Upton Magna Samuel Fisher (died 1681)

william laud, archbishop of canterbury 1633–1645.



sir robert harley (1579–1656), parliamentarian , presbyterian.

richard baxter remembered old friend fisher being some-time of withington, of shrewsbury. wright locates him there around 1640 curate of thomas blake before move upton magna. withington @ time chapelry of parish of upton magna, not separate parish, , treated such cced. in middle ages upton magna had been dominated haughmond abbey, great augustinian house stood within , held considerable property in parish. however, in 12th century bishop roger de clinton had confirmed shrewsbury abbey held tithes , advowson of both church @ upton , chapels, specifying withington 1 of them. of fisher s letters sent withington @ dates when known have been rector of upton magna, shows no more worked across whole parish, although may have resided @ withington.

after dissolution of monasteries, haughmond granted edward littleton, sold sir rowland hill, first protestant lord mayor of london. hill s heiress @ haughmond sister elizabeth, married john barker. resulting branch of barker family lived @ haughmond, using part of monastic buildings. seems barkers acquired advowson of local church, mr barker named patron fisher in letter. john s grandson, walter barker of haughmond, high sheriff of shropshire in 1621 , parliamentarian beginning of civil war. entries in cced indicate fisher appointed rector of upton magna on 21 july 1635. recorded both in william laud s register , in liber cleri, recording bishop wright s visitation of 1639. death , burial @ withington of previous rector, lawrence lee, recorded in register, on 1 may , 10 may 1635 respectively. bishop wright s 1639 visitation found thomas blake serving curate of tamworth, staffordshire, post had held since @ least 1629, year before fisher s ordination. word curate in case used indicate vicar, rector or other incumbent had cure of souls, not assistant minister, although used equally either. database gives no indication fisher ever worked assistant blake, or blake ever worked @ upton magna, although such records can never exhaustive. however, there record in 1639 liber cleri of additional curate, richard drayton, in case presumably assistant fisher, @ upton magna.

as fisher barker s choice, 2 men had similar views outset, not surprising find fisher taking puritan cause during incumbency @ upton magna. seems have followed controversies in shrewsbury, close. in preface sermons published in 1650s, fisher denounced had endangered liberty traducing doctrine. while might have applied several phases of career, added in margin: mr studley , others. @ time of fisher s appointment studley had become mired in controversy on book, looking-glasse of schisme in sought explain sensational murder @ clun result of puritan principles of killer. book published in london in 1634 , reissued in expanded edition in 1635. under thorough, experiment in absolute monarchy in force, reasoned reply richard more, layman of st chad s parish, not published , did not appear until 1641. after furore, studley resigned st chad s , moved few miles living @ pontesbury. whether offence fisher more personal contents of polemic unknown. fisher not 1 ignore intemperate abuse of faith. wrote sir robert harley, serving mp herefordshire in long parliament, report anti-puritan banter might have serious implications.

1640, december 18. withington — knowledge has come hands of scandalous words uttered seminary priest. words these, lords had put petition majestye company of puritan rascalls, base fellows , base scabbs. name of man spoke francis rowley. spoken in house of francis saunders, vintner in whitchurch. hath been heard better deed kill 1 of our religion give hungry man meal s meat, ready starve. rowley lives in whitchurch. if man apprehended , words examined careful justices of peace think proved.
postscript. after writing above acquainted patron mr. barker rowley s words, , purpose open business sir richard newport.

with civil war looming in summer of 1642, fisher , barker worked through local landed gentry networks mobilise support puritan , parliamentarian causes. hoped of newport, closely connected marriage , proximity: newport s sister, margaret, had been married john barker, walter s brother whom had inherited estate, , home @ high ercall hall made him close neighbour. fisher did persuade newport side parliament, of barker s cousin, robert charlton of apley castle. however, local royalist gentry circle around francis ottley pre-empted efforts, seizing control of shrewsbury , inviting charles bring army nottingham occupy town. charlton , barker tried send large sum of money down river severn parliamentarians @ bristol intercepted sheriff, john welde, @ bridgnorth. charlton escaped barker detained. newport, after affecting indecision, gave king £6000 in exchange becoming baron newport. fisher seems have fled scene, perhaps london. there no record of replacement being installed @ upton magna.