Josiah Chorley (1652-1719) was an English

Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their na ...

minister.

Life

He was a great-grandson of Richard Chorley of Walton-le-Dale, near

Preston, Lancashire Preston () is a city on the north bank of the River Ribble in Lancashire, England. The city is the administrative centre of the county of Lancashire and the wider City of Preston, Lancashire, City of Preston local government district. Preston ...

,Munimenta Alme Universitatis Glasguensis. Records of the University of Glasgow, from its foundation till 1727 p.xxii
/ref> and second of six sons of Richard Chorley of Preston. His father's house was, as he noted, "the receptacle of persecuted ministers." After a preparatory education in several good grammar schools, he entered

Trinity College, Cambridge Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Founded in 1546 by King Henry VIII, Trinity is one of the largest Cambridge colleges, with the largest financial endowment of any college at either Cambridge or Oxford. ...

in 1669, but his residence there was not long, because of "the terms of conformity being strait." He then turned his thoughts to Scotland. His gave his account of his sojourn at the

University of Glasgow , image = UofG Coat of Arms.png , image_size = 150px , caption = Coat of arms Flag , latin_name = Universitas Glasguensis , motto = la, Via, Veritas, Vita , ...

in a little note-book, which he called ''"Chorleyana, or a Register commemorating some of the most remarkable passages of Clod's providence towards me from my nativity, by Josiah Chorley."'' The first part of this "Register" was written at Glasgow in 1671–2. He later received the degree of M.A. Chorley succeeded

John Collinges John Collinges (1623–1690) was an English Presbyterian theologian, and prolific writer. He lived and worked in Norwich for more than forty years where he played a major role in reviving and administering the City Library. He was one of the rep ...

as one of the ministers of the Presbyterian congregation at

Norwich Norwich () is a cathedral city and district of Norfolk, England, of which it is the county town. Norwich is by the River Wensum, about north-east of London, north of Ipswich and east of Peterborough. As the seat of the Episcopal see, See of ...

. The baptismal register of the congregation begins in September 1691 with an entry by Chorley. Chorley's ministry in Norwich was marked by his zeal in catechetical instruction, which gave rise to his very curious compendium of the Bible in verse. In January 1719 he was succeeded by John Brook from Yarmouth (afterwards of York, where he died in 1735). Chorley baptised a child of Brook's on 3 September 1719, and is believed to have died soon after. He is said to have bequeathed a large sum of money, to be divided between the Presbyterian minister and the poor at Preston, but nothing is now known of this endowment.

Works

Chorley published
A Metrical Index to the Bible
'' (1711). This aid to the memorising of the contents of chapters is dedicated ''Deo Trin-Uni O.M. Ecclesiæq; vere Catholicæ.'' At the end is ''A Poetical Meditation''. A second edition in 1714 was improved by suggestions from

Samuel Say Samuel Say (1676–1743) was an English dissenting minister. Life The second son of Gyles Say, an ejected minister, by his second wife, he was born in All Saints' parish, Southampton, on 23 March 1676. He was educated at schools in Southwick, Hamp ...

, then independent minister at Lowestoft.See Chorley's letter to Say, 11 December 1712, in ''The Say Papers,'' Monthly Repository, 1810 A reprint of the 2nd edition, with woodcuts designed by John Thurston, and notes by the printer, John Johnson, appeared in 1818. It incorrectly gave Chorley's name as Joseph.

Family

Chorley has been confused with his son (according to Browne, his nephew) Richard, who was educated in the academies of Frankland at Rathmell Academy (entered 3 April 1697) and

John Chorlton John Chorlton (1666, Salford – 16 May 1705, Manchester) was an English presbyterian minister and tutor. Life John Chorlton was born at Salford in 1666. On 4 April 1682 he was admitted to be educated for the ministry at Rathmell Academy under Ri ...

at Manchester (entered 16 March 1699), and ministered at

Filby Filby is a village and civil parish in the English of Norfolk. The village is located north-west of Great Yarmouth and east of Norwich, between Filby and Ormesby Little Broads. History Filby's name is of mixed Anglo-Saxon and Viking origin ...

near Yarmouth (till 1722) and

Framlingham Framlingham is a market town and civil parish in Suffolk, England. Of Anglo-Saxon origin, it appears in the 1086 Domesday Book. The parish had a population of 3,342 at the 2011 Census and an estimated 4,016 in 2019. Nearby villages include Earl ...

(till 1731). He afterwards lost his sight, and (about 1757) ceased to identify himself with dissent. His daughter, who lived in Norwich, was for a time insane.

References

Sources

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chorley, Josiah 1652 births 1719 deaths English Presbyterian ministers 17th-century Presbyterian ministers Clergy from Lancashire Alumni of the University of Glasgow People from Walton-le-Dale