Arthur Bedford (writer)

Add links
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Arthur Bedford
Born1668
Died1745
NationalityBritish

Arthur Bedford (1668–1745), was an English miscellaneous writer and Vicar. He is most notable for his pamphlets against the Theatre and popular music.

Life

Bedford was born at

Newton St. Loe in Somerset.[1]

At Newton, Bedford spent 20 years, and was made chaplain to

Goodman's Fields; Odell was the proprietor, and the theatre, demolished in 1746, was associated with the career of David Garrick.[1]

Late in life Bedford was chaplain to Frederick, Prince of Wales. He met his death after making observations on the comet of the year (13 August 1745), and was buried in the ground behind the hospital at Hoxton, where he had lived for 21 years.[1]

Works

Bedford joined Jeremy Collier and other pamphleteers in their crusade against the stage, and issued a series of tracts, of which one became notorious: A Serious Remonstrance in behalf of the Christian Religion against the Horrid Blasphemies and Impieties which are still used in the English Playhouses (1719). This work cited a number of scripture texts travestied, and 7,000 "immoral sentiments" collected from English dramatists, especially those of the previous four years. Bedford also gave his attention to church music; his aim was to promote a simpler style of religious music. He published The Temple Musick (Bristol, 1706), The Great Abuses of Music (1711), and The Excellency of Divine Music (1733).[1]

Soon after moving to Newton, Bedford projected a work on chronology, taking up a suggestion in the preface to

The Chronology of Ancient Kingdoms. He returned to the subject in 1741 Scripture Chronology demonstrated by Astronomical Considerations. These theories were discussed in the Republick of Letters (ii., iii., vi.); and the topic was aired further in the New Analysis of Chronology of William Hales.[1]

Throughout his career Bedford published sermons on doctrinal questions. He was also an oriental scholar, assisting in preparing the Arabic psalter and New Testament for the Christians in Asia (there is a letter about this work from Bedford to

Sir Hans Sloane, preserved in the Sloane manuscript No. 4037). Another production was the Horæ Mathematicæ Vacuæ, a treatise on Golden and Ecliptic Numbers (1743), written as a pastime during an attack of sciatica; the manuscript of this work was preserved in Sion College Library.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Stephen, Leslie, ed. (1885). "Bedford, Arthur" . Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 4. London: Smith, Elder & Co. pp. 109–110.

DNB references

These references are found in the DNB article referred to above.

  • Gentlemen's Magazine
    xv. 502;
  • Barrett's History of Bristol; Republick of Letters, ii., iii., vi.;
  • Ellis's Shoreditch;
  • Watt's Bibl. British;
  • British Museum Catalogue;
Attribution

 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Stephen, Leslie, ed. (1885). "Bedford, Arthur". Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 4. London: Smith, Elder & Co.

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Arthur_Bedford_(writer)&oldid=1036818356"