Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Paske, Thomas
PASKE, THOMAS, D.D. (d. 1662), royalist divine, was perhaps son of William Paske, vicar of Hendon, Middlesex, and may have been born there, but the registers do not begin until 1653. William Paske left Hendon for the living of Ashdon, Essex, in 1611. He also held the prebend of Oxgate in St. Paul's, London, and died before 15 Feb. 1639-40. Thomas was a scholar of Clare Hall, Cambridge, and fellow between Christmas 1603 and 1612. He graduated B.A. in 1606, B.D. in 1613. He succeeded William in the vicarage of Hendon on 9 Sept. 1611, and became chaplain to James, marquis of Hamilton. On 21 Dec. 1621 he was elected master of Clare Hall, and was incorporated D.D. in 1621. In 1625 he succeeded Theophilus Aylmer (d. 1625) both as archdeacon of London, and in the living of Much or Great Hadham, Hertfordshire, to which Little Hadham was then attached (cf. Cal. State Papers, Dom. 1640, p. 580). He was also vicar of St. Mary Magdalen, Bermondsey. Paske was presented to the prebend of Ulleskelf in York Cathedral on 10 Nov. 1628, and to a stall at Canterbury about 15 Dec. 1636 (cf. ib. 1636-7, p. 230). He took up his residence at Canterbury, and the fellows of Clare consequently petitioned for and obtained from Charles I, some time before 2 Sept. 1640, permission to elect a successor (ib. 1640-1, p. 6); but it appears that no appointment was made until 1645, when Dr. Ralph Cudworth [q. v.] was put in by the parliament. Paske was also subdean of Canterbury, and on 30 Aug. 1642 complained to Henry, earl of Holland, of the ruthless treatment of the cathedral by troopers of Colonel Sandys's regiment. In the absence of the dean, he had been ordered by the parliamentary commander, Sir Michael Lindsey, to deliver up the keys (Barwick, Angliæ Ruina, p. 205). His communication to Lord Holland was published as 'The Copy of a Letter sent to an Honourable Lord, by Dr. Paske, Subdeane of Canterbury,' London, 9 Sept. 1642. Paske, after being deprived of all his benefices, 'suffered cheerfully for his majesty and his son for eighteen years ' (Lloyd, Memoires, p. 504). At the Restoration he was reinstated in the rectory of Hadham, in his two prebends, and in the mastership of Clare Hall, but surrendered his right of restitution to the latter in favour of his son-in-law, Dr. Theophilus Dillingham (1612-1678) [q. v.], who succeeded Ralph Cudworth in 1664. Paske also resigned the York prebend in favour of Dillingham in 1661. On 24 June 1661 he attended in the lower house of convocation (Kennett, Register, p. 480), but in December, probably from illness, he subscribed by proxy. He died before September 1662.
Paske, whose name is sometimes spelt Passhe, Pashe, or Pasque, is spoken of as eminent in learning, judgment, and piety, of such modesty as to refuse a bishopric, and to have unwillingly accepted his other preferments. Lloyd says he would rather 'gain his neighbours by spending all his tythe in Hospitality than lose one by laying it all in his purse.' His ability was great as a teacher. Three bishops, four privy councillors, two judges, and three doctors of physic, all old pupils, visited him in one day (Lloyd, Memoires, p. 504). His wife Anne apparently held property at Hadham, where she was living, with four children, at the time of her husband's ejectment.
Thomas Paske of Hadham, apparently a grandson, was admitted to Clare Hall on 1 July 1692, was fellow and LL.D. of Clare, and represented the university of Cambridge in parliament from 1713 until his death in 1720.
[Carter's Hist.of the Univ. of Cambr., pp 53, 56, 57, 59, 412; Barwick's Queraela Cantabr. 1647, p. 7, [34]; Fuller's Hist. of the Univ. Cambr. ed. Prickett and Wright, p. 85; Walker's Sufferings, pt. ii. p. 14; Clutterbuck's Hist. of Hertfordshire, ii. 402; Cussans's Hist. of Hertfordshire, i. 183; Kennett's Register, pp. 204, 222. 584, 615, 754, 769, 777, 792, 793; Le Neve's Fasti, i. 52, ii. 324, 422, iii. 220, 606, 671; Newcourt's Repert. Eccles. i. 63; Cal. State Papers Dom. 1027-8 p. 304, 1661-2 pp. 325, 394, 473, indexed as Dr. Isaac Paske. Information from the master of Clare College, and from the University Registrar of Cambridge.]