Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Waterhouse, Edward (1619-1670)
WATERHOUSE, EDWARD (1619–1670), heraldic and miscellaneous writer, born at Greenford, Middlesex, in 1619, was son of Francis Waterhouse of that place, by his wife Bridget, daughter of Morgan Powell (Gent. Mag. 1796, i. 460). Sir Edward Waterhouse [q. v.] was his grand-uncle. He was educated possibly at Cambridge, of which university he graduated LL.D. per literas regias in 1668, but in the time of the Commonwealth he resided for some years at Oxford in order to pursue his studies in the Bodleian Library. In 1660 he was lodging in Sion College, London.
Soon after the passing of the second charter of the Royal Society, Waterhouse, who is described by Wood as ‘a cock-brain'd man,’ was elected a fellow (Thomson, Hist. Royal Soc. App. p. xxiii). By the persuasion of Sheldon, archbishop of Canterbury, he took holy orders in 1668, and afterwards became ‘a fantastical preacher.’ He died on 30 May 1670 at his house at Mile End Green, and was interred on 2 June at Greenford, Middlesex, where he had an estate.
He married, first, Mary, daughter and heiress of Robert Smith, alias Carrington, by Magdalen, his wife, daughter of Robert Harvey, esq., comptroller of the custom house to James I; and, secondly, Elizabeth, daughter and coheiress of Richard Bateman of Hartington, Derbyshire, and London, by Christiana, daughter of William Stone of London. Waterhouse survived his second wife, who left him one son, Edward, and two daughters, Elizabeth and Bridget. The daughters alone survived him (Sphere of Gentry, ii. 67).
His works are:
- ‘A humble Apologie for Learning and Learned Men,’ London, 1653, 8vo.
- ‘Two Brief Meditations: i. Of Magnanimitie under Crosses; ii. Of Acquaintance with God. By E. W.,’ London (5 Dec.), 1653, 8vo.
- ‘A modest Discourse of the Piety, Charity, and Policy of Elder Times and Christians. Together with those their vertues paralleled by Christians, members of the Church of England,’ London, 1655, 8vo.
- ‘A Discours and Defense of Arms and Armory, Shewing the Nature and Uses of Arms and Honour in England, from the Camp, the Court, the City, under the two latter of which are contained Universities and Inns of Court,’ London, 1660, 8vo.
- ‘The Sphere of Gentry: deduced from the Principles of Nature. An Historical and Genealogical Work of Arms and Blazon, in four Books,’ London, 1661, fol. Sir William Dugdale informed Wood that this work was wholly composed by Waterhouse, though it was published under the name of Sylvanus Morgan [q. v.] Wood correctly describes it as ‘a rapsodical, indigested, and whimsical work,’ but it nevertheless contains much curious matter. In 1835 Thorpe, the London bookseller, sold a manuscript volume of heraldic collections by Waterhouse, entitled ‘The Sphere of Gentry,’ with arms in colours and in trick (Thorpe, Cat. of Ancient Manuscripts, 1835, No. 341).
- ‘Fortescutus Illustratus; or, a Commentary on Sir John Fortescue, lord chancellor to Henry VI, his book De Laudibus legum Angliæ,’ London, 1663, fol., with a fine portrait of Waterhouse by Loggan.
- ‘The Gentlemans Monitor: or a Sober Inspection into the Virtues, Vices, and ordinary means of the rise and decay of Men and Families. With the authors apology and application to the Nobles and Gentry of England, seasonable for these times,’ London, 1665, 8vo. A portrait by Hertochs is prefixed.
- ‘A Short Narrative of the late dreadful Fire in London: together with certain Considerations remarkable therein, and deducible therefrom’ (anon.), London, 1667, 8vo. With portrait by Hertochs.
He also contributed ‘Observations on the Life of Sir Edward Waterhouse’ to Lloyd's ‘State Worthies,’ 1670.
[Birch's Hist. of the Royal Soc. ii. 460; Burke's Landed Gentry (1855), p. 1288; Chalmers's Biogr. Dict.; Gent. Mag. 1792 ii. 781, 988, 1796 i. 366; Granger's Biogr. Hist. (1824), v. 274; Lowndes's Bibl. Man. (Bohn), p. 2852; Moule's Bibl. Herald. pp. 148, 168, 177; Nicolson's English Hist. Library (1776), pp. 15, 188; Wood's Fasti Oxon. (Bliss), ii. 163.]