William Assheton facts for kids

William Assheton (born 1641, died 1711) was an English cleric (a church leader) who wrote many books. He was also a pioneer in what we now call life insurance.

Who Was William Assheton?

William Assheton was born in 1641 in a place called Middleton, Lancashire. His father was the rector (the main priest) of the local church. His family was an old and respected one.

William went to a private school first. Then, on July 3, 1658, he started studying at Brasenose College at Oxford University. While there, he had a teacher who followed the presbyterian faith. He also attended religious meetings at the home of a woman named Elizabeth Hampton. In 1663, he earned his first university degree (a Bachelor of Arts, or B.A.) and became a fellow of his college. This meant he was a member of the teaching staff.

William's Church Career

After finishing his studies, William became a priest. He started preaching often. James Butler, 1st Duke of Ormonde, who was in charge of Oxford University, chose William to be his chaplain. A chaplain is a priest who works for a specific person or organization. William served as a chaplain in both England and Ireland.

In 1673, he earned a higher university degree, a Doctor of Divinity (D.D.). The next month, he received a special church position called a prebend in the church of York. His patron (the Duke of Ormonde) helped him get jobs as a priest at St. Antholin's in London and Beckenham, Kent. He settled in Beckenham in 1676.

Later Years and Legacy

A few years before he passed away, William was asked to become the head of his old college, Brasenose. However, he was too unwell to accept the job. He died in Beckenham in September 1711 and was buried in the church there.

William Assheton was known for being a very learned person. He supported the publishing of many important scholarly books. He also had a large library and gave away extra books to help priests in Wales and Scotland. He was fair with his parishioners (the people in his church) about church payments. He preached regularly and was a good host. Even though he tried to live peacefully, he wasn't afraid to correct people if he felt their actions were wrong.

It's said that he didn't get a fancy carriage until his wife's poor health made it necessary. He used to preach without notes, but one time, a woman in his audience fainted. The commotion made him lose his train of thought, so after that, he started writing down his sermons.

William's Writings

William Assheton wrote many books and pamphlets. He often put together ideas from other important writers rather than coming up with completely new ones himself. He wrote against people who disagreed with the Church of England and also created helpful religious guides for everyday people.

Here are some of the topics he wrote about:

• Being honest and avoiding pretending to be religious.
• Protecting the honor and income of church leaders.
• Dealing with difficult situations and unfair treatment.
• Supporting the king and queen.
• Warning people about false beliefs.
• Explaining why he supported the new King William and Queen Mary.
• Advising people against swearing, drunkenness, and other bad habits.
• Discussing the importance of last wills and testaments.
• Explaining the Christian belief in the Trinity.
• Giving advice for daily prayers.
• Helping people prepare for death.
• Talking about the possibility of ghosts (this was written after a famous made-up ghost story by Daniel Defoe).

Pioneering Life Insurance

William Assheton created a plan to help the widows (wives whose husbands had died) of priests and others. This was one of the first big attempts at what we now call life insurance in England.

He first offered his plan to a group called the Corporation of the Sons of the Clergy and then to the Bank of England, but they didn't accept it. Finally, the Mercers' Company adopted his idea in 1698.

However, the plan ran into problems because people didn't know enough about vital statistics (information about how long people live). The company set limits on how much people could pay in. For example, married men under 30 could pay up to £100. Those under 40 could pay up to £500, and those under 60 could pay up to £300.

The plan promised to pay widows a lot of money (30% of what their husbands had paid in). But the company soon realized they couldn't afford it. They had to lower the payments, and eventually, they couldn't pay at all. This caused a lot of hardship for the widows.

In 1747, the Mercers' Company asked the government for help. They owed a lot of money and couldn't meet their promises. The government gave them £3,000 a year, which helped them finally pay what they owed. This shows how difficult it was to create a fair insurance plan without good data on life expectancy.