# Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Gatford, Lionel

​GATFORD, LIONEL (d. 1665), royalist divine, a native of Sussex, was educated at Jesus College, Cambridge, of which he became a fellow. He proceeded B.A. in 1620–1, M.A. in 1625, and B.D. in 1633, was elected junior university proctor in 1631, and during the same year became vicar of St. Clement's, Cambridge. At Cambridge he was greatly shocked at the mild heresies of Dr. Eleazar Duncon [q. v.], and wrote a long letter on the subject to Lord Goring, 22 July 1633 (Cal. State Papers, Dom. 1633–4, pp. 150, 279). In 1637 he was presented by Sir John Rous to the rectory of Dennington, Suffolk. Soon after the outbreak of the civil war Gatford retired to Cambridge in order to write a pamphlet setting forth the doctrine of the church in regard to the obedience due to kings. On the night of 26 Jan. 1642–3 Cromwell seized his manuscript, then in the press at Cambridge, arrested Gatford in his bed at Jesus College, and sent both author and copy to London. On 30 Jan. the commons ordered him to be imprisoned in Ely House, Holborn (Commons' Journals, ii. 953). Nothing daunted he contrived to publish in the following March a vigorous onslaught on anabaptists and other false teachers, called ‘An Exhortation to Peace: with an Intimation of the prime Enemies thereof, lately delivered in a Sermon [on Psalm cxxii. 6], and newly published with some small Addition,’ 4to, London, 1643. This was ordered by the commons on 3 July to be referred to the consideration of the committee for Cambridge (ib. iii. 153). After seventeen months' confinement Gatford was, upon an exchange of prisoners, set free, but was not allowed to return to Dennington, or to take duty elsewhere. He therefore went to Oxford, where he was kindly received by the mayor, Thomas Smith, in whose house he wrote, while the plague was raging, a whimsical tract, called ‘Λόγος Ἀλεξιφάρμακος or Hyperphysicall Directions in Time of Plague. Collected out of the sole authentick Dispensatory of the chief Physitian both of Soule and Body, and disposed more particularly … according to the method of those Physicall Directions printed by Command of the Lords of the Councell at Oxford, 1644,’ &c. 4to, Oxford, 1644. Gatford soon after went to Cornwall as chaplain of Pendennis Castle (Cal. State Papers, Dom. 1661–2, p. 65). About July 1645 he drafted an address to Cornishmen (Cal. Clarendon State Papers, i. 271–2). In 1647 he was minister at Jersey, and there became a great favourite of Sir Edward Hyde, who made him his chaplain (ib. i. 316, 368, 416, ii. 19). His next publication was ‘Englands Complaint: or a sharp Reproof for the Inhabitants thereof; against that now raigning Sin of Rebellion; but more especially to the Inhabitants of the County of Suffolk. With a Vindication of those Worthyes now in Colchester,’ 4to, London, 1648. He fears that parliament will grant toleration to catholics, who will consequently return to power. He appears to have remained in exile about seven years. After his return he supported himself by taking boarders, and resided at different times at Kenninghall Place, Sanden House, Kilborough, and Swaffham in Norfolk. Thence he removed to Hackney, Middlesex, afterwards to Well Hall, Kent, and finally to Walham Green. He was much tormented by the county committees for persisting in keeping up the service of the church of England, and protested in ‘A Petition for the Vindication of the Publique use of the Book of Common Prayer from some foul … aspersions lately cast upon it. … Occasioned by the late Ordinance for the ejecting of ​scandalous … Ministers …,’ London, 1655. Prefixed is a manly epistle to the parliament. At the Restoration Gatford was created D.D. by royal mandate. He found the chancel and parsonage-house of Dennington in ruins, and, as he could not afford to have them rebuilt, petitioned the king for the vicarage of Plymouth, Devonshire, to which he was presented on 20 Aug. 1661 (Cal. State Papers, Dom. 1661–2, pp. 65, 68). Gatford's last literary labour was to defend his old patron, Sir John Rous of Henham, Suffolk, from the attacks of the puritan party in ‘A true … Narrative of the … death of Mr. William Tyrrell, and the … preservation of Sr. John Rous … and divers other gentlemen …,’ 4to, London, 1661. In August 1662 Dr. George, the nonconformist vicar of Plymouth, was ejected, but the corporation elected Roger Ashton as his successor (Rowe, Parish and Vicars of St. Andrew, Plymouth, p. 39). In 1663 the right of appointing to the incumbency of Great Yarmouth was disputed between the corporation of the town and the dean and chapter of Norwich. Gatford, on the recommendation of Clarendon, then high steward of the borough, was accepted by the corporation, and allowed ‘to officiate as curate during the pleasure of the House.’ Gatford died of the plague in 1665, and the corporation allowed his widow 100l. in consideration of the ‘pains he had taken in serving the cure for two years’ (Palmer, Continuation of Manship, ii. 174–6; Perlustration of Great Yarmouth, iii. 10). His son, Lionel Gatford, D.D., contributed a highly coloured account of his parents' sufferings during the civil war to Walker's ‘Sufferings of the Clergy’ (pt. ii. p. 255). Gatford has a Greek distich at p. 20 of R. Winterton's ‘Hippocratis Aphorismi,’ 8vo, Cambridge, 1633.
G. G.