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116 The Autobiography of Archbishop Thomas Seeker
Scotch Episcopal Ministers: Seeker's speech, a carefully written full
text, is found in L.P.L. MS 1349, fols. 159-66, with a pencil note
indicating 32 "not contents" (including 20 bishops) and 28 "contents."
Hardwicke, exerting himself to the utmost, pushed the passage of the
clause, Hutton, archbishop of York, and five other bishops absenting
themselves.
FOLIO 39 (1748)
Duke of Newcastle: Thomas Pelham-Holles (1693-1768), who in 1754
was to become the first minister on the death of his brother Henry
Pelham. Newcastle introduced the repeal in the Lords on the first day of
the final session (15 November, 1753) where the rules of procedure
allowed bills to be read and debated without previous notice (Perry,
Public Opinion, pp. 147, 151).
Bishop Thomas: John Thomas (1691-1766), who was successively
bishop of Lincoln 1744-61 and of Salisbury 1761-66; he was reputed to
be the son of a London drayman. He was a favourite with George II,
partly because he had a thorough knowledge of German. He is easily
confused with John Thomas (1696-1781) who at this time was bishop of
Peterborough and later of Salisbury. See Valentine, British Establishment
1760-84, II, p. 854 and D.N.B.
Dr Bentham: Edward Bentham (1707-1776), who became fellow of
Oriel in 1731, canon of Christ Church in 1754, and held the regius chair
of divinity from 1763. As a cousin and pupil of the classical scholar Dr.
John Burton, Bentham was unkindly described by Gibbon as "an
inferior copy of a not particularly outstanding original." He wrote on
behalf of the "New Interest" in the Oxfordshire election of 1754 (Ward,
Georgian Oxford, p. 197). Early on 10 May, 1763 Seeker was at Grenville's
door, reporting the death of the incumbent professor John Fanshawe,
and pressing Bentham as "a very good Scholar and Divine: [who] hath
always been a hearty Friend to the Government" (B.L. Stowe MS 119,
fol. 152, Seeker to George Grenville).
Letter to a Young Gentleman was an admonition against supporting
the cause of the Pretender and a veiled attack on William King (see
below) who in turn lampooned Bentham as
"Half a casuist, half lawyer, half Courtier, half Cit,
Half a Tory, half Whig (may I add, half a Wit?)"
(Ward, Georgian Oxford, pp. 172-73).