Edward Welchman

Edward Welchman (1665–1739) was an English churchman, known as a theological writer. He was Archdeacon of Cardigan from 1727.

Life

The son of John Welchman, of Banbury, Oxfordshire, he was born in 1665. He matriculated as a commoner of Magdalen Hall, Oxford, on 7 July 1679. He was one of the choristers of Magdalen College in that university from 1679 till 1682. He proceeded B.A. on 24 April 1683, was admitted a probationer fellow of Merton College in 1684, and commenced M.A. on 19 June 1688.^[1]

His college presented Welchman in 1690 to the rectory of Lapworth, Warwickshire, and he was also rector of Berkeswell in the same county. He became archdeacon of Cardigan and a prebendary of St. David's Cathedral on 7 August 1727. Later he became chaplain to the bishop of Lichfield, who collated him to the prebend of Wolvey in Lichfield Cathedral on 28 September 1732.^[1]

Welchman obtained the rectory of Solihull, Warwickshire, in 1736, and held it until his death on 19 May 1739.^[1] He was a friend of Deane Swift.^[2]

Works

Welchman is counted as a Reformed theologian.^[3] His major work was a Latin explanation of the 39 Articles.^[4] An English translation from the sixth edition appeared 1776.^[5] It continued to be used at Oxford into a period towards the end of the 18th century when its Calvinist interpretations, for example of predestination, were falling out of fashion there.^[6]

Welchman's other publications included:^[1]

• A Defence of the Church of England from the Charge of Schism and Heresie, as laid against it by the Vindicator of the deprived Bishops (anon.), London, 1693. Against Henry Dodwell.
• The Husbandman's Manual: directing him how to improve the several actions of his calling, and the most usual occurrences of his life, to the glory of God, and the benefit of his soul, London, 1695; 25th edit. London, 1818; new edit. London, 1821. In the genre of the time of spiritual metaphors drawn from agriculture.^[7]
• A Practical Discourse on the Parable of Dives and Lazarus (1704)^[8]
• Dr. Clarke's Scripture Doctrine of the Trinity examined; to which are added some remarks on his sentiments, and a brief examination of his Doctrine, Oxford, 1714.
• An edition with notes of D. Aurelii Augustini Hipponensis Episcopi Liber de Hæresibus ad quod-vult-Deum, una cum Gennadii Massiliensis Appendice, Oxford, 1721.
• A Conference with an Arian; occasion'd by Mr. Whiston's Reply to the Earl of Nottingham (anon.), Oxford, 1721.
• A Dialogue betwixt a Protestant Minister and a Romish Priest, 3rd edit. London, 1723; 4th edit. 1735.
• Novatiani Presbyteri Romani Opera, quæ extant, omnia, correctius longe quam unquam antehac edita, notisque illustrata, Oxford, 1724.

Family

Welchman's son John graduated M.A. at Oxford, and became vicar of Tamworth, Warwickshire.^[1]

Notes

1.  Lee, Sidney, ed. (1899). "Welchman, Edward". Dictionary of National Biography 60. London: Smith, Elder & Co.
2. Lilian Dickins and Mary Stanton (editors), An Eighteenth-century Correspondence, being the letters of Deane Swift, Pitt, The Lytteltons and the Grenvilles, Lord Dacre, Robert Nugent, Charles Jenkinson, the Earls of Guilford, Coventry, & Hardwick, Sir Edward Turner, Mr. Talbot of Lacock, and others to Sanderson Miller, esq., of Radway (1910), p. 30; archive.org.
3. Stephen Hampton (29 May 2008). Anti-Arminians : The Anglican Reformed Tradition from Charles II to George I: The Anglican Reformed Tradition from Charles II to George I. OUP Oxford. p. 13. ISBN 978-0-19-155985-3. Retrieved 15 September 2013.
4. Articuli XXXIX. Ecclesiæ Anglicanæ Textibus e Sacra Scriptura depromptis confirmati, brevibusque Notis illustrati; cum Appendice de Doctrina Patrum, Oxford, 1713; reprinted 1718, 1724; 5th edit. 1730, 1774, 1793, 1819.
5. The Thirty-nine Articles of the Church of England, illustrated with Notes, 1776; reprinted in 1777, 1783, 1790, 1805, 1811, 1823, 1834, and 1842.
6. Nicholas Tyacke (2001). Aspects of English Protestantism C. 1530-1700. Manchester University Press. p. 23. ISBN 978-0-7190-5392-4. Retrieved 15 September 2013.
7. Defoe & Spiritual Autobiography. Ardent Media. p. 25 note 36. GGKEY:3S7TSKQ3QUB. Retrieved 15 September 2013.
8. Samuel Austin Allibone (1871). A Critical Dictionary of English Literature and British and American Authors: Living and Deceased from the Earliest Accounts to the Middle of the Nineteenth Century. Containing Thirty Thousand Biographies and Literary Notices, with Forty Indexes of Subjects. Childs & Peterson [printed by Deacon & Peterson]. p. 2635. Retrieved 15 September 2013.

Attribution

 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Lee, Sidney, ed. (1899). "Welchman, Edward". Dictionary of National Biography 60. London: Smith, Elder & Co.