Clement Barksdale (November 1609 – January 1687) was a prolific English religious author, polymath and Anglican priest. He lost his London parish in the English Civil War, but gained Gloucestershire livings at the Restoration and taught at a private school.
Life Clement Barksdale was born at Winchcombe, Gloucestershire in November 1609.
After studying at John Roysse's Free School in Abingdon, (now Abingdon School), he entered Merton College, Oxford as "a servitor" in Lent term 1625, but moved shortly to Gloucester Hall (afterwards Worcester College, Oxford), where he took his degrees in arts.
He entered holy orders, and in 1637 acted as chaplain of Lincoln College. In the same year he moved to Hereford, where he became master of Hereford Cathedral School, vicar-choral, and soon after, Vicar of All Hallows there. When Hereford garrison was taken by the parliamentary army in 1646, he retreated to Sudeley Castle to shelter with the Chandos family, to which he acted as chaplain in the opening years of the civil war.
In 1650 he moved to Hawling, Gloucestershire, in the Cotswold district, where he taught at a private school with success and had several pupils of rank. There he composed his Nympha Libethris, or the Cotswold Muse, presenting some extempore Verses to the Imitation of yong Scholars (1651). At the Restoration he was presented to the livings of Naunton near Hawling, and of Stow-on-the-Wold in Gloucestershire, which he retained until his death in January 1687 in his 79th year.
In 1671 Barksdale became Librarian of Gloucester Cathedral.
Anthony à Wood said that he left behind him "the character of a frequent and edifying preacher and a good neighbour".
Works His major works are: Monumenta Literaria: sive Obitus et Elogia doctorum Virorum, ex Historiis Jac. Aug. Thuani, 1640 A Short Practical Catechism out of Dr. Hammond, with a Paper Monument, 1649 Adagilia Sacra Novi Testamenti … ab Andr. Schotto, 1651 Nympha Libethris, or the Cotswold Muse, 4 parts, 1651 Life of Hugo Grotius, 1652 Noctes Hibernæ: Winter Nights' Exercise, 1653 V. cl. Elogia Anglorum Camdeniana,1653 The Disputation at Whinchcombe, 9 Nov. 1653, 1653 An Oxford Conference of Two Young Scholars touching their Studies, 1659 A Modest Reply in Three Letters touching the Clergy and Universities, 1659 Sermons, separately published: The Sacrifice,1655; King's Return, 1660; on 2 Samuel xv. 25, 1660; on Psalm cxxii. 6, 1680 The Kings return. A sermon preached at Winchcomb in Gloucestershire upon the Kings-day, Thursday, May 24. 1660 Of Contentment, 1660, 4th edit. 1679 Defence of the Liturgy, 1661 Memorials of Worthy Persons, 1661 Remembrances of Excellent Men, 1670 Masora: a Collection out of the learned Master J. Buxtorfius's Comment. Masoreticus, 1665 Collection of Scripture illustrated by Mr. Richard Hooker, 1675 Three Ministers, … their Collections and Notices touching several Texts at their Weekly Meeting, 1675 Letter touching a College of Maids or a Virgin Society, 1675 Hugonis Grotii Annot. Selectæ ad vii. cap. S. Matthæi, 1675 Behold the Husbandman, 1677 Learn to die,1679 Bezæ Epitaphia Selecta, 1680 Sententiæ Sacræ, 1680 Aurea Dicta: the King's gracious Words, 1681 Memorials of Alderman Whitmore, Bp. Wilkins, Reynolds, etc. 1681 Religion in Verse, 1683 Old Gentleman's Wish, 1684 Of Authors and Books, 1684 Century of Sacred Distichs, or Religion in Verse,(this was Religion in Verse enlarged) Grateful Mention of Deceased Bishops, 1686
He translated a number of Hugo Grotius’s works. He also made translations of books and tractates by Cyprian, Anna Maria van Schurman, and others.
See also List of Old Abingdonians
References