Ralph Churton (1754 – 1831) was an English churchman and academic, archdeacon of St David's and a biographer.

Life

He was born on an estate called the Snabb, in the township of

Bickley Bickley is a district and a local government electoral ward in South East London, within the London Borough of Bromley. It is located 10.4 miles (16.7 km) south east of Charing Cross, bordering Elmstead to the north, Chislehurst to the n ...

and parish of Malpas, Cheshire, on 8 December 1754, being the younger of two sons of Thomas Churton and Sarah Clemson. He was educated in the grammar school of Malpas, and after the loss of both parents, who died while he was very young, he found a friend and benefactor in Dr.

Thomas Townson Thomas Townson (1715–1792) was an English churchman and writer, archdeacon of Richmond from 1781. Life Born at Much Lees, Essex, he was the eldest son of John Townson, rector of the parish, by his wife Lucretia, daughter of Edward Wiltshire, r ...

, rector of Malpas, who recommended that he should be entered at

Brasenose College, Oxford Brasenose College (BNC) is one of the Colleges of the University of Oxford, constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. It began as Brasenose Hall in the 13th century, before being founded as a college in 1509. The l ...

(1772), and who paid half of his expenses at the university. He graduated B.A. in 1775 and M.A. in 1778 and was elected a fellow of his college in that year. He was chosen

Bampton lecturer The Bampton Lectures at the University of Oxford, England, were founded by a bequest of John Bampton. They have taken place since 1780. They were a series of annual lectures; since the turn of the 20th century they have sometimes been biennial ...

in 1785 and appointed Whitehall preacher by Bishop

Beilby Porteus Beilby Porteus (or Porteous; 8 May 1731 – 13 May 1809), successively Bishop of Chester and of Bishop of London, London, was a Church of England reform movement, reformer and a leading Abolitionism#Great Britain, abolitionist in England. He w ...

in 1788. He was presented to the college rectory of

Middleton Cheney Middleton Cheney is a large village and Civil parishes in England, civil parish in West Northamptonshire, England. The village is about east of Banbury in Oxfordshire and about west-northwest of Brackley. The A422 road between Banbury and Bra ...

Northamptonshire Northamptonshire ( ; abbreviated Northants.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East Midlands of England. It is bordered by Leicestershire, Rutland and Lincolnshire to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshi ...

, in 1792; and collated to the archdeaconry of St David's, by Bishop Burgess, on 18 September 1805. He died at Middleton Cheney on 28 March 1831.

Works

Besides some detached sermons and lesser controversial works, he wrote: * ''Eight Sermons on the Prophecies respecting the Destruction of Jerusalem, preached before the university of Oxford in 1785, at the lecture founded by John Bampton''. Oxford, 1785. * ''A memoir of Thomas Townson, D.D., archdeacon of Richmond, and rector of

Malpas, Cheshire Malpas ( ) is a market town and a civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. It lies near the borders with Shropshire and Wales, and had a population of 1,673 at the 2011 U ...

'', prefixed to ''A Discourse on the Evangelical History from the Interment to the Ascension'' published after Dr. Townson's death by Dr. John Loveday, Oxford, 1793. * ''A Letter to the Bishop of Worcester'' r. Hurd ''occasioned by his strictures on Archbishop Secker and Bishop Lowth, in his Life of Bishop Warburton''. Oxford, 1796. * ''The Lives of

William Smyth William Smyth (or Smith) ( – 2 January 1514) was Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield from 1493 to 1496 and then Bishop of Lincoln until his death. He held political offices, the most important being Lord President of the Council of Wales and ...

, Bishop of Lincoln, and Sir Richard Sutton, knight, founders of Brazen Nose College''. Oxford, 1800. To this work a supplement was published in 1803. * ''The Life of

Alexander Nowell Alexander Nowell (13 February 1602), also known as Alexander Noel, was an Anglican priest and theologian who served as Dean of St Paul's during much of Elizabeth I's reign, and is now remembered for his catechisms, written in Latin. Early lif ...

, Dean of St. Paul's; chiefly compiled from registers, letters, and other authentic evidences''. Oxford, 1809. * "A memoir of Dr. Richard Chandler", prefixed to a new edition of his ''Travels in Asia Minor and Greece''. 2 vols. 1825.

Family

He married in 1796 Mary Calcot of Stene in Northamptonshire, and had eight children, of whom only four survived him. His second and third sons were the writers

Edward Churton Edward Churton (26 January 1800 – July 1874) was an English churchman and Spanish scholar. Life He was born on 26 January 1800 at Middleton Cheney, Northamptonshire, the second son of Ralph Churton, archdeacon of St David's. He was educated ...

(father of Rev. William Ralph Churton the younger 1837-1897), and Rev. William Ralph Churton the elder (1802-1828).

References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Churton, Ralph Archdeacons of St Davids Fellows of Brasenose College, Oxford English biographers 1754 births 1831 deaths 18th-century Anglican theologians 19th-century Anglican theologians