BÓULTER, Dr Hugh, was born in or near London, of reputable and wealthy parents. He was educated at Merchant-Tailor’s School before the Revolution, and was from thence admitted a commoner of Christ-church in Oxford. Some time afterwards he was chosen a demy of Magdalen College, at the same election with Mr Addison and Dr Wilcox. From the merit and learning of the persons elected, this was commonly called by Dr Hough, president of the college, the “golden election.” He afterwards became fellow of the same college; in which station he continued till the year 1700, when he was invited to London by Sir Charles Hodges, principal secretary of state, who made him his chaplain, and recommended him to Dr Tennison, archbishop of Canterbury; but for his first preferments he was indebted to the Earl of Sunderland, by whose interest and influence he was promoted to the parsonage of St Olave in Southwark, and the archdeaconry of Surrey. Here he continued discharging very faithfully and diligently every part of his pastoral office, till he was recommended to attend George I. as his chaplain when he went to Hanover in 1719. He had the honour to teach Prince Frederick the English language; and by his conduct he so won the king’s favour, that he promoted him to the deanery of Christchurch and the bishopric of Bristol in the same year. As he was visiting his diocese five years afterwards, he received a letter from the secretary of state, acquainting him that his majesty had nominated him to the archbishopric of Armagh and primacy of Ireland. This honour he would gladly have declined, and desired the secretary to use his good offices with his majesty to excuse him from accepting it. At this juncture Ireland happened to be in a great flame, occasioned by Wood’s project; and the ministry thought that the bishop would greatly contribute to quench it by his judgment, moderation, and address. The king therefore laid his absolute commands upon him, and he submitted, but with some reluctance. As soon as he had taken possession of the primacy, he began to consider the country in which his lot was cast for life as his own, and to promote its true interest with the greatest zeal and assiduity. Accordingly, he exerted himself in performing the noblest acts of beneficence and public spirit. In seasons of the greatest scarcity he was more than once instrumental in preventing a famine which threatened that nation. On one of these occasions he distributed vast quantities of corn throughout the kingdom, for which the House of Commons passed a vote of public thanks; and at another time two thousand five hundred persons were fed at the poor-house in Dublin, every morning, and as many every evening, for a considerable time together, mostly at thq primate’s expense. When schemes were proposed for the [7:5:148]advantage of the country, he encouraged and promoted them not only with his counsel, but his purse. He had great compassion for the poor clergy of his diocese, who were disabled from giving their children a proper education; and he maintained several of these children in the university. He erected four houses at Drogheda for the reception of clergymen’s widows, and purchased an estate for the endowment of them. His charities for augmenting small livings and buying glebes amounted to upwards of L.30,000, besides what he devised by will for the like purposes in England. In short, the instances he gave of his generosity and benevolence of heart, his virtue, piety, and wisdom, are almost innumerable, and the history of his life is his noblest panegyric. This excellent prelate died at London, on the 2d June 1742, and was interred in Westminster-abbey, where a beautiful monument of finely-polished marble was erected to his memory.