Jonathan Shipley

Jonathan Shipley (1714 – 6 December 1788) was a clergyman who held offices in the Church of England (including Dean of Winchester from 1760 to 1769), who became Bishop of Llandaff from January to September 1769 and Bishop of St Asaph from September 1769 until his death.

Life

Early life and career

He was the son of a London stationer; and Martha (née Davies), his mother's family were owners of Twyford House, a large manor in Winchester, England.^[1] His brother, the portrait painter William Shipley (1714–1803), later originated the Society of Arts. Jonathan grew up at Walbrook in the City of London and was educated at Reading School in Berkshire.^[2]

He received his college training at St John's College, Oxford, from where he received a BA degree in 1735, an MA degree in 1738, and a DD degree in 1748. He was ordained about 1738, and acted as tutor in the household of the Earl of Peterborough. In 1743, he became rector of Silchester and Sherborne St John in Hampshire, and prebendary of Winchester. He was appointed to a canonry of Christ Church, Oxford, in 1748, and in 1760 to the deanery of Winchester and the living of Chilbolton, also in Hampshire, which he held in addition to his earlier preferments.^[2]

Shipley was painted by Joshua Reynolds – two 1777 prints after the portrait, engraved by John Raphael Smith, are now in the National Portrait Gallery.^[3] At least one letter from Reynolds to Shipley survives, dated 25 September 1784 – the artist wrote thanking Shipley for his congratulations on being appointed Chief Painter to the King, declining an invitation to visit him at Chilbolton and hoping to visit him at St Asaph en route for Ireland the following year^[4]

Political involvement

On 19 January 1769 he was nominated bishop of Llandaff, with his consecration on 12 February. He was friends with Alexander Hamilton.^{[citation needed]} On 8 September the same year he was translated to be Bishop of St Asaph. He was much concerned with politics, and joined the Whig party in strong opposition to the policy of George III towards the American colonies.^[2] In 1774, when the British Parliament were discussing punitive measures against the town of Boston after the Tea Party incident, Shipley was apparently the only Church of England Bishop (who were legally constituted members of Parliament) who raised his voice in opposition. He prepared a speech in protest against the proposed measures, but was not given the opportunity to present it. Therefore, he had it published, but due to the general feeling in England against the rebellious colonies, the speech had no effect. In the speech he pointed out that in the year 1772, the Crown had collected only 85 pounds from the American colonies. He stated: "Money that is earned so dearly as this ought to be expended with great wisdom and economy."^[5] For these views, St. Asaph Street in Old Town, Alexandria, Virginia, in the United States, was named after one of Shipley's bishoprics.

Shipley also maintained a strong friendship with the Philadelphia printer Benjamin Franklin, who stayed with Shipley in Winchester, and while there wrote much of his autobiography. In 1784, in a letter to Henry Laurens, Franklin called Shipley "America's constant friend, the good Bishop of Asaph." In 1779, Shipley was the only bishop to advocate the abolition of all laws against Protestant dissenters.

Marriage, issue and death

Jonathan Shipley married Anna Maria Mordaunt, daughter of Rev George Mordaunt and Elizabeth Doyley, and niece of Charles Mordaunt, 3rd Earl of Peterborough, to whose family Shipley was a tutor. They left descendants:^[6]

William Davies Shipley (1745–1826), Dean of St Asaph
Anna Maria Shipley (1748–1829), married Sir William Jones^[7]
Amelia Shipley (died 1800), married William Charles Sloper [8]
Elizabeth Shipley (died 1794)
Georgiana Shipley (died 1806), painter and art patron, married Francis Hare-Naylor^[9]
Catherine Louisa Shipley (1759–1840)^[10]

Commemoration

Thomas Moule's English Counties (1837 edition) states that the chancel of St Mary's Church, Twyford then contained "a mural monument, with a bust, by Joseph Nollekens" in Shipley's memory. The church was largely rebuilt in the 19th century, and the monument survives in the present building.

References

^ A sermon of Rev Dr Jonathan Shipley. Wmcarey.edu. Retrieved 10 July 2012.
^ ^a ^b ^c One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Shipley, Jonathan". Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 24 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 982.
^ Portraits of Jonathan Shipley at the National Portrait Gallery, London
^ Reynolds, Sir Joshua (1929). Hilles, Frederick Whiley (ed.). Letters of Sir Joshua Reynolds. Cambridge: University Press. pp. 113–.
^ Simms, Jeptha Root (1845). "Ch. VI". History of Schoharie County and Border Wars of New York. Albany, New York: Munsell & Tanner. p. 185.
^ Reilly, Emily Georgiana S. (1839). Historical anecdotes of the families of the Boleynes, Careys, Mordaunts, Hamiltons, and Jocelyns. p. 69.
^ Shore, John (1815). Memoirs of the Life, Writings and Correspondence of Sir William Jones. Hatchard. p. 279.
^ "Sloper, William Charles, of Twyford, Hants". The History of Parliament. Retrieved 5 November 2024.
^ Stephen, Leslie; Lee, Sidney, eds. (1890). "Hare-Naylor, Francis" . Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 24. London: Smith, Elder & Co.
^ "Died". The Age. 29 March 1840. p. 8. In Upper Grosvenor-Street, in her 82d year, Catherine Louisa Shipley, fifth daughter of the late Right Rev. Jonathan Shipley, Bishop of St. Asaph.

External links

Jonathan Shipley at the Eighteenth-Century Poetry Archive (ECPA)

[1] A sermon of Rev Dr Jonathan Shipley. Wmcarey.edu. Retrieved 10 July 2012.

[EB1911-2] One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Shipley, Jonathan". Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 24 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 982.

[3] Portraits of Jonathan Shipley at the National Portrait Gallery, London

[Reynolds1929-4] Reynolds, Sir Joshua (1929). Hilles, Frederick Whiley (ed.). Letters of Sir Joshua Reynolds. Cambridge: University Press. pp. 113–.

[Simms1845-5] Simms, Jeptha Root (1845). "Ch. VI". History of Schoharie County and Border Wars of New York. Albany, New York: Munsell & Tanner. p. 185.

[6] Reilly, Emily Georgiana S. (1839). Historical anecdotes of the families of the Boleynes, Careys, Mordaunts, Hamiltons, and Jocelyns. p. 69.

[7] Shore, John (1815). Memoirs of the Life, Writings and Correspondence of Sir William Jones. Hatchard. p. 279.

[8] "Sloper, William Charles, of Twyford, Hants". The History of Parliament. Retrieved 5 November 2024.

[9] Stephen, Leslie; Lee, Sidney, eds. (1890). "Hare-Naylor, Francis" . Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 24. London: Smith, Elder & Co.

[10] "Died". The Age. 29 March 1840. p. 8. In Upper Grosvenor-Street, in her 82d year, Catherine Louisa Shipley, fifth daughter of the late Right Rev. Jonathan Shipley, Bishop of St. Asaph.

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v t e Bishops of St Asaph
Early & High Medieval	Saint Kentigern/Mungo Saint Asaph Tysilio Renchidus Cebur Melanus Gilbert Geoffrey of Monmouth Richard Godfrey Adam of Balsham John (I) Reiner Abraham Hugh Hywel ab Ednyfed Einion (I) John (II) Einion (II)
Late Medieval	Llywelyn de Bromfield Dafydd ap Bleddyn John Trevor (I) Llywelyn ap Madog William Spridlington Lawrence Child Alexander Bache John Trevor (II) Robert Lancaster John Low Reginald Pecock Thomas Bird (alias Knight) Richard Redman Michael Deacon
Early modern	Dafydd ab Ieuan ab Iorwerth Dafydd ab Owain Edmund Birkhead Henry Standish William Barlow Robert Parfew/Warton Thomas Goldwell Richard Davies Thomas Davies William Hughes William Morgan Richard Parry John Hanmer John Owen Episcopacy abolished (Commonwealth) George Griffith Henry Glemham Isaac Barrow William Lloyd Edward Jones George Hooper William Beveridge William Fleetwood John Wynne Francis Hare Thomas Tanner Isaac Maddox John Thomas Samuel Lisle The Hon Robert Hay Drummond Richard Newcome Jonathan Shipley Samuel Hallifax Lewis Bagot Samuel Horsley William Cleaver John Luxmoore William Carey Thomas Vowler Short Joshua Hughes A. G. Edwards
Church in Wales	A. G. Edwards (Archbishop of Wales) William Havard David Bartlett Harold Charles Alwyn Rice Jones (Archbishop of Wales) John Davies Gregory Cameron

v t e Bishops of Llandaff
High Medieval	Joseph Herewald Urban Uhtred Nicholas ap Gwrgant William de Saltmarsh Henry de Abergavenny William de Goldcliff Elias de Radnor William de Christchurch William de Burgh John de la Ware William de Radnor William de Braose Philip de Staunton
Late Medieval	John of Monmouth Alexander de Monmouth John de Egglescliffe John Paschal Rodger Cradock Thomas Rushhook William Bottlesham Edmund de Bromfield Robert Tideman of Winchcombe Andrew Barret John Burghill Thomas Peverel John de la Zouche John Wells Nicholas Ashby John Hunden John Smith John Marshall John Ingleby
Early modern	Miles Salley George de Athequa Robert Holgate Anthony Kitchin Hugh Jones William Blethyn Gervase Babington William Morgan Francis Godwin George Carleton Theophilus Feild William Murray Morgan Owen Episcopacy abolished (Commonwealth) Hugh Lloyd Francis Davies William Lloyd William Beaw John Tyler Robert Clavering John Harris Matthias Mawson John Gilbert Edward Cresset Richard Newcome John Ewer Jonathan Shipley Hon Shute Barrington Richard Watson Herbert Marsh William Van Mildert Charles Sumner Edward Copleston Alfred Ollivant Richard Lewis Joshua Pritchard Hughes
Church in Wales	Joshua Pritchard Hughes Timothy Rees John Morgan (Archbishop of Wales) Glyn Simon (Archbishop of Wales) Eryl Thomas John Poole-Hughes Roy Davies Barry Morgan (Archbishop of Wales) June Osborne Mary Stallard

v t e Deans of Winchester
Early modern	William Kingsmill Roger Tonge Sir John Mason Edmund Steward John Warner Francis Newton John Watson Lawrence Humphrey Martin Heton George Abbot Thomas Morton John Young Alexander Hyde William Clarke Richard Meggot John Wickart William Trimnel Charles Naylor Zachary Pearce Thomas Cheyney Jonathan Shipley Newton Ogle
Late modern	Robert Holmes Thomas Rennell Thomas Garnier John Bramston George Kitchin William Stephens William Furneaux William Holden Hutton Gordon Selwyn Norman Sykes Oswin Gibbs-Smith Michael Stancliffe Trevor Beeson Michael Till James Atwell Roland Riem (Acting) Catherine Ogle

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