Henry Wilkinson (1610–1675) facts for kids

Henry Wilkinson (1610–1675) was an important English church leader during a time of big changes in England. He was a Nonconformist preacher, meaning he didn't agree with all the rules of the main Church of England. For a while, he was a professor at Christ Church, Oxford, and also part of a special group called the Westminster Assembly that worked on church rules.

A Young Student and Preacher

Henry Wilkinson was born in 1610. When he was 12, he started studying at Magdalen Hall, Oxford. He earned his first degree in 1626 and continued his studies. He became a minister and preached in and around Oxford.

In 1640, Henry gave a sermon at St. Mary's church. In this sermon, he criticized some of the church's traditions. Because of this, he was stopped from teaching and performing his duties as a minister at the university. He appealed to the Long parliament, which was the government at the time. In December 1640, the parliament's committee for religion decided he was right. They allowed him to return to his duties and even asked for his sermon to be printed.

Moving to London and Oxford

After this, Wilkinson moved to London. He became a minister at St. Faith's under St. Paul's. He was also chosen to be a member of the Westminster Assembly. This was a group of important church leaders who met to discuss and reform the Church of England. In 1645, he became the rector (head minister) of St. Dunstan's-in-the-East church.

In 1646, the parliament sent him to Oxford. There, he became a senior fellow at Magdalen College. He was also chosen as a special visitor from parliament to check on the university. In 1648, he became a canon (a type of priest) at Christ Church. He earned his highest degree, a Doctor of Divinity (D.D.), in 1649.

Professor and Preacher

In 1652, Henry Wilkinson was chosen as the Lady Margaret Professor of Divinity. This was a very important teaching job at Oxford University. He held this position until 1662. In 1654, he helped a group that was checking on ministers in Oxfordshire. He was known in Oxford as 'Long Harry' or 'senior' to tell him apart from another person named Henry Wilkinson (1616–1690).

After the king returned to power in 1660 (this was called the Restoration), Henry Wilkinson was removed from his teaching job. He then left Oxford. He continued to preach in London, first at All Hallows, Lombard Street, and later in Clapham.

Later Life and Legacy

In 1665, a meeting where he was preaching was broken up in Camberwell. About sixty people were there. Later, in 1672, the government allowed some religious freedom. Henry got a license for his house or the schoolhouse in Clapham to be a Presbyterian meeting place.

He was a well-known preacher around London. When he passed away on June 5, 1675, many hundreds of people attended his funeral. His body was taken to Drapers' Hall and then buried at St. Dunstan's Church. Some of his sermons were published in books like Morning Exercise and Supplement.

Family Life

Henry Wilkinson was born in Waddesdon, Buckinghamshire, on March 4, 1610. His father was also named Henry Wilkinson (1566–1647). His father was also a minister and a fellow at Merton College, Oxford. He was the rector of Waddesdon from 1601 until his death. Henry's father also wrote books, including A Catechism.

Henry Wilkinson married a woman known as 'Lady Carr'. In his will, he mentioned that he had one son and two daughters.