Background
He was son of Hugh Mapletoft, rector of North Thoresby, Lincolnshire, was born there on 25 January 1609, and educated at the grammar school at Louth.
churchman master vice-chancellor of
He was son of Hugh Mapletoft, rector of North Thoresby, Lincolnshire, was born there on 25 January 1609, and educated at the grammar school at Louth.
He was admitted a sizar of Queens" College, Cambridge, on 25 May 1625, and graduated Bachelor of Arts in 1628, Master of Arts
1632, Bachelor of Divinity 1639, Doctor of Divinity 1660. On Wren"s recommendation he was presented to the rectory of Bartlow, Cambridgeshire, by Charles I in 1639, the king exercising the patronage by reason of the outlawry of the patron, Henry Huddleston. At the parliamentary visitation of the university in 1644 he was ejected as a malignant and a loyalist.
At the Restoration he received the degree of Doctor of Divinity by royal mandate, 28 January 1660, and on 23 August he was presented by the crown to the subdeanery of Lincoln Cathedral, and on 8 December received the mastership of the Spital Hospital at Spital-in-the-Street.
While subdean he was involved in a dispute with the precentor of the cathedral, John Featley, with regard to some capitular appointments, and was attacked by him in a tract entitled Speculum Mapletoftianum. As master of the Spital Hospital he exerted himself for the revival of the charity, in conjunction with Dean Michael Honywood.
A bill in chancery was exhibited in 1662 against Sir John Wray for the restoration of the estates, and Mapletoft at his own expense rebuilt the demolished chapel and increased its revenues. He also received from the crown the living of Clayworth, Nottinghamshire, which in 1672 he exchanged for the college living of Soham, resigning his fellowship.
He was nominated master of Pembroke, but he waived in favour of Mark Frank, whom he succeeded as master in 1664.
He held the office, together with the benefice of Soham, till his death. He served as vice-chancellor of the University of Cambridge in 1671. He was made dean of Ely on 7 August 1667, holding the subdeanery of Lincoln with the deanery till 1671.