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Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Ollyffe, John

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1434157Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900, Volume 42 — Ollyffe, John1895Charlotte Fell Smith

OLLYFFE, JOHN (1647–1717), divine, son of John Ollyffe of Arundel, Sussex, was born there in 1647. After spending three years at Cambridge he removed to Oxford, and matriculated at Queen's College on 7 Feb. 1667–8. In 1672 he proceeded B.C.L. from New Inn Hall, and took holy orders. He was instituted, in 1673, rector of West Almer, Dorset, where he remained twenty years. In 1693 he was preferred to the rectory of Dunton, Buckinghamshire, where he remained until his death on 24 June 1717.

Ollyffe had three sons: John (b. 1676), rector of Hedgerley, Buckinghamshire, 1699–1743; George (b. 1682), vicar of Kemble 1707, and of Wendover 1715; and Thomas, vicar of Dunton and Eyworth, Bedfordshire, 1712–42, and rector of Denham, Buckinghamshire, 1742–8.

Ollyffe published, besides separate sermons: 1. ‘A Brief Defence of Infant-Baptism: with an Appendix, wherein is shewed that it is not necessary that Baptism should be administred by Dipping,’ London, 1694. 2. ‘The Blessedness of Good men after Death: a Sermon Preach'd at the Funeral of the Revd. Mr. Henry Cornish, B.D. … with a Preface to Rectifie some Misrepresentations, &c., in a late Pamphlet entitled “Some Remarks on the Life, Death, and Burial of the said Mr. Cornish,”’ London, 1699. 3. ‘An Essay towards a Comprehension, or a Persuasive to Unity amongst Protestants. Humbly offered to the Consideration of the two Houses of Parliament, and especially to the Most Reverend the Archbishops, the Right Reverend the Bishops, and the rest of the Clergy assembled in Convocation,’ London, 1701. 4. ‘A Defence of Ministerial Conformity to the Church of England: in answer to the Misrepresentations of the terms thereof by Mr. Calamy, in the Tenth Chapter of his Abridgement of the “History of Mr. Baxter's Life and Times,”’ London, 1792. This was replied to by ‘J. A.’ in ‘A Letter to the Reverend Mr. John Ollyffe touching the Declaration of Assent and Consent to the Liturgy and the Imposition of certain things scrupled therein,’ London, 1703, and by Edmund Calamy the younger in ‘A Defence of Moderate Non-Conformity,’ 3 pts. London, 1703–5. The third part contains ‘an Index of some Peculiarities in Mr. Ollyffe's manner of writing in this controversie.’ Ollyffe replied with (5) ‘A Second Defence of Ministerial Conformity to the Church of England,’ London, 1705; and again with (6) ‘A Third Defence of Ministerial Conformity to the Church of England,’ London, 1706. 7. ‘A Practical Exposition of the Church Catechism,’ 2 vols. London, 1710.

[Foster's Alumni Oxon. 1500–1714; Hutchins's Hist. of Dorset, iii. 496; Wood's Athenæ Oxon. ed. Bliss, iv. 533; Kennet's Register, 837; Wilson's Dissenting Churches, i. 380, iv. 75; Register of Arundel, per the Rev. J. E. G. Farmer; Rawlinson MS. B. lxxx.]