John Venn

“ As one of the prominent leaders of the evangelical revival in the church of England, he became widely known by his labours as a preacher, by his writings, and, in later years, by his large correspondence and his strong personal influence on many young men who used to visit him from Cambridge. ”

“ Gonvile died before his foundation could be carried out, and left his work in the hands of William Bateman, bishop of Norwich. It does not, of course, lie within the scope of this notice to trace the fortunes of the college, but it may be remarked that Bateman, besides changing the locality of the college from Freeschool Lane to its present site, made considerable alterations in the statutes, and conformed them more closely to those of his own foundation, Trinity Hall. ”

“ In 1754 he accepted the curacy of Clapham, where he commenced a lifelong friendship with John Thornton and others of his family [see under Thornton, Henry] . In 1759 he became vicar of Huddersfield. During the twelve years that he remained there he produced a profound impression by his piety and earnestness (see Life, pp. 38–47) . In 1771, being completely broken down in health by his exhausting labours, he accepted the small living of Yelling, Huntingdonshire, about twelve miles from Cambridge, which he held till his death. ”

“ GOOCH, Sir THOMAS, D.D. (1674–1754) , bishop of Ely, was the son of Thomas Gooch of Yarmouth, by Frances, daughter of Thomas Lone of Worlingham, Suffolk, where he was born 9 Jan. 1674. He entered Caius College, Cambridge, in 1691, and graduated B.A. in 1694, and M.A. in 1698. He was elected to a fellowship 9 July 1698, and seems to have resided and held various lectureships and college offices for some years. His first step of ecclesiastical promotion was his appointment as domestic chaplain to Henry Compton [q. v.] , bishop of London, whose funeral sermon he preached at St. Paul's (1713) . ”

“ VENN, RICHARD (1691–1740) , divine, born at Holbeton, Devonshire, on 7 Jan. 1690–1, was eldest and only surviving son of Dennis Venn, vicar of Holbeton, himself the third in a direct line of clerical ancestors who graduated from Exeter College, Oxford, and held livings in Devonshire. ”

“ In 1855 he married Miss Everest, daughter of the Rev. T. R. Everest, a niece of the distinguished Indian surveyor, Colonel Everest, with whom he lived in perfect domestic happiness, and by whom he had a family of five daughters. ”

“ BOOLE, GEORGE (1815–1864) , mathematician and logician, was born on 2 Nov. 1815, His father was a small tradesman in Lincoln, and besides his own direct help-which must have been of some value, for he was an ingenious man with a decided turn for mechanics and elementary mathematics -was only able to give his son such instruction as it national school in Lincoln, and subsequently a small commercial school, afforded. From the age of sixteen Boole was himself employed in teaching, first at a school in Lincoln and then at one in the neighbouring village of Waddington. ”

“ His remarkable gifts of organisation, discrimination of character, and sound and rapid judgment, made him for many years the leading spirit in the counsels of the society. When he first undertook the work there were 107 European and nine native clergy employed by the society. ”

“ He succeeded to the baronetcy at the death of his brother William, governor of Virginia, in 1751; ‘although the bishop was the elder brother (it being most probably thought of by him) , yet he was also put into the patent to succeed to the title in case the governor [i.e. his brother] should die without male issue’ (Cole) .
He was three times married: first to Mary, daughter of Dr. William Sherlock, dean of St. Paul's, afterwards bishop of Salisbury ”

“ He served as warden of his company in 1640–1, but was excused the mastership in 1648, being then in parliament. He belonged to the Artillery Company, and became ‘captain serjeant major’ in 1636, whence his early title of Captain Venn. He seems to have been always a substantial citizen, contrary to the royalist statements (Noble, Lives of the English Regicides; Universal Mag. December 1751) . ”

“ He returned to Cambridge in 1824, where he was actively engaged as a lecturer, and afterwards as a tutor. He was proctor in 1825, and for a short time evening lecturer at St. Mary's. In 1827 he was appointed by an old friend of his family, named Wilberforce, to the incumbency of Drypool, Hull. ”

“ In his military capacity he was vigorous and successful. While in command at Windsor he repelled, on 7 Nov. 1642, a sharp attack by Prince Rupert, who for a time succeeded in obtaining mastery of the town. ‘Colonel Venn behaved himself very bravely, to the wonder and amazement of the beholders’ (A Most famous Victory obtained by that valiant religious Gentleman, Colonel Venn, against Prince Robert ... London, 1642) . Another contemporary account says: ‘Colonel Venn's dragooners have done of late very good service. ”

“ The unanimous consent of the master and fellows was necessary before he could apply himself to any other faculty. That is, as Mr. Mullinger shows—from whom this statement is taken—Gonvile's first thought was for theology and the training of a learned priesthood. ”

“ He died on 28 June 1650 (Smith, Obituary) . Bate says that he was found dead in his bed in the morning, an account which is confirmed by his daughter's diary, and which probably gave rise to the royalist report that he committed suicide. ”

“ He appears to have resided pretty constantly in Cambridge after his return to Caius College, where he was made president (i.e. vice-master) in 1679. He died in college and was buried in the chapel, 3 Feb. 1704. He was a liberal benefactor; leaving 500l. ”

“ Of his sons, Edward graduated at St. John's, Cambridge, and became a physician at Ipswich; Richard was in business in London; and Henry [q. v.] is separately noticed. The daughter, Mary, married William James Gambier of Camberwell. ”