John Eglington Bailey

“ For when prosecuting the earl of Somerset in the matter of the poisoning of Overbury, he urged it as an aggravation of the crime that the earl and Overbury “had cyphers and jargons for the king and queen and all the great men,—things seldom used but either by princes and their ambassadors and ministers, or by such as work or practise against or, at least, upon princes.” ”

“ ASHURST, HENRY (1614?–1680) , a wealthy and benevolent merchant of London, noted for his gifts of money to pious or charitable purposes, the founder of the family of Ashurst or Ashhurst of Waterstock, Oxfordshire, was descended from an old Lancashire family, seated at Ashurst, in the township of Dalton and parish of Wigan, distant five miles north-west of that town. His father, Henry, a justice of the peace, is described as a wise and pious gentleman, zealous for the reformed religion in a part of the country where Roman catholics abounded. ”

“ Olyver Carter.’ Herle, the warden of the college, complaining of the bitter antagonism of the Roman catholic population of the district, described in a letter to Lord Burghley, dated in April 1574, how ‘our preacher, who is a bachelor of divinity,’ was riding out on 14 March to one of the neighbouring chapels, when he was assaulted and wounded. Carter seems at first to have connived with Herle in making unfavourable grants of the college lands upon long leases and small rents, though soon after he resisted the spoliation. ”

“ The deciphering of them is one of the most difficult of tasks. A method of this kind is explained in the Latin and English lives of Dr John Barwick, whose correspondence with Hyde, afterwards earl of Clarendon, was carried on in cryptography. In a letter dated 20th February 1659/60, Hyde, alluding to the skill of his political opponents in deciphering, says that “nobody needs to fear them, if they write carefully in good cyphers.” In his next he allays his correspondent’s apprehensiveness as to the deciphering of their letters. ”

“ He has letters prefixed to some of the works of his friend Henry Newcome.
‘Ambrose,’ says Calamy, ‘was a man of that substantial worth, that eminent piety, and that exemplary life, both as a minister and a christian, that it is to be lamented the world should not have the benefit of particular memoirs of him.’ His character has been misrepresented by Wood. He was of a peaceful disposition; and though he put his name to the fierce ‘Harmonious Consent,’ he was not naturally a partisan. He evaded the political controversies of the time. ”

“ He was much given to secluding himself, retiring every May into the woods of Hoghton Tower and remaining there a month. Dr. Halley justly characterises him as the most meditative puritan of Lancashire. ”

“ To this kind of cipher-writing Buxtorf gives the name Athbash (from a the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet, and th the last; b the second from the beginning, and h the second from the end) . Another Jewish cabalism of like nature was called Albam; of which an example is in Isaiah vii. 6, where Tabeal is written for Remaliah. In its adaptation to English this method of transposition, of which there are many modifications, is comparatively easy to decipher. A rough key may be derived from an examination of the respective quantities of letters in a type-founder’s bill, or a printer’s “case.” ”

“ Dr. Calamy, grandson of his friend, describes Case as ‘one of a quick and warm spirit, an open plain-hearted man, a hearty lover of God, goodness, and all good men. He was a Scripture preacher, a great man in prayer, and one that brought home many souls to God.’ Baxter, who was buried near him, called him ‘an old faithful servant of God.’ There is an offensive sketch of him, based on Wood's account, in ‘The King Killers,’ 1719, 8vo, terming him an ‘impenitent covenanting saint’ (pt. ii. p. 31) . His head is on the plate prefixed to the volume of farewell sermons, 1662, 8vo. ”

“ By the influence of the Booth family, of the adjoining town of Salford, Case frequently preached with much acceptance at their newly erected chapel in that place, and he also preached in the other Manchester chapelries, whither he was followed by numbers of admirers. On 8 Aug. 1637 he was married at Stockport, Cheshire, to Anne, daughter of Oswald Mosley of Ancoats, Manchester, the widow of Robert Booth of Salford (brother of Humphrey Booth, the founder of the chapel) . ”

“ Philip Thicknesse (A Treatise on the Art of Decyphering and of Writing in Cypher) , 1772; William Blair (the writer of the comprehensive article “Cipher” in Rees’s Cyclopaedia) , 1819; and G. von Marten (Cours diplomatique) , 1801 (a fourth edition of which appeared in 1851) . Perhaps the best modern work on this subject is the Kryptographik of J. L. Klüber (Tübingen, 1809) , who was drawn into the investigation by inclination and official circumstances. In this work the different methods of cryptography are classified. ”

“ Carter dedicated his ‘Answer’ to his very good lord, Henry, earl of Derby, at whose houses in Lancashire in subsequent years he, with other prominent ministers, was a frequent guest or preacher. In 1581, during the wardenship of Bishop Chaderton [q. v.] , Carter was conferring with Lord Burghley about the surrender of the college leases granted in Herle's time. The bishop on 1 Sept. 1585 nominated ‘Mr. Carter, B.D., and preacher of Manchester,’ one of the moderators of the monthly assemblies, called ‘Prophesyings,’ to meet in each deanery. ”

“ Falling in with the spirit of the Manchester burghers he supported the parliamentary party by his money and zeal (November 1642) . His marriage introduced him to persons of influence. Jacomb disturbs a little the chronological sequence when he says that in a short while after coming to Manchester Case was presented to a place in the neighbouring county—i.e. Stockport—where he may have been acting first as curate. He became actual rector of that rich benefice on 31 July 1645, when the committee of plundered ministers presented him, with the usual injunction to preach diligently. ”

“ In the following month he, with Baxter and other prominent presbyterians, was admitted royal chaplain, though (as Baxter comments) they were never asked to preach. He was one of the members of the Savoy conference, and attended the meetings (April–July 1661) . In the autumn he was visiting his relatives at Manchester and preaching in the neighbourhood. Early in the following year he was writing letters from London to the Rev. Henry Newcome of Manchester, giving him ‘the sense of things,’ and he makes him the offer of the living of Bunbury, Cheshire. ”

“ The city churches were readily opened to him. First he was lecturer and then rector (in place of Mr. Jones, sequestrated) of St. Mary Magdalen, Milk Street, where, following a custom already established in Manchester, he began that seven o'clock 'morning exercise' long afterwards kept up 'to the benefit of multitudes.' Sir John Bramston refers in a characteristic passage (Autob, p. 92) to his appointment there. His sermons 'at Milk Street in London,' called 'God's Waiting to be Gracious,' were by the committee for printing ordered (27 June 1642) to be issued. ”

“ ADDY, WILLIAM (fl. 1685) , a writing-master in London, was the author of a system of shorthand published in 1685. The method, a modification of that of Jeremiah Rich, was so much practised that the Bible, the New Testament, and the Singing Psalms were published, according to its system, two years later. The 1695 edition of his work was entitled ‘Stenographia, or the Art of Short-Writing compleated in a far more compendious methode than any yet extant,’ 12mo. ”

“ Case was preaching against the proceedings of the parliament, and deeply implicating himself with the presbyterians in the London conspiracy for the restoration of the prince, known as Love's plot. On 10 May the privy council committed him close prisoner to the Tower under a charge of high treason, and his property was sequestrated. He was imprisoned for over six months, and his wife obtained permission to lodge with him. On 30 Sept. He and Heyrick (who had I also been concerned in the plot with other Lancashire ministers) were ordered to be brought to trial ”

“ Hence Wood described him as 'a person as well read in the fathers, commentators, and schoolmen, as any man of his age in the university.' The second portion of the book is in strict keeping with the style of composition in which he indulged; it is a discussion 'whether Humanitie, i.e. anything beside the words of scripture, be lawful quoad esse or quoad gradum at all, as some deny, or only against adversaries, as some hold, in sermons academical or popular.' It is not known when or where Askew died. Evelyn assured Wood that he did not die at Greenwich. ”

“ There were at least seven children of the first marriage, of whom Dorothy, Abraham, John, and Mary survived. Hollinworth says that the sons walked in the godly ways of their father. Abraham had property at Blackley, where the father frequently preached ”

“ ARCHER, Sir SYMON (1581–1662) , an industrious and learned antiquary, who laid the foundation of Dugdale's 'History of Warwickshire,' was born at Umberslade, near Tanworth, in that county, 21 Sept. 1581, being descended from an old family of that name seated there in the time of Henry III. His life was uneventful. ”

“ ASSHETON, NICHOLAS (1590–1625) , a country squire who lived at Downham, near Clitheroe, Lancashire, is noteworthy on account of a brief diary which he left illustrating the character of the country life of that part of West Lancashire which is associated with the poet Spenser. He belonged to a branch of the Assheton family of Middleton, in the same county, and was the son of Richard Assheton, of Downham. He probably had his education at Clitheroe grammar school; he married Frances, daughter of Richard Greenacres, of Worston, near Downham; and he died 16 April 1625, leaving issue. ”

“ Hunter has called attention to his recommendation of diaries as a means of advancing personal piety, and has remarked, in reference to the fragments from Ambrose's diary quoted in the ‘Media,’ that ‘with such passages before us we cannot but lament that the carelessness of later times should have suffered such a curious and valuable document to perish ”

“ ANGELL, JOHN (fl. 1758) , a professional shorthand writer, of Dublin, and professor of the art there, published in 1758 ‘Stenography, or Shorthand Improved; being the most compendious, lineal, and easy method hitherto extant. ... ”

“ During the Commonwealth he published many sermons upon public and private occasions, the best list of which is given in Wood. A letter in Thurloe's ‘State Papers’ (vi. 20) , dated Westminster, 27 Jan. 1656–7, about a supply of ministers to Ireland, refers to Case: ‘A worthy person, of great learning, and an excellent preacher, having received letters from a son-in-law of his [Robert Booth, esq., a puisne judge in Ireland in 1660, and afterwards lord chief justice of the common pleas in that island] , who has relation to Ld. ... ”

“ After a distinguished career at college he was ejected from his fellowship for nonconformity in 1662, and he spent the remainder of his life as chaplain in private families. He died on 11 Dec. 1670. His learning, piety, good-humour, and diligence are celebrated by Calamy. ”

“ There his style of preaching amidst a multitude of preachers attracted notice, and he soon acquired fame. The first of his published discourses, two in number, were delivered at Westminster 'before sundry of the House of Commons,' and issued by authority in 1641. A very severe and bitter spirit characterised them. ”

“ He became a successful merchant, entered the common council, and, though ejected in 1662, subsequently became an alderman. In 1667 he was living at Lauderdale House, but at the time of his death, which occurred in November 1680, he is called of Hackney. ”