Nicholas Lloyd, an eminent divine, and philological writer, was born in Flintshire in 1634. He received his education at Winchester School, and Wadham College, Oxford, where he obtained a fellowship. He was for some years rector of Newington Butts, near London, to which he had been appointed by the Bishop of Worcester, to whom he was chaplain. He died there in 1680. He published an excellent and highly esteemed “Historical and Geographical Dictionary,” in Latin, which has been the basis of many similar compilations.
William Lloyd, D.D., an eminent prelate, was the son of the Rev. Richard Lloyd, Rector of Tilehurst, Berks, who came from Henblas, in Anglesea, and was born at his father’s living in 1627. At the early age of eleven he was entered at Oriel College, Oxford, whence he removed to New College, and subsequently to Jesus College, where he became successively a scholar and fellow. Having taken orders in 1648, he was presented to the rectory of Bradfield, Berks, in 1654, which he afterwards resigned. He was appointed chaplain to Charles the Second, and prebendary of Salisbury, then rector of St. Mary’s, in Reading, and archdeacon of Merioneth; four years after, he was made dean of Bangor. After various other preferment, he was advanced to the bishopric of St. Asaph in 1680. He was one of the seven bishops who were committed to the Tower for subscribing and presenting a petition to King James, deprecating his assumed power of suspending the laws against popery. Bishop Lloyd having heartily concurred in the Revolution, was appointed lord almoner to King William, and in 1692 he was translated to Lichfield and Coventry, and thence in 1699 to Worcester. His writings, which relate to history and divinity are greatly prized, and are distinguished for the learning and acute judgment exhibited in them. He died in 1717.
William Lloyd, D.D., was a native of Wales, and was educated at St. John’s College, Cambridge, and graduated there. Having taken orders, he obtained various preferment, and in 1675 he was made bishop of Llandaff, from whence he was translated to Peterborough in 1679, and thence in 1685 to the see of Norwich, out of which he was ejected for not taking the oath to King William and Queen Mary. He retired to Hammersmith, near London, where he died in 1710.
Edward Llwyd, M.A., an eminent British antiquary and naturalist, was a native of Cardiganshire, where he was born about 1670. At the age of seventeen, he was entered at Jesus College, Oxford, where he graduated. He succeeded Dr. Plot, the keeper of the Ashmolean Museum, and applied himself with great diligence to the study of the language of the early Britons, and for that purpose he travelled in the countries where it still remained. After having visited Ireland, Scotland, Cornwall, and Bretagne, and making himself perfect in the various dialects, he published the results of his accurate observations in the “Archæologia Britannica,” which was the first volume of a series on a great plan, which he did not live to carry on; and his death taking place before the ample materials which he had provided were properly arranged for the press, the whole of his manuscripts were sold to Sir Thomas Sebright, but not before Jesus College and the University had refused to purchase them. They subsequently came to the possession of Colonel Johnes, of Havod, and were mostly burnt in the fire which nearly destroyed that gentleman’s mansion. He died in 1709. He was also author of “Lithophylacii Britannici Ichnographia,” and a catalogue of the manuscripts in the Ashmolean Museum, besides several papers published in the Philosophical Transactions.
Humfrey Lloyd, M.A., a learned antiquary and historian, was born in the town of Denbigh in 1527. He was entered a gentleman commoner of Brazen-nose College, Oxford, where he graduated in 1551, and studied medicine. He returned to his native place, where he practised his profession, and also represented it in parliament. He was highly esteemed by Camden, and the geographer Ortelius, to whom he addressed his “Commentarioli Britannicæ descriptionis fragmentum,” published at Cologne in 1572. He also translated Caradog of Llancarvan’s “History of Cambria,” which was edited by Dr. Powel, in 1584, quarto, and he was author of a letter “De Monâ Druidum Insulâ antiquitati suæ restitutâ.” He died in 1568.
Christopher Love, an eminent Presbyterian divine, was born at Caerdiff, in 1618. He was originally intended for trade, and was apprenticed in London; but his father was persuaded afterwards to give him an University education, and accordingly he was entered at New-Inn Hall, Oxford, where he proceeded in due order to his degrees of bachelor and master of arts, and entered the church. Upon his refusal to subscribe to the canons which were enjoined by Archbishop Laud, he was expelled the congregation of masters. Upon the establishment of the Presbyterian government, he was ordained to preach at St. Mary’s, Aldermanbury; and he was one of the commissioners appointed by parliament at the treaty of Uxbridge. He was one of the London ministers who signed a declaration against putting the King to death, and subsequently he took an active share in a conspiracy to place Charles the Second on the throne, which was detected by the vigilance of Cromwell; and Mr. Love was tried, and beheaded on Tower-hill in August, 1651.
Richard Lucas, D.D., an excellent divine, and classical scholar, was born at Presteign, Radnorshire, in 1648. He received an University education at Jesus College, Oxford, where he graduated. In 1683 he was elected by the parishioners to the lectureship of St. Olave’s, Southwark, and the vicarage of St. Stephen’s, Coleman-street. He obtained afterwards a stall in Westminster, which he held for nineteen years. His writings consist of sermons and various other theological works.
Francis Mansel was the third son of Sir Francis Mansel, of Muddlescomb, Caermarthenshire, where he was born in 1588. He was educated at Hereford School, and Jesus College, Oxford. He became a fellow of All Souls, and in 1620 he was elected principal of Jesus College. He was ejected from his office at the parliamentary visitation in 1648, and he retired to Wales, where he assisted the royal cause with his greatest exertions, and consequently exposed himself to the persecutions of the parliamentary party. He was a very great benefactor to his college, and considerably increased its revenues, and he obtained besides for it a valuable library. He died in May, 1665.
Henry Maurice, D.D., an eminently learned and talented divine, was born in 1648, at Llangristiolus, in Anglesea. He was sent to Jesus College, Oxford, in his sixteenth year, where his abilities and great merit recommended him to the notice of the principal, Sir Leoline Jenkins, who made him a scholar of the college, and afterwards fellow. When Sir Leoline was sent on an embassy to Cologne, he appointed Mr. Maurice to be his chaplain, in which station he gave the greatest satisfaction by his diligent attention to his duties; and on his return to England, he became acquainted with Dr. Lloyd, afterwards bishop of St. Asaph, who recommended him to Archbishop Sancroft, and he was appointed his chaplain, and soon after rector of Newington, and prebendary of Chichester. He published some treatises against popery; and in 1691 he was elected Lady Margaret’s professor of divinity in Oxford. He died suddenly in 1693, at Newington. It was observed when Dr. Maurice was appointed chaplain to the Archbishop, that several of the highest offices in church and state had been filled by Welshmen. Dr. Dolben was Archbishop of York, Dr. Lloyd Bishop of St. Asaph, Sir George Jefferies Lord Chancellor, Sir Leoline Jenkins Secretary of State, Sir Thomas Jones Lord Chief Justice, Sir John Trevor Master of the Rolls, and Sir William Williams Speaker of the House of Commons.
Thomas Maurice, the celebrated orientalist, was a member of a respectable Welsh family. On the death of his father, who had been a master in Christ’s Hospital for twenty-six years, Thomas, the eldest of six children, was admitted on the foundation there, but he was afterwards removed to various seminaries in the country for the benefit of his health; the last of which was the celebrated one of Dr. Parr’s, at Stanmore-hill. At the age of nineteen he was entered at St. John’s College, Oxford, whence he subsequently removed to University College, and here he commenced author at an early period, by publishing a translation of “Sophaclis Ædipus Tyrannus,” which gained him great credit; this was soon followed by some other pieces of verse and prose. On taking orders, he obtained the curacy of Woodford, in Essex, and afterwards he purchased a chaplaincy in the ninety-seventh regiment. In 1783 he commenced the arduous undertaking of his “History of India,” the various volumes of which appeared successively at different times—the last in 1804. He was presented by Earl Spencer to the vicarage of Wormleighton, in Warwickshire, in 1799; and the appointment of assistant librarian to the British Museum was also bestowed upon him; and in 1804 he was presented to the living of Cudham, Kent, by the Lord Chancellor. He died at his rooms in the Museum, March 30th, 1824. Besides his great works on India, he was the author of numerous poems, dissertations, and other miscellanies, all of which ranked him high as a literary character.