he was ejected for nonconformity. :s:Crofton, Zachary (DNB00) He was prosecuted (in some fashion) in 1657 for whipping his servant girl, Mary Cadman. The case became notorious, and the theme of a 1661 play ''The Presbyterian Lash'', by

Francis Kirkman Francis Kirkman (1632 – c. 1680) appears in many roles in the English literary world of the second half of the seventeenth century, as a publisher, bookseller, librarian, author and bibliographer. In each he is an enthusiast for popular litera ...

. Crofton had defended himself in 1657 under the pseudonym Alethes Noctroff. He has been called "the best known Presbyterian controversialist in the Restoration", and advanced a presbyterian position that was both royalist and anti-episcopal. He began a controversy with Bishop

John Gauden John Gauden (died 20 September 1662) was an English cleric. He was Bishop of Exeter then Bishop of Worcester. He was also a writer, and the reputed author of the important Royalist work '' Eikon Basilike''. Life He was born at Mayland, Essex, ...

respecting the

solemn league and covenant The Solemn League and Covenant was an agreement between the Scottish Covenanters and the leaders of the English Parliamentarians in 1643 during the First English Civil War, a theatre of conflict in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. On 17 August 1 ...

, for the defence of which he was committed to the

Tower of London The Tower of London, officially His Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, which is separa ...

. The date has been debated; he is recorded as sent to the Tower on 23 March 1661 (New Style).

Daniel Neal Daniel Neal Daniel Neal (14 December 16784 April 1743) was an English historian. Biography Born in London, he was educated at the Merchant Taylors' School, and at the universities of Utrecht and Leiden. In 1704 he became assistant minister, an ...

's ''History of the Puritans'' states that this controversy took place before Crofton's ejectment, and that he was turned out of his parish despite his support for the Restoration. The arrest of Crofton came after mail was opened in a scare about presbyterian sentiment in the capital. Crofton, with his wife and seven children, returned to Cheshire, where, after another short imprisonment, the cause of which is unknown, he supported himself by farming, or by keeping a grocer's shop. In 1667 he again came to London and opened a school near Aldgate.Recorded c.1665, http://www.history.ac.uk/gh/18iii.htm He died in 1672. He published a large number of pamphlets and tracts, mostly of a controversial character, and a few sermons.

Notes

References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Crofton, Zachary 1626 births 1672 deaths 17th-century Anglo-Irish people

Zachary Zachary is a male given name, a variant of Zechariah – the name of several Biblical characters. People *Pope Zachary (679–752), Pope of the Catholic Church from 741 to 752 * Zachary of Vienne (died 106), bishop of Vienne (France), martyr an ...

English Presbyterian ministers of the Interregnum (England) English ministers refusing the engagement of 1649 Ejected English ministers of 1662