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HARVARD COLLEGE LIBRARY

BEQUEST OF

WILLIAM MCMICHAEL WOODWORTH

FEB. 19, 1915.

(3 vols.)

HOWLETT AND BRIMMER, PRINTERS, FRITH STREET, SOHO.

MEMOIRS

OF

SIR JOSHUA REYNOLDS.

THE family of Reynolds is of very ancient standing in the county of Devon, and has been particularly distinguished for its connexion with the church. At the time of the Reformation, there were, at Oxford, two very extraordinary divines of this name, John and William Reynolds, the former a zealous protestant, and the latter, who was his younger brother, a no less zealous catholic. Of the same lineage, in the reign of Charles I. was Richard Reynolds, Fellow of Exeter College, and afterwards rector of Stoke Fleming, and Woodley, in his native county. He suffered great hardships in the rebellion, being turned out of doors with his wife and six children. He lived, however, to be restored to his preferment, and died very near one hundred years old. This venerable ecclesiastic had a son, who was the father of three clergymen : 1. John, who was bred at Eton School, and next at King's College, Cambridge, where he proceeded

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to the degree of Master of Arts, but obtained that of Bachelor in Divinity from the University of Oxford, by diploma, in 1718. He was then canon of St. Peter's church, at Exeter, and afterwards became Fellow of Eton College, where he died at the age of eighty-seven, in 1758. His nephew painted his portrait, of which there is an engraving by James Mac Ardell. This divine left most of his property to Exeter College, Oxford, and very little, if any, to his relatives; for which this reason may be assigned: He was the only son of his father by his first wife; and the old gentleman, when on his death-bed, was induced to cut him entirely off in favour of the children by his second marriage. There happened, however, to be an estate which was overlooked by him in this disposition of his property, of which John Reynolds became possessed, and enjoyed it till his death. 2. Joshua, who was of Corpus-Christi College, where he took the degree of Master of Arts in 1697, and that of Bachelor in Divinity in 1707. He became beneficed in his native county, and had also a prebend in the cathedral of Exeter. 3. Samuel, who was of Baliol College, where he took the degree of Master of Arts, April 20, 1705. He became master of the free grammar school at Plympton St. Mary, and minister of the same parish, which was all the preferment he ever enjoyed. He married Theophila Potter, the daughter of Sampson Potter, of Baliol College, whose father, Francis, wrote a

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