List of members of the Westminster Assembly explained

The members of the Westminster Assembly of Divines, sometimes known collectively as the Westminster Divines, are those clergymen who participated in the Assembly that drafted the Westminster Confession of Faith. The Long Parliament's initial ordinance creating the Westminster Assembly appointed 121 ministers of the Church of England to the Assembly, as well as providing for participation on the part of 30 lay assessors (10 nobles and 20 commoners), as well as six Commissioners representing the Church of Scotland. Of the original 121 divines, approximately 25 never took their seats in the Assembly. The Parliament subsequently added 21 additional ministers to the Assembly (the additions being known to history as the Superadded Divines) to replace those ministers who did not attend, or who had died or become ill since the calling of the Assembly.

Note: In the list below, members of the Assembly without dates beside their names are mainly Royalists who did not take their seats in the Assembly because King Charles I instructed all loyal subjects not to participate in the Westminster Assembly.

Divines

Dates of Participation!width="250"
NameTownCountyNotes
1643–1649 John Arrowsmith, D. D. (1602–1659) Master of St John's College, Cambridge from 1644
1643–1649 Simeon Ashe (d. 1662) Cardiganshire
1643–1649 Theodore Bathurst (c.1587–1651)[1] Overton WetsvilleHuntingdonshire
1643–1649 Thomas Baylie, B. D. (1581/2–1663) Wiltshire
1647–1649 Samuel Bolton (1605/6–1654) Middlesex
1644–1652 John Bond (1612–1676)Oxford University
1643–1644 Oliver Bowles,[2] B. D. (c.1577–1644)Sutton (near Biggleswade)Bedfordshire
1643–1649 William Bridge (1600/01–1671)YarmouthCumberland
Ralph Brownrigg, D. D. (1592–1659)Cambridge UniversityBishop of Exeter
Richard Buckley (c.1608–1653)Anglesey
1643–1649 Anthony Burges (d. 1664)Sutton ColdfieldWarwickshire
1643–1649 Cornelius Burges, D. D. (d. 1665)WatfordHertfordshire
1643–1646 Jeremiah Burroughs (bap. 1601?, d. 1646)Middlesex
1643–1652 Adoniram Byfield (d. 1660)non-voting scribe
1645–1649 Richard Byfield (bap. 1598, d. 1664)Surrey
1643–1649 Edward Calamy, B. D. (1600–1666)London
Richard Capel (1586–1656)Gloucestershire
1643–1645/6 John Carter (d. 1645/6)Yorkshire
1643–1652Thomas Carter (b. c.1585) Oxford
1643–1652William Carter (1605–1658)DyntonNorthumberland
1643–1652 Joseph Caryl (1602–1673)Londonof Lincoln's Inn
1643–1649 Thomas Case (bap. 1598, d. 1682)Cheshire
1643–1649 Daniel Cawdrey (1587/8–1664)Monmouthshire
1643–1649 Humphrey Chambers (bap. 1599?, d. 1662)Somerset
1643–1649 Francis Cheynell, D. D. (bap. 1608, d. 1665)PetworthPembrokeshire
1643–1649 Peter Clark(b. c.1606)Yorkshire
1643–1649 Richard Clayton (1597–1671)Leicestershire
Thomas Clendon (d. 1677)Carmarthenshire
Francis Coke (c.1600–1682)Staffordshire
1643–1646 Thomas Coleman (1597/8–1646)BlytonLincolnshire
1643–1652 John Conant, D. D. (1608–1694)Somerset
1645–1649 Edward Corbet (b. 1590/91)Westmorland
1643–1652 Edward Corbet (1601x3–1658)Shropshireof Merton College, Oxford
1643–1649 Robert Crosse, B. D. (1604/5–1683)of Lincoln College
1645–1649 Philippé Delmé (d. 1653)
Calybute Downing, D. D. (1606–1644)Middlesex
William Dunning (b. 1599) Godalston
1645–1652 John Dury (1596–1680)Middlesex
John Earle (1598x1601–1665) became Bishop of Worcester in 1662 and was translated to the See of Salisbury 10 months later
Edward Ellis, B. D. (b. c.1603, d. in or after 1650)GilsfieldMontgomeryshire
1643Daniel Featley, D. D. (1582–1645)Surreyof Lambeth
1645–1649 Thomas Ford (1598–1674)Bedfordshire
1643–1649 John Foxcraft (1595–1662)Nottinghamshire
1643–1649 Hannibal Gammon (bap. 1582, d. 1650/51)Maugan Cornwall
1643–1649 Thomas Gataker, B. D. (1574–1654)Carnarvonshire
1643–1649 John Gibbon (b. c.1587) Waltham
1643–1649 George Gibbs (c.1590–1654)Leicestershire
1643–1649 Samuel Gibson (b. c.1580)Rutland
1644–1649 William Good (b. 1600)
1643–1649 Thomas Goodwin, D. D. (1600–1680)Cambridgeshire
1643–1649 William Gouge, D. D. (1575–1653)Derbyshireof Blackfriars
1643–1649 Stanley Gower (bap. 1600?, d. 1660)Brampton BryanHerefordshire
1643–1649?John Greene (1641–1647)Herefordshire
1643–1649William Greenhill (1597/8–1671)Durham
John Hacket, D. D. (1592–1670)of St. Andrew's London; Bishop of Lichfield and Coventry from 1661
1643–1644 Henry Hall, B. D. (c.1604–1644)NorwichWestmorland
Henry Hammond, D. D. (1605–1660) Kent
1644–1649 Humphrey Hardwick (b. 1602)
John Harris, D. D. (1587/8–1658)MonmouthshireWarden of Winchester College
1643–1652 Robert Harris, B. D. (1580/81–1658)Oxfordshire
1643–1649 Charles Herle (1597/8–1659)WinwickLancashire
1643–1649 Richard Heyrick (1600–1667)Lancashire
1643–1649 Gaspar Hickes (1605–1677)Lawrick Cornwall
Samuel Hildersham (1594?–1674)Shropshire
1643–1649 Thomas Hill, B. D. (d. 1653)TickmarshNorthamptonshire
1643–1649 Thomas Hodges (c.1600–1672) Kensington
Richard Holdsworth, D. D. (1590–1649) of Cambridge
1643–1649 Joshua Hoyle, D. D. (bap. 1588, d. 1654)of Dublin, Ireland
Henry Hutton (d. 1671)Westmorland
1643–1648 John Jackson (1600–1648)Marsac Northumberland
1646–1652 Robert Johnston (d. 1670)Yorkshire
1643–1649 John Langley (d. 1657)West-TuderlyHampshire
William Launce (c.1588–1666) London
1643–1649 John Ley (1584–1662)BudworthCheshire
1643–1652 John Lightfoot, D. D. (1602–1675)Staffordshire
Richard Love, D. D. (1596–1661)Derbyshire
William Lyford (1597?–1653) Sherbourne
1643–1651 Jean de la Marche (1585–1651)Guernseyof the French Congregations
1643–1649 Stephen Marshall, B. D. (1594/5?–1655)Essex
1643–1649 John Maynard (1600–1665)Sussex
1643–1649 William Mew, B. D. (1602–1659)Gloucestershire
1643–1649 Thomas Micklethwaite (d. 1663) Cherryburton
William Moreton (d. 1643)Durham
George Morley, D. D. (1598?–1684)Monmouthshireof Minden Hall; later he became Bishop of Worcester, then Bishop of Winchester
1643–1649 Matthew Newcomen (d. 1669) Essex
William Nicholson, D. D. (1591–1672)Carmarthenshireafterwards Bishop of Gloucester
Henry Nye (1589–1643)Clapham Sussex
1643–1652 Philip Nye (bap. 1595, d. 1672)Huntingdonshire
1643–1644 Henry Painter (c.1583–1644) Devon
1643–1647 Herbert Palmer, B. D. (1601–1647)AshwellBedfordshire
Christopher Parsley, D. D. (b. c.1596)Flintshire
1643 Edward Peale (1583–1645)ComptonDorsetshire
1643–1649 Andrew Perne (c.1595–1654) Wilby Northamptonshire
1643–1649 John Philips (c.1585–1663)Suffolk
1643–1649 Benjamin Pickering (1620–1649)East HoatlySussex
1643–1649 Samuel de la Place (1576/7–1658)Jerseyof the French Congregations
1643–1649 William Price (d. 1666) of St. Paul's Covent Garden
1643–1649 Nicholas Prophet (c.1599–1669) Wiltshire
John Pyne (bap. 1600, d. 1678)Devon
1643–1644 William Rathbone (d. 1644)Monmouthshire
1643–1652 William Rayner (c.1595–1666)EghamBerkshire
1643–1649 Edward Reynolds (1599–1676)Bramptonbecame Bishop of Norwich at The Restoration (1660)
1643–1649 Henry Roborough (d. 1649)non-voting scribe
1643–1652 Arthur Sallaway (b. 1606)Worcestershire
Robert Sanderson, D. D. (1587–1663)Boothby-PagnellLincolnshire
1643–1649 Henry Scudder (d. 1652)Colingbourne Wiltshire
1643–1649 Lazarus Seaman, B. D. (d. 1675)London
1643–1649 Obadiah Sedgwick, B. D. (1599/1600–1658)Essex
Josias Shute, B. D. (bap. 1588, d. 1643)Cardiganshire
1643–1652 Sidrach Simpson (c.1600–1655)some sources say he was of London
1643–1649 Peter Smith, D. D. (1586–1653)also known as Brocket Smith
1643–1649 William Spurstowe, D. D. (d. 1666)HampdenMerioneth
1643–1649 Edmund Staunton, D. D. (1600–1671)Surrey
1643–1652 Peter Sterry (1613–1672) London
1643–1649 Matthias Stiles or Styles[3] (1591–1652)Oxford University, London
1644–1652 John Strickland (bap. 1601?, d. 1670)Cambridge University
1646–1649 William Strong (d. 1654)Dorset
1643–1649 Francis Taylor (1589–1656)Kent
1643–1649 Thomas Temple, B. D. (c.1601–1661)BatterseyBrecknockshire
1643–1649 Thomas Thorowgood (c.1595–1669)Massingham Norfolk
1643–1649 Christopher Tesdale (1592–1655)Uphurstbourne Hampshire
1643–1649 Henry Tozer, B. D. (c.1601–1650)of Oxford
1643–1649 Anthony Tuckney, D. D. (1599–1670)Lincolnshire
1643–1646 William Twisse, D. D. (1577/8–1646)NewburyProlocutor of the Assembly from its beginning until his death
James Ussher (1581–1656)Archbishop of Armagh
1643–1649 Thomas Valentine, B. D. (1586–1665)Buckinghamshire
1643–1649 Richard Vines (1599/1600–1656)Warwickshire
1643–1649 George Walker, B. D. (bap. 1582?, d. 1651)London
1643–1649 John Wallis (1616–1703)non-voting scribe; also a mathematician
1645 John Ward (d. 1665)
Samuel Ward, D. D. (1572–1643)Cambridge UniversityMaster of Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge
1643–1649 James Welby (1643–1649)Sylatten Denbighshire
1643 Thomas Westfield, D. D. (1573–1644) Bishop of Bristol
Francis Whiddon (c.1599–1656/7)MoretonhampsteadDevon
1643–1649 Jeremiah Whitaker (1599–1654)StrettonRutland
1643–1648 John White (1575–1648)DorchesterDorset
1643–1649 Henry Wilkinson the younger, B. D. (1610–1675) of St. Dunstan's
1643–1647 Henry Wilkinson the elder, B. D. (1566–1647)WaddesdenBuckinghamshire
1643–1649 Thomas Wilson (c.1601–1653)Otham Kent
1643–1647 John Wincop, D. D. (c.1602–1647)of St Martin-in-the-Fields
1643–1649 Francis Woodcock (1614–1649×51)Durham
1643–1649 Thomas Young (c.1587–1655)Suffolk

Lay Assessors

Nobles

Dates of Participation!width="350"
Name
1643–1649 William Cecil, 2nd Earl of Salisbury (1591–1668)
Edward Conway, 2nd Viscount Conway (bap. 1594, d. 1655)
1644–1646Robert Devereux, 3rd Earl of Essex (1591–1646)
Basil Feilding, 2nd Earl of Denbigh (c.1608–1675)
1643–1649 William Fiennes, 1st Viscount Saye and Sele (1582–1662)
William Grey, 1st Baron Grey of Werke (1593/4–1674)
1643–1649 Philip Herbert, 4th Earl of Pembroke (1584–1650)
1643–1649 Edward Howard, 1st Baron Howard of Escrick (d. 1675)
1643–1649 Edward Montagu, 2nd Earl of Manchester (1602–1671)
1643–1649 Algernon Percy, 10th Earl of Northumberland (1602–1668)
Henry Rich, 1st Earl of Holland (1591–1668)
c.1644–1649 Robert Rich, 2nd Earl of Warwick (1587–1658)
William Russell, 5th Earl of Bedford (1616–1700)
Oliver St John, 1st Earl of Bolingbroke (c.1584–1646)
1643–1649 Philip Wharton, 4th Baron Wharton (1613–1696)

Commoners

Dates of Participation!width="350"
NameNotes
1644 Sir Thomas Barrington (c.1585–1644)
1643–1647 John Clotworthy, 1st Viscount Massereene (d. 1665)
1643–1649John Cooke (bap. 1608, d. 1660) one of the regicides
1643–1649 Sir John Evelyn (1601–1685)
1643?–1649 Nathaniel Fiennes (1607/8–1669)
1643?–1649 Sir Gilbert Gerard (1587–1670)
1643?–1649 Sir John Glynne (1603–1666)
1644–1649 Sir Robert Harley (bap. 1579, d. 1656)
1643–1649 Arthur Haselrig (1601–1661)
1644–1649 William Masham (1615/16–1654/5)
1643?–1649 Sir John Maynard (1602–1690)
1643–1649 William Pierrepont (1607/8–1678)
1643–1649Edmond Prideaux (1601–1659)
1643–1649 Sir Robert Pye (bap. 1585, d. 1662)
1643 John Pym (1584–1643)
1644–1649 Sir Robert Reynolds (1600/01–1678)
1643–1649 Francis Rous (1580/81–1659)
1643–1649Sir Benjamin Rudyerd (1572–1658)
1643–1649 Oliver St John (c.1598–1673)
1643–1649 Humphrey Salwey (c.1575–1652)
1643–1649 John Selden (1584–1654)
1645 William Strode (bap. 1594, d. 1645)
1644?–1649Zouch Tate (1606–1650)
1643–1649 Sir Henry Vane the Younger (1613–1662)
1643–1649 Sir Henry Vane the Elder (1589–1655)
1643–1649 William Wheeler (c.1601–1666)
1643–1645 John White (1590–1645)
1643–1649Bulstrode Whitelocke (1605–1675)
John Wilde (1590–1669)
Walter Yonge (bap. 1579, d. 1649)

Scottish Commissioners

Ministers

Dates of Participation!width="350"
Name
1643–1647 Robert Baillie (1602–1662)
Robert Blair (1593–1666)
Robert Douglas (1594–1674)
1643–1647 George Gillespie (1613–1648)
1643–1645 Alexander Henderson (c.1583–1646)
1643–1647 Samuel Rutherford (c.1600–1661)

Elders

Dates of Participation!width="350"
Name
1646 Archibald Campbell, 1st Marquess of Argyll (1605x7–1661)
1644–1646 John Campbell, 1st Earl of Loudoun (1598–1662)
1644–1647 John Elphinstone, 2nd Lord Balmerino (d. 1649)
1645 Sir Charles Erskine of Alva (d. 1663)
1644–1646 Archibald Johnston, Lord Warriston (bap. 1611, d. 1663)
John Kennedy, 6th Earl of Cassilis (1601x7–1668)
1643–1648 John Maitland, Viscount Maitland (1616–1682)
Robert Meldrum (fl. 1620–1647)
1647 George Winram, Lord Liberton (d. 1650)

References

Notes and References

  1. The rector of Orton Waterville, which was then in Huntingdonshire, and now is part of Orton, Cambridgeshire in the Peterborough area, at the time was Theodore Bathurst, otherwise known for a Latin translation made c.1608 of Edmund Spenser's The Shepheardes Calender. The original parliamentary summons is, though, to Theophilus Bathurst, of Orton Watervile.http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=55828.
  2. author of De Pastore Evangelico Tractatus http://www.westminsterassembly.org/oliver-bowles-a-treatise-on-the-evangelical-pastor/.
  3. his church was St George Botolph Lane until 1645, when he was sequestered.