Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 32.djvu/157

Larkham Doctrines of Revelation relating to Piacular Sacrifices,' &c., 1766, 4to, 2 vols., by James Richie, M.D.; and of 'The True Doctrine of the New Testament,' &c., 1767, 8vo, by Paul Cardale [q.v.]. His letter (1762) to Fleming on the personality of the Holy Spirit was first printed as an appendix to Cardale's posthumous 'Enquiry,' 1776, 8vo.

Lardner's 'Works' were collected in 1788, 8vo, 11 vols., with 'Life' by Kippis, who was not the editor of the work. They have been reprinted 1815, 4to, 5 vols.; 1829, 8vo, 10 vols.; 1835, 8vo, 10 vols.

[Memoirs of Lardner were published anonymously in 1769; they were drawn up by Joseph Jennings, son of David Jennings, D.D. When Kippis was bringing out his Life of Lardner (1788) he received a letter from David Jennings, Lardner's grandnephew, who wrote strongly objecting to the publication, not only on his own account, but on that of Richard Dickens, LL.D., prebendary of Durham, and his mother (Kippis erroneously says his wife), Margaret, daughter of Lardner's brother Richard, who married Samuel Dickens, D.D. Kippis's Life does not supersede the Memoirs, and adds little of biographical moment. See also London Directory of 1677, reprinted 1878 (for Nathaniel Collier); Protestant Dissenter's Magazine, 1797, pp. 434 sq. (account of Lardner's last days; reprinted with additions in Monthly Repository, 1808, pp. 364 sq., 485 sq.); Wilson's Dissenting Churches of London, 1808, i. 88 sq., ii. 303 sq.; Rutt's Memoirs of Priestley, 1831, i. 37 (compare Priestley's Works, xxi. 243); Turner's Lives of Eminent Unitarians, 1840, i. 126 sq.; Davids's Evang. Nonconformity in Essex, 1863, p. 467; James's Hist. Litig. Presb. Chapels, 1867, pp. 688, 713, 716; Hunt's Religious Thought in England, 1873, iii. 238; Urwick's Nonconformity in Herts, 1884, p. 720; Lightfoot's Essays on Supernatural Religion, 1889, p. 40; extracts from family papers kindly furnished by Lady Jennings.]  LARKHAM, THOMAS (1602–1669), puritan divine, born at Lyme Regis, Dorset, on 17 Aug. 1602, of 'pious parents,' matriculated at Cambridge, and proceeded B.A. from Trinity Hall in 1621–2, and M.A. 1626. In 1622 he was living at Shobrooke, near Crediton, where he married. He was instituted vicar of Northam, near Bideford, on 26 Dec. 1626, and his puritan proclivities brought him into trouble. A petition against him was, he says (Sermons on the Attributes, Pref.), 'delivered [apparently about 1639] into the king's own hand, with 24 terrible articles annexed, importing faction, heresie, witchcraft, rebellion, and treason.' He was 'put into Star-chamber and High Commission,' and was proceeded against in the Consistory Court at Exeter 'under a suit of pretended slander for reproving an atheistical wretch by the name of Atheist.' Before 19 Jan. 1640–1 (when Anthony Downe was appointed to the living of Northam, 'void by cession or deprivation') Larkham fled with his family to New England, going first to Massachusetts, 'but not being willing to submit to the discipline of the churches there, came to Northam or Dover, a settlement on the river Piscataquis, Maine. Here he became minister, ousting Mr. Knollys.' In this capacity he signs first, among forty inhabitants of Dover, a petition dated 22 Oct. 1640, to Charles I, for 'combination of government.' Larkham's conduct in usurping the principal civil as well as religious authority led to much discontent and even open warfare, and commissioners from Boston (of whom Hugh Peters was one) were sent to arbitrate. They found both parties in fault. Larkham remained at Dover until the end of 1642, when, says Governor Winthrop, 'suddenly discovering a purpose to go to England, and fearing to be dissuaded by his people, gave them his faithful promise not to go, but yet soon after he got on shipboard and so departed. It was time for him to be gone.' There follows an account of the birth of an illegitimate child of which Larkham was admitted to be the father. 'Upon this the church at Dover looked out for another elder.' Larkham gives the exact date of his 'departure,' accompanied only by his son Thomas, as 14 Nov. Some time after his arrival in England he became chaplain in Sir Hardres Waller's regiment going to Ireland. According to his own story, he was at one time 'chaplain to one of greatest honour in the nation, next unto a king, had his residence among ladies of honour, and was familiar with men of greatest renown in the kingdom, when he had a thousand pounds worth of plate before him.' On 30 Jan. 1647–8 he came into Devonshire, proceeding in the following April to Tavistock, where Sir Hardres then had his headquarters. The vicarage of Tavistock had been vacant since George Hughes accepted a call from the people of Plymouth on 21 Oct. 1643. Larkham ultimately succeeded to the vicarage, certainly before 1649. According to the report of the commissioners, who, under the Act for Providing Maintenance for Preaching Ministers, visited Tavistock on 18 Oct. 1650, Larkham was elected by the inhabitants, and presented by the Earl of Bedford, 'who as successor to the abbey held all the great tithes and the right to present.' The earl had formerly allowed the vicar '50li per annum, but Larkham only received 19li from him.' An additional 50li per annum was, however, allowed him from Lamerton as tithe. On 15 Nov. 