Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 43.djvu/141

 council of East New Jersey, and in 1684 of that of New York. Earlier in 1684 he had been raised to the bench as judge of the court of oyer and terminer at New York. Two years later he was sent by Dongan, the governor of New York, to act virtually as deputy-governor at Pemaquid, an outlying dependency to the north. There Palmer seems to have incurred odium by his arbitrary conduct in the matter of land titles. In 1687 he was sent by Dongan as a special commissioner to Connecticut, to advocate the union of that colony with New York. In the same year he was sent to England to report for the king on colonial affairs. When James II attempted to consolidate the northern colonies under the government of Andros, Palmer returned as a councillor to the new province, and was imprisoned by the Boston insurgents in 1689. While in prison he wrote a justification of the policy of Andros and his supporters, and circulated it in manuscript in New England. After the proclamation of William III at Boston, Palmer, together with Andros, was sent back to England. He there published his pamphlet under the title ‘An Impartial Account of the State of New England, or the late Government there vindicated’ (1689). It is a laboured production, and contrasts unfavourably with the vigorous writing of Increase Mather on the opposite side. It was republished in the next year at Boston with alterations, and both versions are reprinted in the ‘Andros Tracts.’

[Brodhead's Hist. of New York, vol. ii.; The Andros Tracts (Prince Soc.); Palfrey's Hist. of New England, vol. iii.]  PALMER, JOHN (1742–1786), unitarian divine, son of John Palmer, wig-maker, was born at Norwich in 1742. He was a protégé of John Taylor, D.D. [q. v.] the Hebraist, who began his education, and, on becoming divinity tutor at Warrington academy, placed Palmer (1756) at school in Congleton, Cheshire, under Edward Harwood, D.D. [q. v.] He entered Warrington academy in 1759; Priestley was, from 1761, one of his tutors. In his last year he was constant supply (14 May 1763 to 15 Aug. 1764) at Allostock, Cheshire. Some eccentricities hindered his acceptance in the ministry. He kept a school at Macclesfield, Cheshire. In 1772 he became minister of King Edward Street Chapel, Macclesfield. There was an orthodox secession from his ministry; he consequently resigned in 1779, and removed to Birmingham without regular charge, being in independent circumstances. At Birmingham he renewed his acquaintance with Priestley, and was a member of a fortnightly clerical club which arranged the matter for the ‘Theological Repository.’ In 1782 Priestley recommended him, without effect, as colleague to Joseph Bretland [q. v.] at Exeter. Palmer died of paralysis at Birmingham on Tuesday, 26 Dec. 1786, and was buried in the Old Meeting graveyard on 2 Jan. 1787; Priestley preached (8 Jan.) his funeral sermon. He married, first, at Macclesfield, Miss Heald; secondly, in 1777, the eldest daughter of Thomas White, dissenting minister at Derby, by whom he left one daughter.

He published: 1. ‘Free Remarks on a Sermon entitled “The Requisition of Subscription not inconsistent with Christian Liberty,”’ &c., 1772, 8vo, anon. 2. ‘A Letter to Dr. Balguy,’ &c., 1773, 8vo (reply to the archidiaconal charge, 1772, by Thomas Balguy [q. v.]). 3. ‘A New System of Shorthand; being an Improvement upon … Byrom,’ &c., 1774, 8vo. 4. ‘An Examination of Thelyphthora,’ &c., 1781, 8vo [see ]. His contributions to the ‘Theological Repository’ (1769–71) are signed ‘G.H.;’ contributions in later volumes (1784–6) are signed ‘Christophilos,’ ‘Symmachus,’ and ‘Erasmus.’ A letter from him is printed in Priestley's ‘Harmony of the Evangelists’ (1780).

[Theological Repository, 1788, pp. 217 sq. (memoir by Priestley); Monthly Repository, 1814, pp. 203 sq.; Rutt's Memoirs of Priestley, 1831, i. 334, 339, 355, 362, 380, 390, 401 sq.; Urwick's Nonconformity in Cheshire, 1864, pp. 235, 415; Beale's Memorials of the Old Meeting, Birmingham, 1882; manuscript records of Allostock congregation.]  PALMER, JOHN (1729?–1790), unitarian divine, was born about 1729 in Southwark, where his father was an undertaker. His parents were independents, and he was educated for the ministry, in that body, under David Jennings, D.D. [q. v.] In 1755 he became assistant to John Allen M.D. (d. 31 Dec. 1774, aged 72), presbyterian minister at New Broad Street, London. On Allen's removal (1759) to Worcester, Palmer became pastor. The congregation declined, and ceased in 1772 to contribute to the presbyterian fund. On the expiry of the lease of the meeting-house (1780) the congregation was dissolved, and Palmer left the ministry. He was a man of ability and learning; his defence of free-will against Priestley shows power. His religious views coincided with those of his friend, Caleb Fleming D.D. [q. v.] From 1768 he was a trustee of Dr. Daniel Williams's foundations. After 1780 he lived in retirement at 