Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Dolben, John (1684-1756)
DOLBEN, Sir JOHN (1684–1756), divine, born at the archiepiscopal palace of Bishopthorpe, near York, on 12 Feb. 1683–4, was the only son of Sir Gilbert Dolben [q. v.], a judge of the common pleas in Ireland, by his wife Anne, eldest daughter and coheiress of Tanfield Mulso of Finedon, Northamptonshire. John Dolben, archbishop of York [q. v.], was his grandfather. Admitted on the foundation of Westminster in 1700, he was nominated a canon's student of Christ Church, Oxford, in 1702, and was there a pupil of Dr. John Freind, proceeded B.A. on 22 Jan. 1704, M.A. on 8 July 1707, and accumulated the degrees in divinity on 6 July 1717. He was collated to the sixth stall at Durham on 2 April 1718, and to the eleventh (‘golden’) stall in that cathedral on 17 July 1719 (Le Neve, Fasti, ed. Hardy, iii. 314, 319); in the last-named year he became rector of Burton Latimer and vicar of Finedon, Northamptonshire (Bridges, Northamptonshire, ed. Whalley, ii. 224, 260). On 22 Oct. 1722 he succeeded his father as second baronet, was elected visitor of Balliol College, Oxford, on 22 June 1728, in succession to Dr. Henry Brydges, and was also subdean of the queen's chapel. To Dolben Anthony Alsop [q. v.] inscribed the poems numbered v, vi, x, xv, xviii, xx, xxi, xxiv, in the second book of his Latin odes (4to, London, 1752, pp. 40–4, 50–3, 64–6, 69–71, 72–6, 79–80); two other odes occur at pp. 97 and 139 of the manuscript additions in the copy in the British Museum. He also maintained a warm friendship with Atterbury, and for some time after the bishop's banishment appears to have paid him an annuity (Atterbury, Correspondence, ed. Nichols, 1789–98, ii. 379, 402, iii. 23, v. 107, 308). He died at Finedon on 20 Nov. 1756, aged 73, and was buried there. He married the Hon. Elizabeth Digby, second daughter of William, lord Digby, who died a Aix in Provence, 4 Nov. 1730. His portrait by M. Dahl is in Christ Church Hall. He published 'A Sermon [on Heb. xiii. 1] preach'd before the Sons of the Clergy,' 4to, London, 1726.
His only surviving son, William, who died at the age of eighty-eight on 20 March 1814, represented Oxford University during seven parliaments from 1768 till 1806, when he retired. He always gave his steady support to Wilberforce's measures for the abolition of the slave trade. His portrait by M. Brown is at Christ Church (Chester, Reg. of Westminster Abbey, pp. 52, 18 n.)
[Welch's Alumni Westmon. (1852), pp. 175, 215, 237, 238, 331; Wotton's Baronetage (Kimber and Johnson), iii. 10-11; Betham's Baronetage, iii. 136-7; Historical Register (Chronological Diary), v. 4, vi. 32, vii. 30, xvi. 34; Wood's Colleges and Halls (Gutch), Appendix, p. 292; Evan's Cat. of Engarved Portraits, i. 101; Addit. MSS. 24120, ff. 252-61, 29601, ff. 258, 259.]