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The Autobiography of Archbishop Thomas Seeker
Princess Amelia (1711-1786) was the second daughter of George II and
Queen Caroline, and was expected to marry Frederick the Great, a
marriage which did not take place. She made her home with her father,
and following his death took a house in Cavendish Square where she
died unmarried in October 1786. She was a favorite aunt of George III.
Dr Plumptre: Charles Plumptre or Plumtre (1712-1779), who was of
Clare college, Cambridge, where he proceeded B.A. in 1734 and then
migrated to Queen's where he was fellow 1737-48. Amongst other
preferments he was rector of Wimpole 1745-52, prebendary of Norwich
1749-51, archdeacon of Ely 1751-79, rector of St. Mary Woolnoth,
London 1752-79, and of Orpington 1763-79. His father, Seeker's "good
Friend," was John Plumptre (d. 1751), who was M.P. for Nottingham
1706-13, 1715-27, 1734-47 and for other constituencies, and a staunch
adherent of Newcastle. Charles found that "nothing could be more
servile than the dependence of the Lambeth chaplains" (B.L. Add. MS
5831, fol. 189: conversation with William Cole).
Mr Plumptre: John Plumptre; see preceding note.
Charles Yorke (1722-1770), second son of Lord Hardwicke, was unlike
his father in important respects: though an able lawyer, he was diffident
and indecisive, and suffered from poor health (in later years he was very
fat). He sat as M.P. for the family borough of Reigate 1747-68 and then
for Cambridge University 1768-70. He held a number of important
political appointments: solicitor-general to the prince of Wales 1754-56,
solicitor-general 1756-61, and then attorney-general 1762-63. He was
persuaded, partly against his will, to accept in January 1770 the office of
lord chancellor, a goal long coveted, but only held the great seal three
days when his death occurred (Namier and Brooke, H.C, III, pp.
675-78).
Dr Hall was Seeker's Oxford chaplain.
Mr Wray: Thomas Wray (1723-1778), son of a farmer of Bentham,
Yorkshire, who was admitted sizar at Christ's college, Cambridge, in
1740, proceeding B.A. in 1744 and D.D. in 1762. He was a fellow of the
college 1746-58, and held a number of livings, dying as vicar of
Rochdale, to which he was nominated in 1762 by Seeker (Venn, Alumni
Cantab.; Nichols, Literary Anecdotes, IX, pp. 698-99).
Ash was a chapelry in Kent of which Seeker, as archbishop, was patron.
In 1786 it was valued at £70.