Shrewsbury Samuel Fisher (died 1681)

1 shrewsbury

1.1 appointment
1.2 presbyterian project
1.3 controversy , flight

shrewsbury
appointment

fisher appointed shrewsbury s council st mary s, @ latest on 21 august 1646. date given in owen , blakeway s 1805 history of shrewsbury, gives date on corporation voted thomas blake £5 annually incumbent of st alkmund s, may represent date of official confirmation in office, rather actual starting date. rigg thought here fisher curate thomas blake. petition of 1596 corporation referred vacancy existed in curatship of st. maris, showing incumbent of st mary s known curate, case @ other shrewsbury churches. fisher curate alongside blake, not him or under him. replaced james betton, had returned shrewsbury after fell parliamentarians in february 1645 later moved worthen. terms generous: public preacher s salary of £46 13s. 4d. , additional £20 lands bought bequest. other important incumbent in town centre thomas paget, elected curate of st chad s congregation. older man had made considerable impression in 1641 presenting parliament book brother john advocated presbyterian polity.

the presbyterian project

a presbyterian reorganisation of english church leading priority, in line parliament s promises scottish covenanter allies in civil war. 8 counties got far attempting put such scheme practice , shropshire 1 of them. shropshire scheme outlined in document, dated 29 april 1647, , issued on signature of edward montagu, 2nd earl of manchester. entitled severall divisions , persons classicall presbyteries in county of salop, scheme envisaged division of county or province 6 areas, each covered organisational unit of church, termed classis or classical presbytery. each classis given list of constituent parishes, followed 2 lists of personnel: first list of minister fit bee of (corresponding in modern terminology teaching elders), , list of others fit bee of (the ruling or lay elders). shrewsbury @ centre of shropshire s first classis. puritans of period used term saint either refer christians, or, in more restricted sense, apostles or new testament figures, town centre churches shorn of honorific title. st alkmund s became alkmonds, st chad s rendered cedds. fisher s church, however, treated inconsistently, being saint maries on first mention, maries. fisher placed fourth in list of clergy, below betton, paget , blake, above other 4 ministers, served rural parishes, including james smith in fisher s old home @ upton magna. laymen headed mayor of shrewsbury, thomas knight, although not stated whether ex officio or in personal capacity. other lay elders included richard pigot, headmaster of shrewsbury school, number of powerful shrewsbury merchants, particularly drapers, , gentry immediate area, including fisher s old associate robert charlton of apley. powerful figure in classis, town , county humphrey mackworth, military governor , headed ruling parliamentary committee, being member of every other governing committee, alderman of town , jp. must have been well-known fisher, veteran of lay opposition peter studley @ st chad s, and, town s lawyer, had helped defend control @ st mary s , st chad s when threatened laud s intervention in charter renewal.

controversy , flight

the puritan coalition in trouble, locally nationally. in 1648 mackworth forced play active part in second english civil war, precipitated king s conspiracy scottish engagers regain throne. fisher, described pastor of marye s salop , 1 of 57 ministers sign document entitled testimony of ministers in province of salop truth of jesus christ , solemn league , covenant: against errors, heresies , blasphemies of these times , toleration of them. denunciation committed presbyterians of independency or congregationalism, alternative puritan model of church government did away structures above local level. while betton , blake prominent among signatories, paget, mackworth s own parish minister, did not sign. after pride s purge, army coup removed moderate presbyterians house of commons, mackworth backed regicide , enthusiastic supporter of commonwealth of england. fisher , blake remained presbyterian mainstream, covenant had envisaged presbyterian national church monarch head. however, presbyterian polity in shropshire withered rapidly, fourth classis remaining functioning structure. based on whitchurch , wem, although known bradford north classis, after hundred in fell, , dominated stalwart presbyterian sir john corbet, 1 of purged mps.

at shrewsbury open division came parliament s imposition in march 1650 of oath of engagement: declare , promise, true , faithful commonwealth of england, established, without king or house of lords. @ odds covenant impossible fisher , blake subscribe. preached against it, while paget took pulpit , wrote opposite side. notice of english council of state s determination impose engagement @ shrewsbury came handling of fisher s old friend , relative sir robert harley, had refused subscribe. staunch parliamentarian, wrote mackworth, relative, asking permission retire shrewsbury. mackworth, however, not free allow him settle, , on 8 may turned down request.

i have received yours of 29th of april wherein intimate desire of coming reside in tins garrison. acquainted servant shilton resolution of adhering present government. entrusted parliament security of garrison, , in pursuance of private instructions have received shall desire if not satisfied subscribeinge of engagement, @ present rather forbear retain intention of coming reside here.

harley forced spend last years @ ludlow. mackworth had made clear, told do, main consideration in handling dissent @ shrewsbury state security. fisher , blake continued preach against engagement , opposition known in london, noted bulstrode whitelocke.

the general atmosphere of crisis intensified outbreak of bubonic plague @ frankwell in june, spread throughout shrewsbury. on 16 august council of state ordered mackworth turn out of garrison such persons as, either in pulpit or elsewhere, seditious words endeavour stir sedition , uproar among people. week later council named blake , fisher, ordering mackworth detain them , examine them former , late offences. fisher later wrote of continual expectation of arrest during period, when , blake saw pastoral work during plague priority. epidemic reached peak in september , october, petering out in january 1651. fisher , blake seem have left towards end of 1650. @ myddle stayed minister, joshua richardson, had refused engagement. myddle had been allocated second classis , leading lay puritan locally robert corbet of stanwardine. difference in political atmosphere away county town , fortress great allowed preach. richard gough, robert corbet s secretary, mentioned visit in famous antiquities & memoirs of myddle:

the 2 chiefe , ablest ministers in shrewsbury, viz. mr. thomas blake, minister of st. chads, , mr. fisher of st. mary s removed myddle , dwelt both in mr. gittin s house att higher well; preached att myddle. mr. fisher man of myddle stature , age, fatt plump body, round visage, , blacke haire.

some of detail not quite right, gough s physical description of minister seems 1 extant. later ventured further north , stayed @ west felton samuel hildersham , wife mary. puritan writer, son of arthur hildersham, , had been leading figure in second classis: had use of substantial library several months.

shrewsbury faced further crisis in 1651, when governor mackworth had face down demand surrender town charles stuart s scottish army. contributed delays in finding replacement fisher @ st mary s. in 1652 corporation , congregation approached francis tallents take on task. had scruples supplanting fisher, whom shared presbyterian orientation , close friendship richard baxter. however, fisher magnanimously wrote parish through richard pigot, headmaster, expressing not willingness alone, earnest

desire have mr. tallents settle them.