Protestant Exiles from France/Book First - Chapter 7 - Section I
I. Refugees enrolled at Oxford.
1648-9. March 8. Abraham Huard, alias Lompré, sometime of the University of Caen, in Normandy, was created Doctor of Physic by virtue of the Chancellor’s [Earl of Pembroke’s] letters, which say that “his affections to the cause of the parliament have exposed him to sufferings. . . . He is a Protestant of France, and his quality and sufferings have been made known to me by persons of honour, gentlemen of quality, and physicians of this kingdom, as also by one Mr. John Despaigne, one of the French Ministers of London, &c.”
1655. Dec. 13. Lodovic de Lambermont, of Sedan, a young man of great hopes and learning, son of John Lambermont of the same place, and Doctor of Physic of the University of Valence. His diploma for the taking of that degree at Valence bears date 8th March 1651. Under the name of Lambermontius is extant Anthologia Graec. Lat. Lond. 1654. Query if by him?
1656-7. March 10. The most famous and learned Theophilus de Garencieres, of Paris, who had been made Doctor of Physic at Caen in Normandy, on 27th October 1634, was incorporated here in the same degree, not only upon sight of his testimonial letters (which abundantly speak his worth), subscribed by the King of France’s Ambassador in England (to whom he was domestic physician), but upon sufficient knowledge had of his great merits, his late relinquishing the Roman Church, and zeal for that of the Reformed. On the 23rd of the same month he was admitted a candidate of the [Royal] College of Physicians of London. His published writings were — (1) “Angliae Flagellum, seu Tabes Angliae.” Lond. 1647 [a medical book on the Plague]. (2) The admirable virtues and wonderful effects of the true and genuine Tincture of Coral in Physic, grounded by reason, established by experience, and confirmed by authentical authors in all ages. Lond., 1676. He also translated into English “The true prophecies or prognostications of Michael Nostradamus, Physician to K. Henry II., Fran. II., and Cha. IX., Kings of Fiance, &c.” Lond., 1672, folio. He died poor, and in an obscure condition, in Covent Garden, within the Liberty of Westminster, occasioned by the unworthy dealings of a certain knight, which, in a manner, broke his heart.[1] It appears that the Pasteur D’Espagne was instrumental in his conversion to Protestant faith. That he left a son and heir to continue his name may be conjectured from the title-page of a volume that now lies before me: “General Instructions, Divine, Moral, Historical, Figurative, &c, shewing the Progress of Religion from the Creation to this time, and to the End of the World, and tending to confirm the Truth of the Christian Religion. By Theophilus Garencieres, Vicar of Scarbrough, and Chaplain to his Grace Peregrine, Duke of Ancaster.” York, 1728. He was probably the founder of a Yorkshire family, for the York Courant of 13th January 1767 has the following announcement: “On Wednesday last was married, at St. James’, Westminster, Mr Garencieres, jun., an eminent apothecary of this city [York], to Miss Wade, eldest daughter of the late Wade, Esq., of Greville Street, Hatton Garden, an amiable and accomplished young lady with a handsome fortune.”
Perhaps the younger Theophilus was a grandson of the learned physician and a son of Dudley Garencieres, or he may have been Dudley’s younger brother. In either case we chronicle (on the authority of Alumni Westmonasterienses) the name and career of the latter. He was enrolled in Westminster School in 1667, from whence he was elected to Cambridge in 1669. He became B.A. of that University in 1672 and M.A. in 1676. He settled in Cheshire as Rev. Dudley Garencières, rector of Handley, on 26th May 1684, to which preferment was added the rectory of Waverton in the same county in 1696. He was a minor canon of Chester Cathedral, and on 3rd November 1696 he was installed as a Prebendary; “he is said to have been the only minor canon of Chester who was ever raised to a prebendal stall in that cathedral.” The Rev. Prebendary Garencieres died in April 1702, and was buried within his cathedral.
1656. April 10. Peter Vasson was created Bachelor of Physic by virtue of the Chancellor’s (Oliver Cromwell’s) letters, dated 25th March, which say that he, the said Chancellor, had received very good satisfaction from several hands touching Mr Vasson, as to his suffering for his religion in his own nation, his service in the late wars to the Commonwealth, his skill in the faculty he professeth, and success (through the blessing of God) in the practice of it, together with the unblameableness of his conversation,” &c. [In 1659 Peter Vasson or Vashon became M.D.]
To these may be added the incorporation on 17th November 1662 (temp. Chas. II.) of Peter Richier of Maremne in Saintonge, who had taken the degree of Doctor of Physic in Bordeaux in 1634. [Was he the father of Isaac Richier, who was made Lieutenant-Governor and Commander-in-Chief of the Bermudas in October 1689?]
The cotemporary Huguenot theologians, incorporated at Oxford, are the following:—
1656-7. Jan. 29. Abraham Conyard, of Rouen, in Normandy, who had studied divinity several years in academies in France and Switzerland, was created Bachelor of Divinity by the decree of the members of Convocation, who were well satisfied with his letters-testimonial under the hands of the pastors of the Reformed Church of Rouen, written in his behalf.
1670. Dec. 20. Louis Herault (called by Anthony a Wood “Lew, Herald, Pastor of the French Church at London”). His father was Didier Herault (born about 1579, died 1649), Professor of Greek in the College of Sedan, and latterly advocate in the parliament of Paris, who had two sons — Isaac (godson of Isaac Casaubon, baptized at Charenton, 20th December 1609), and Louis.
Louis Herault was a distinguished student of theology at Sedan, and became pasteur of Alençon, where, in 1631, he obtained celebrity by a long controversy with a capuchin. He came to London in 1643, as successor to Dr. Primerose in the pastorate of the French Church. He outstripped his predecessor in devotion to Charles I. Dr. Primerose, in 1626, had predicted a happy and beneficent reign for “our majesticall, heroicall, and religious king,” “so long as his royall eares shall hang at the wise tongs of moderate and godly senatours.” But Pasteur Herault was loud in his defence when his schemes were immoderate and unscrupulous, and seemed to commit his congregation, whose wisdom it was to be neutral in politics, to the slavish dogmas of the anti-parliamentary faction. He seems to have thundered on the king’s behalf, and against the Parliament in the Threadneedle Street pulpit. And consequently, after the king’s death, he did not dare to remain in London or in England, but escaped to France; and there, in the same year (1649), he printed his sermons, twelve in number, and entitled, “Le pacifique royal en deuil” [the pacific royalist in mourning]. This volume was published at Saumur; but he seems to have officiated in his old church in Alençon, where, on the restoration of Charles II., he preached twenty sermons, which were published with the title, “Le pacifique royal en joye;” these were printed at Amsterdam in 1665. The new turn of the wheel both brought him back to Threadneedle Street, and also thrust out Pasteur Stouppe (see my Historical Introduction). Herault, Felles, and David Primerose were, at or about this date, associated as collegiate pastors. Whether Herault was immediately reinstated, I do not know. It was not till 1670 that his loyalty was acknowledged at Oxford by the bestowal of the degree of D.D. upon Ludovicus Heraldus. In 1671 (August 15), he was presented to a canonry in the ninth prebend in Canterbury Cathedral. This led to his taking up his residence in the city of Canterbury, where he died in 1682. He appears in the Cathedral register of burials as “Dr. Herault,” under the date of 5th November 1682.
- ↑ Wood’s Athena Oxenienses; Munk’s “Roll of the Royal College of Physicians of London,” vol. i.