Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Blandford, Walter
BLANDFORD, WALTER, D.D. (1619–1675), bishop successively of Oxford and Worcester, was the son of Walter Blandford, and was born at Melbury Abbas, Dorsetshire, in 1619. He became a servitor of Christ Church, Oxford, in 1635, was admitted a scholar of Wadham College in 1638, took the degrees in arts, and was in 1644 admitted a fellow of the latter college. The fact that he was not ejected by the parliamentary visitors in 1648 shows, in Wood's opinion, 'that he did either take the covenant or submit to them.' About this time he was appointed chaplain to John, Lord Lovelace of Hurley, Berkshire. In 1659 he was elected warden of Wadham College, and iu the following year created D.D. At this period he was chaplain to Sir Edward Hyde, afterwards earl of Clarendon, who obtained for him a prebend in the church of Gloucester and a chaplainship in ordinary to the king. In 1662-3 he served the office of vice-chancellor of the university. He was consecrated bishop of Oxford in 1665, was nominated dean of the Chapel Royal soon afterwards, and in 1671 was translated to the see of Worcester, where he died 9 July 1675. It is related that when the Duchess of York (daughter of his patron, Lord Clarendon) was dying. Dr. Blandford went to see her. The duke (afterwards James II) meeting the bishop in the drawing-room told him that she had been reconciled to the Roman catholic church, when the bishop said he made no doubt but that she would do well, since she was fully convinced, and did it not out of any worldly end; and he afterwards went into the room to her, and made her a short christian exhortation, suited to the condition she was in, and then departed.(Life of James II, ed. Clarke, i. 452, 453).
[Wood's Athenæ Oxon. (Bliss), iii. 1229, 1258, iv. 514, 829, 851, 897, and Life of Wood, p. xliv; Godwin, De Præsulibus (Richardson). 474. 547; Egerton MS. 806; Lansd. MS. 986 ff. 120. 121; Chambers's Worcestershire Biography. 184; Le Neve's Fasti, i. 449, ii. 606, iii. 67, 478, 578.]