Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Seed, Jeremiah
SEED, JEREMIAH (1700–1747), divine, born in 1700, was son of Jeremiah Seed, who graduated B.A. from Jesus College, Cambridge, in 1682, and was rector of Clifton, Westmoreland, from 1707 until his death in 1722 (Grad. Cant. p. 346; Nicolson and Burn, Hist. of Cumb. and West. i. 414). He was educated at Lowther grammar school, and matriculated on 7 Nov. 1716 at Queen's College, Oxford, proceeding B.A. on 13 Feb. 1721–2, and M.A. 1725 (Foster, Alumni, 1715–1886, iv. 1271). He was chosen a fellow in 1732, and became for some years curate to Dr. Waterland, vicar of Twickenham, whose funeral sermon he preached on 4 Jan. 1741 (2nd edit. London, 1742). Seed was presented by his college in the same year to the rectory of Knight's Enham, Hampshire, where he remained until his death on 10 Dec. 1747.
Seed was much admired as a preacher. Dr. Johnson remarked that he had ‘a very fine style,’ but ‘he was not very theological.’ Others deemed his preaching ‘elegant but languid.’ Two sermons were published during his lifetime; others posthumously as ‘Discourses’ (London, 1743, 8vo; 6th, 1766). ‘The Posthumous Works,’ consisting of sermons, essays, and letters ‘from the original manuscripts,’ was edited by Joseph Hall, M.A., fellow of Queen's College, London, and was printed for M. Seed (?his widow), 1750, 2 vols., with a portrait by Hayman, engraved by Ravenet. Other editions appeared, 2 vols., Dublin, 1750; London, 1770, 8vo, 1 vol.; and the work is said to have been translated into Russian.
[Chalmers's Biogr. Dict.; Rose's Biogr. Dict.; Darling's Cyclop. Bibliogr. ii. 2688–9; Gent. Mag. 1747, p. 592; London Mag. xvi. 581; Lysons's Environs of London, iii. 586; Boswell's Johnson, ed. Hill, iii. 248.]