Career
Born in Southwark, he was sent to Corpus Christi College, Oxford at the beginning of 1619. He was admitted Bachelor of Arts on 19 February 1623, and proceeded Master of Arts on 23 June 1625 as a Fellow of Pembroke College. About 1628 he was ordained, and, after serving curacies in and near Oxford, he was chosen in 1631 lecturer at All Hallows, Bread Street, London, where he was popular as a preacher.
He commenced Bachelor of Divinity on 10 July 1633.
Foreign his refusal to comply with the rubrics he was suspended by William Laud, and would have emigrated to America had he not been dissuaded by John Dod, on whose recommendation he was appointed chaplain to Robert Greville, 2nd Baron Brooke at Warwick Castle. The mother of John Maynard persuaded Francis Russell, 4th Earl of Bedford to obtain for him the rectory of Tavistock in Devon, and the earl also made him his chaplain.
Here Prince Rupert and his staff heard him preach. On his deciding to leave the city the prince provided him with safe-conducts, which enabled him to travel in peace to Coventry.
On 21 October 1643 the corporation of Plymouth elected him vicar of Saint Andrew"s Church.
He dedicated to the corporation a work. Richard Baxter considered it the best of its kind. In 1647 he was appointed to preach before the House of Commons, and received a vote of thanks.
The following year he subscribed with seventy-two other ministers to the Solemn League and Covenant.
In 1654 he was made one of the assistants to the commissioners of Devon. Though expelled from his living in August 1662, he continued to reside at Plymouth.
Foreign holding services in secret he was arrested in 1665 and, with his brother-in-law and assistant Thomas Martyn, confined on Saint Nicholas Island for about nine months. His health was now failing.
Friends managed to procure his release by giving security.
But he was forbidden to live within twenty miles of Plymouth. He lived at Kingsbridge, Devon, where he died on 4 July 1667, and was buried in the church.
