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Bedell parts of the country, among others in Ulster. The bishop, having been prevailed on to sign one of these petitions, drew upon himself the displeasure of Wentworth. Towards the end of Strafford's government, the bishop again incurred the disapproval of the authorities by a manifestation of sympathy with Adair, bishop of Killaloe, who was brought before the high commission court for expressions in favour of the covenanting party in Scotland, and in consequence deprived of his see. Undaunted by these and other signs of unpopularity, Bedell continued to employ his best efforts for the good of the people. The churches were repaired and made available for public worship, and the translation of the Scriptures into Irish completed by the addition of the Old Testament, which was carried on under his supervision.

On the outbreak of the rebellion of 1641, Bedell's mansion was respected by the insurgents, so that he was able to give shelter and food to the homeless English who fled to him in their distress. On one occasion he interposed to protect them from violence. At the same time he steadily refused to desert his diocese, personally accepting the offer of a convoy to Dublin. This generosity of conduct afforded the Irish a pretext for seizing first his cattle and then his household goods and library, and finally conveying him and his sons prisoners to Loughoughter Castle. Here the governor, Owen O'Reilly, who had formerly been one of his tenantry, did his best to alleviate the the hardships of his position. His friends in the meantime managed to procure his release, when, his own house being now occupied by the popish bishop, he accepted the hospitality of the Rev. Dennis Sheridan, whom he had himself presented to the living of Killasser. Dennis Sheridan's house at Drumlor, however, was crowded with destitute English, and this, combined with insufficient and unwholesome diet, led to the outbreak of fever, by which Bedell was in turn attacked and carried off on 7 Feb. 1642. It was during his last days here that, through the assistance of Sheridan, he succeeded in rescuing from his library at Kilmore a manuscript Hebrew Bible which he had brought with him from Venice, and which is now preserved in the library of Emmanuel College, and also the manuscript of the Irish translation of the Old Testament. This Sheridan was the head of the clan, but had been brought up as a protestant, and, being able to speak Irish, had been ordained by Bedell to the ministry. Richard Brinsley Sheridan was of the same clan, and his grandfather William, at one time the friend of Swift, was indebted for his university education to the eldest son of the Rev. Dennis Sheridan, and godson of Bishop Bedell, who many years subsequently became bishop of Kilmore.

[Marshall's Genealogist's Guide, p. 37. It was the Rev. Alexander Clogie who supplied Bishop Burnet with the materials for his Life of Bedell, published in 1685. Clogie, a native of Scotland, had been admitted to holy orders by Bishop Bedell, and received from him the vicarage of Cavan. A manuscript Life of Bedell by Clogie, of which there are copies in the Bodleian and in the Harleian MSS., was edited by W. Walter Wilkins in 1862. Archbishop Sancroft, who had obtained possession of another manuscript, The True Relation of the Life and Death of Bishop Bedell (now in Tanner MSS. in the Bodleian, vol. cclxxviii., bound up with the preceding), appears to have contemplated publishing it, together with Bedell's Collected Works, but probably considered himself forestalled by Burnet's labours. This last-named Life, however, which is by the elder son, William Bedell (see Life, ed. Jones, pp. viii–ix), is the most trustworthy source of information, and has been admirably edited for the Camden Society (1872) by Thomas Wharton Jones, F.R.S., a representative of the bishop's maternal family of Elliston. It has also been published, without notes (1871), by Professor John E. B. Mayor.]  BEDEMAN or STEVINE, LAWRENCE (fl. 1372–1410), supporter of Wycliffe, appears first, in 1372, as a scholar of Stapeldon Hall (now Exeter College), of which foundation he became fellow and ultimately rector, holding the latter office from 1379 to 1380. In 1382 he is mentioned as one of the principal advocates of Wycliffe's doctrines at Oxford. In June of that year he was suspended from preaching, in company with the other leaders of the party, by Archbishop Courtney, under circumstances which are noticed under. A mandate was also issued against him in the same year by Bishop Brantingham, of Exeter, to whom complaints had been made of his activity as a preacher of false doctrine in Cornwall (, xiv, sq.), Bedeman appears, however, to have held a less conspicuous position than his associates at Oxford, and was the first of them to make his peace with the church, being restored to public functions by a mandate of 18 Oct. 1382. After this he was made rector of Lifton, in Devonshire, and held this benefice as late as 11 June 1410, when he was licensed to preach in Latin or English. Foxe therefore is mistaken in reckoning him, on the authority of 'ancient writers,' among those who 'suffered most cruel death,' or else 'did forsake the realm,' on account of their attachment to Wycliffe's teaching (Acts and Monuments, iii. 96, ed. Townsend).