Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Lloyd, William (1637-1710)
LLOYD, WILLIAM (1637–1710), nonjuring bishop of Norwich, born at Bala, Merionethshire, in 1637, was son of Edward Lloyd, 'clerk' there. After spending two years at Ruthin school, he was admitted, on 23 Feb. 1654-5, sizar at St. John's College, Cambridge, graduated B.A. and M.A., and was in 1670 created D.D. by royal letters. For some time, shortly after taking his master's degree, he was chaplain to the English Merchants' Factory in Portugal, and vicar of Battersea, Surrey. He subsequently became chaplain to the lord treasurer, Clifford, and was prebendary of Caddington Minor in the church of St. Paul from 4 May 1672 to March 1676 (Le Neve). On 6 April 1675 he was elected bishop of Landaff, in succession to Francis Davies. He was transferred, 10 April 1679, to Peterborough, and on 11 June 1685 to Norwich. He desired to sign the petition for which the seven bishops were tried in 1688, but his letter conveying his request was accidentally delayed in the post. His assiduity in aiding the defendants in preparing their defence led to a threat that he should yet 'keep company with them' (Bohun, Autobiog., pp. 51-2). At the revolution Lloyd, although attending one meeting of the Convention parliament, did not come in to take the oaths by the date fixed. He subsequently absolutely declined to take them, but remained in the possession of his preferments until 1 Aug. 1690, when he was suspended from the performance of his ecclesiastical functions until 1 Feb. 1690-1, when he was formally deprived. In 1692 the deprived archbishop (Sancroft) formally delegated to Lloyd, as his proxy, the exercise of his archiepiscopal powers in all purely spiritual matters (see the 'Instrument' in Kettlewell, pp. 136-7). When a list of the non-juring clergy was taken over to James II at St. Germains, the exiled king directed Sancroft and Lloyd each to nominate one of the suspended clergymen for the episcopate. Lloyd nominated Wagstaffe as suffragan bishop of Ipswich, and performed the consecration 24 Feb. 1693 in a private house, being assisted by the deprived bishops of Peterborough and Ely (for a list of his consecrations see Blomefield, Norfolk, iii. 589). An intercepted letter from Lloyd to King Jamea is said to have been printed by order of King William as evidence of the favour in which James held the bishop.
Lloyd retired to Hammersmith, where he continued to exercise his episcopal functions till his death, 'though cautiously,' He died 1 Jan. 1709-10, outliving all the deprived bishops except Ken. He was buried in the belfry of Hammersmith parish church, in accordance with his own wish. He left a widow, Hannah, and a son John (B.A. 1694 and M.A. 1698, of St. John's College, Cambridge), who died in 1706, a fortnight after he married a daughter of Dr. Humphrey Humphreys [q. v.] (Hearne, Coll. ed, i. 226).
His death was followed by the return of Dodwell. Nelson, Brokesby and others to the national church, Ken having expressly declared his wish that 'the breach might now be closed by their union with the Bishops in possession of their sees' (Lathbury, p. 204).
Lloyd signed two published letters, one 'A Vindication of the [nonjuring] Bishops,' 1690, and another appealing to all Christian peoplle for assistance to the suffering nonjuring clergy, July 1695. Three of his letters, dated 1688, are printed in Gutch's 'Collectanea Curiosa,' and others dated 1689 in Kettlewell's 'Works,' appendix iii. His correspondence with Ken is noticed in Bowles's 'Life of Ken' and Cole's MSS. 59, 188-92 (cf. Hist. MSS. Comm. 1st Rep. p. 26, 3rd Rep. p. 273).
[Gutch'a Collectanea; Le Neve's Fasti; Lathbury's Nonjurors, passim; Hist. MSS. Comm. 11th Rep. vii. 114; Kettlewell's Works; Burnet's Hist. of his own Time; Wood's Athenae Oxon.; Mayor's Admissions to St. John's; Baker's Hist. of St. John's College, Cambridge, ed. Mayor, i. 270, ii. 579-80; Blomefield's Norfolk; Browne Willis's Survey of Llandaff; Bowles's Life of Ken : Nichols's Lit. Anecd.; D'Oyley's Life of Sancroft.)