Thomas Sprat, Bishop of Rochester 1684-1713

David A. H. Cleggett provides a brief biography of Bishop Thomas Sprat, fellow and author of History of the Royal Society. Extract from The Friends of Rochester Cathedral Annual Report for 2002-2003. Thomas Sprat was installed as dean of Westminster on 21 September 1683. At this period, because the see was so poor, the deanery was usually held by the bishop of Rochester. On the translation of Francis Turner to the bishopric of Ely, Sprat was nominated as bishop of Rochester on 18 September 1684.¹ He was consecrated by archbishop William Sancroft in Lambeth palace chapel on 2 November² and enthroned by proxy on 27 November.³ Sprat had been born at Beaminster in Dorset in 1635 where his father, also named Thomas, was incumbent. According to a sermon he preached before the natives of Dorset on 5 December 1692 he had received the rudiments of an education "at the little school by the churchyard side"⁴ It could not have been that rudimentary as Thomas matriculated at Wadham college, Oxford on 12 November 1651. In the following year he was elected a scholar and graduated BA on 25 June 1654, proceeding to MA on 11 June 1657. On 3 July 1699 he became both BD and DD.⁵ Whilst he was at Wadham Sprat became friendly with Seth Ward (1617-89), later bishop of Exeter and Salisbury, Christopher Wren (1632-1723), and Ralph Bathhurst (1620-1704), afterward dean of Wells. The attraction of Wadham at this time was the tolerant mastership of Dr. John Wilkins (1614-72). Although a supporter of the parliament Dr. Wilkins was certainly not a persecutor and under his enlightened rule Sprat, and the others, who were interested in scientific study, met together frequently and out of their conversations emerged the Royal Society. For his tolerance Dr. Wilkins was, after the restoration of the Stuarts, rewarded with the see of Chester. Whilst at Wadham Sprat was a supporter of the Protectorate but at the Restoration he changed his views and was ordained on 10 March 1660/61. Through the good offices of his friend Abraham Cowley (1618-67), the poet, Sprat became chaplain to the second Duke of Buckingham. It was an appointment that opened the path of preferment to him. Sprat quickly became the holder of the prebend of Carlton-cum-Thurlby in Lincoln cathedral retaining his stall until 1669. On 27 September 1663, when Charles II visited Oxford, Sprat preached before the sovereign and two days later, when the king visited Wadham, Sprat, who held a fellowship at the college from 1657-70, made a speech of welcome. Sprat was elected a fellow of the Royal Society in 1663 and in 1667 he published his important History of the Royal Society which was republished on several occasions for the next century. Sprat was for a long time regarded as a man of letters, he published frequently, and a wit rather than a serious minded priest in the church of God. But this did not stop his advancement within the church. On the contrary it appeared to enhance it. He became a canon of Westminster on February 1668/69 and the Duke of Buckinghan presented him to the rectory of Uffington, Lincolnshire on 22 February 1669/70. All the while Sprat kept up his satirical writings. In the autumn of 1679 John Evelyn noted in his diary that he went to St. Paul's "to hear that great wit, Dr Sprat. His talent is a great memory, never making use of notes, a readiness of expression in a most pure and plain style of words, full of matter, easily delivered”.⁶ Sprat may have been a wit but he was also a bold champion of high-church doctrines and, even more importantly, the divine right of kings. Those opinions brought him to the notice of the court and on 14 January 1680/81 he was installed as a canon of Windsor. Once the deanery and bishopric came his way he did, at last, resign his other livings. Being a high Tory bishop Sprat was much in favour with James II & VII and drew up the form of praver of thanksgiving for the birth of lames Francis Edward in 1688. Sprat was of a pliant nature and although in the convention of 1689 he opposed the motion that James I had vacated the throne it did not stop the bishop/dean from taking a major part in the coronation service for William and Mary. In Sprat's time the bishop's residence was at Bromley, and here he pulled down the old chapel, a separate building, and constructed a new one consecrated on October 30, 1701. This continued in use until 1845 when bishop George Murray removed to Danbury. In 1692 Robert Young, a forger, then a prisoner in Newgate, endeavoured to curry favour with William IlI by discovering a pretended plot to restore lames II & VII. Young drew up a paper to which he appended the signature of three peers, archbishop Sancroft and bishop Sprat. The problem of what to do with the paper in order to implicate the signatories was solved by having an accomplice carry it to Bromley. As he was unable to gain access to the bishop's apartments the paper was placed in a flower pot stand in a room near to the kitchen. The privy council was then informed that if the bishop's palace at Bromley was searched a document plotting treason would be found. Bishop Sprat was arrested and conveyed to his deanery at Westminster and both the palace and the deanery searched. Nothing was found. Sprat and his so-called 'conspirators' protested their innocence. After being detained for ten days the bishop was allowed to return to Bromley. Meanwhile Young's accomplice had returned to the palace and retrieved the hidden paper which he returned to Young. Mrs Young carried the paper to the secretary of state. The 'conspirators' were then confronted and the truth was revealed. On 13 June 1692 the bishop was exonerated and thereafter to the end of his life held the date as 'a day of thanksgiving for his deliverance'. Bishop Sprat wrote a narrative of what became known as the Flower-pot Plot and Thomas Macualay said of it in aftertimes 'there are few better narratives in the language.’ During his years as dean of Westminster his friend Sir Christopher Wren carried out extensive repairs and other works including the installing of a marble altar-piece found in the stores at Hampton Court for which Queen Anne gave permission to be used. Thomas Sprat married at the Chaterhouse, Helen, eldest daughter of Devereaux Wolseley, of Ravenstone, Staffs. By her he had two sons. Thomas, the surviving son, was archdeacon of Rochester from 1704-20.⁷ Bishop Sprat died of an apoplectic fit in the palace at Bromley on 20 May 1713 and was buried in Westminster Abbey on May 25. Mrs Sprat died on 26 February 1725/6 and joined her husband and sons in Westminster Abbey. A monument to the family is in the south nave aisle near the west door.

Bishops of Rochester at Westminster

John Physick studies the careers of four bishops over the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries that also served as the Dean of Westminster.

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The bishop led an expansive life and enjoyed spending money. In consequence he did not die wealthy. A portrait of Sprat and the archdeacon by Michael Dahl is in the Bodleian Library. A copy of this portrait was made for Wadham College in 1825. A large portrait of Bishop Sprat hangs in the chapter room at Rochester.

David A. H. Cleggett

Reillustrated by Jacob Scott, Heritage Officer

Also see Barney Milligan’s subsequent study of Bishop Thomas Sprat featured in The Friends of Rochester Cathedral Report for 2005-2006:

Thomas Sprat, Bishop of Rochester 1684-1713

Barney Milligan of the Beaminster Society provides a further angle on Bishop Thomas Sprat.

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Footnotes

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1 Calendar of State Papers Domestic 1684-5 p.171

2 Reg. Sancroft F.98

3 DRC/Ac3 pp. 61v-62

4 DNB

5 Registrum Oxoniensis

6 Evelyn's Diary, 1850 edition volume II pp. 137-8

7 Sprat was installed on 6 December 1704 DRC/Arb.2F.116