Adam Martindale
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Adam Martindale (1623–1686) was a British
Biography
Adam Martindale (1623–1686), fourth son of Henry Martindale, was born at High Heyes, in the parish of
A summons to a muster he did not obey, being 'a piece of a clergy-man,' but became in 1642 private secretary to
Gorton Chapel
His first charge was at Gorton Chapel in the parish of Manchester, on which he entered in April 1646, a few months before the establishment (2 October) of parliamentary presbyterianism in Lancashire. He resided at Openshaw. Martindale was not a jure divino presbyterian, and at Gorton there were several congregationalists whom he was anxious to keep 'by tendernesse' from seceding. At the first meeting of the Manchester classis on 16 February 1647, he offered himself to be examined for ordination, but did not immediately follow up the application. On 8 July John Angier was deputed to find out why Martindale still held back, 'seeing hee hath professed to have receiv'd satisfaction;' on 2 September he was 'warn'd to appeare at the next meeting,' but did not do so. He was engaged in studying and epitomising the controversy between presbyterianism and independency. Meantime his ministry at Gorton prospered; his popularity is proved by his receipt of calls from six Yorkshire and five Cheshire parishes.[1]
Ordination
On 7 Oct. 1648 Martindale, having a call from
A meeting of Lancashire and Cheshire ministers was held at
Exotic presbyterianism
Martindale was a presbyterian of the English type, exemplified in
Martindale was privy, through
Camp Green
At Michaelmas he removed to Camp Green in Rostherne parish, attending the services of his successor (Benjamin Crosse), and 'repeating' his sermons in the evening 'to an housefull of parishioners.' For two years he took boarders; this being unsafe for a nonconformist, he thought of turning to medicine, but eventually, aided by Lord Delamer, he studied and taught mathematics at Warrington and elsewhere. At May day 1666, under pressure of the
Chaplain to Lord Delamer
On 30 September 1671 Martindale became resident chaplain to Lord Delamer at Dunham, with a salary of £40. He took out a license under the indulgence of 1672 for the house of Humphrey Peacock in Rostherne parish, and there preached twice each Sunday and lectured once a month. He removed his family to The Thorne in 1674, to Houghheath in 1681, and to his own house at Leigh in May 1684. The death of Lord Delamer (10 August 1684) closed his connection with Dunham. He was imprisoned at Chester (27 June – 15 July 1685) on groundless suspicion of complicity with the Monmouth Rebellion; in fact his principles were those of passive obedience, and he had written (but not published) in 1682 an attack on the 'Julian' of Samuel Johnson, which he regarded as 'a very dangerous booke.' Later in 1685 he gave evidence at Lancaster as arbitrator in a civil suit, and came home out of health.[1]
Marriage and death
Martindale died at Leigh in September 1686, and was buried at Rostherne on 21 September. He married, on 31 December 1646, Elizabeth (who survived him), second daughter of John Hall, of Droylsden, Lancashire, and uterine sister of Thomas Jollie. The couple had eight children, three of whom survived childhood.[1]
Publications
He published:[1]
- Divinity Knots Unbound 1649, (against antinomianism and anabaptism, dedicated to Captain James Jollie); also with title Divinity Knots Unloosed, 1649.
- Summary of Arguments for and against Presbyterianisme and Independencie, 1650
- An Antidote against the Poyson of the Times, 1653, (a catechism, defending the doctrine of the Trinity against heresies then appearing among the independents at Dukinfield, Cheshire).
- Countrey Almanacke, 1675–6–7 (mentioned in his autobiography).
- The Countrey-Survey-Book; or Land-Meter's Vade-mecum, 1681,; reprinted with addition of his Twelve Problems, 1702
- Truth and Peace Promoted, 1682, (mentioned in his autobiography and by Calamy on justification).
Communications from him are in Philosophical Transactions Abridged, 1670, i. 539 (extracts from two letters on 'A Rock of Natural Salt' in Cheshire), 1681, ii. 482 (Twelve Problems in Compound Interest and Annuities resolved). In A Collection of Letters for the Improvement of Husbandry and Trade, 1683, by John Houghton (d 1705), are two by Martindale (vol. i. Nos. 6, 11) on Improving Land by Marle, a third (vol. ii. No. 1), A Token for Ship-Boyes; or plain sailing made more plain, and a fourth (vol. ii. No. 4), on Improvement of Mossie Land by Burning and Liming. Besides the animadversions on 'Julian,' a treatise on kneeling at the Lord's Supper (1682) was circulated in manuscript, and a critique on Matthew Smith's Patriarchal Sabbath, 1683, was sent to London for press, but not printed, owing to a dispute between Martindale's agent and the bookseller. Martindale's autobiography, to 1685, was edited in 1845 for the Chetham Society by Canon Parkinson from the autograph in the British Museum, formerly in the possession of Thomas Birch. In addition to its personal interest, it contains sketches of the social life of the period, worthy of Defoe. Its omission of proper names makes many of its allusions obscure.[1]
Notes
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Gordon, Alexander (1893). "Martindale, Adam (1623–1686), presbyterian divine". Dictionary of National Biography Vol. XXXVI. Smith, Elder & Co. Retrieved 17 April 2009. The first edition of this text is available at Wikisource: . Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900.
References
- This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: "Martindale, Adam". Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900.
External links
- Works by or about Adam Martindale at Internet Archive
- Works by Adam Martindale at LibriVox (public domain audiobooks)
- The life of Adam Martindale, by Adam Martindale, Richard Parkinson, Chetham Society