Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Pulton, Andrew

by Thompson Cooper

PULTON or POULTON, ANDREW (1654–1710), jesuit, second son of Ferdinando Poulton, esq., of Desborough, Northamptonshire, and his wife, Mary Giffard of Blackladies, Staffordshire, was born in Northamptonshire in 1654. Ferdinando Pulton [q. v.] was probably his grand-uncle. He made his humanity studies in the college of the English jesuits at St. Omer, entered the Society of Jesus on 31 Oct. 1674, studied theology at Liège, and was professed of the four vows on 2 Feb. 1691–2. He and Father Edward Hall were the first two masters appointed to the new college which was opened by the English jesuits in the Savoy, Strand, London, at Whitsuntide 1687. Pulton gained a wide reputation in consequence of his conference on points of controversy with Dr. Thomas Tenison, incumbent of St. Martin-in-the-Fields, and afterwards archbishop of Canterbury [q. v.] It was held in Long Acre on 29 Sept. 1687 (Dodd, Church Hist. iii. 493). Upon the destruction of the college in the Savoy at the outbreak of the revolution, Pulton flew from London with the intention of crossing to France; but he, Obadiah Walker, and other fugitives were arrested near Canterbury on 11 Dec. 1688, and committed prisoners to the gaol at Feversham, whence they were afterwards removed in custody to London (Wood, Athenæ Oxon. ed. Bliss, iv. 440). Being released, he returned to Liège to complete his theological course. Afterwards he joined the court of James II at St. Germains. In 1690 he was socius to Father Warner, confessor to the king, and subsequently he was attached to the royal chapel. He also accompanied James II on his visit to Ireland in 1690, and served as an army chaplain or missioner there. He died at St. Germains on 5 Aug. 1710.

He was the author of:

1. ‘A true and full Account of a Conference held about Religion, between Dr. Tho. Tenison and A. Pulton, one of the Masters in the Savoy; published by authority,’ London, 1687, 4to. To this work the following singular advertisement is prefixed: ‘A. P., having been eighteen years out of his own Country, pretends not yet to any perfection of the English Expression or Orthography; wherefore for the future he will crave the favour of treating with the Dr. in Latine or Greek, since the Dr. finds fault with his English.’ On this Lord Macaulay remarks: ‘His orthography is indeed deplorable. In one of his letters “wright” is put for “write,” “wold” for “would.”’ In a contemporary satire, entitled ‘The Advice,’ is the following couplet:

       Send Pulton to be lashed at Busby's school,
       That he in print no longer play the fool.

   In the controversy which ensued Edward Meredith [q. v.], A. Cressener, a schoolmaster in Long Acre, and ‘Mr. H., a divine of the Church of England,’ took part.

2. ‘Remarks of A. Pulton, Master in the Savoy, upon Dr. Tho. Tenison's late Narrative,’ London, 1687, 4to.
3. ‘A full and clear Exposition of the Protestant Rule of Faith, with an excellent Dialogue, laying forth the large Extent of true, excellent Charity against the uncharitable Papists,’ 4to, pp. 20, sine loco aut anno [1687?] (Jones, Popery Tracts, ii. 321).
4. ‘Reflections upon the Author and Licenser of a scandalous Pamphlet, called The Missioners Arts discovered; with the Reply of A. Pulton to a Challenge made him in a Letter prefix'd to the said Pamphlet,’ London, 1688, 4to.

Pulton's account of the conversion in 1682 to the catholic faith of Charles, son of John Manners, first duke of Rutland, remains in manuscript in the Public Record Office, Brussels (Foley, Records, v. 87, 88 n.)

[De Backer's Bibl. de la Compagnie de Jésus, ii. 2134; Foley's Records, v. 301, vii. 618; Jones's Popery Tracts, p. 484; Oliver's Jesuit Collections, p. 174; Patrick's Autobiog. p. 215; Wood's Athenæ Oxon. (Bliss), iv. 654.]

T. C.