Ralph Cudworth (; 1572/3–1624) was a scholar and conforming Anglican clergyman of puritan sympathies who is best known as the father of the philosopher Ralph Cudworth (1617–88), and the Plymouth Colony emigrant, soldier, and colonist, General James Cudworth (1612–82).
A student, graduate, and Fellow of Emmanuel College, Cambridge, he was recognized by his more famous contemporaries for his scholarship and preaching. He was Rector of the College living of Aller, Somerset (1610–24), and later became one of the chaplains to James I. His own calling and university connections provide the intellectual background to the careers of his children, reinforced by family connections, through his marriage with the puritan magistracy and promoters of the nonconformist emigrations to New England.
Ancestry The Cudworth family reputedly originated in Cudworth (near Barnsley), Yorkshire, moving to Lancashire with the marriage (1377) of John de Cudworth (d.1384) and Margery (d.1384), daughter of Richard de Oldham (living 1354), lord of the manor of Werneth, Oldham. The Cudworths of Werneth Hall, Oldham, were lords of the manor of Werneth/Oldham, until 1683.
Cudworth was the posthumously-born second son of Ralph Cudworth (d.1572) of Werneth Hall, Oldham, and his wife Jane, daughter of Arthur Assheton (d.1591) of Clegg Hall, Rochdale, Lancashire. Cudworth was born some time after his father's death (between September 1572 and April 1573), and was baptised at Oldham (2 September 1573).Edwin Butterworth, Historical Sketches of Oldham (John Hirst: Oldham, 1856), pp. 22–23 (Google)
Career Pensioner, student, and Fellow of Emmanuel College (1588–1609)
Cudworth matriculated (1588/9) at Emmanuel College and graduated BA (1592/3) and MA (1596).. Emmanuel College (founded by Sir Walter Mildmay (1584), and under the direction of its first Master, Laurence Chaderton) was, from its inception, a stronghold of Reformist, Puritan and Calvinist teaching, which shaped the development of puritan ministry, and contributed largely to the emigrant ministry in America.'History of the College' Emmanuel College website ; S. Bendell, C. Brooke, and P. Collinson, A History of Emmanuel College (Boydell Press: Woodbridge 1999). He was ordained a priest (1599) by Richard Bancroft,Church of England clergy database, Ordination record: ID 123517. Person Record CCEd ID 89100. and was appointed to the Curiate of Westley Waterless, Cambridgeshire (1599).A. Gibbons, Ely Episcopal Records: A Calendar and Concise View... of records compiled by Alwyne, Lord Bishop of Ely (James Williamson: Lincoln, 1891), p. 371 (Internet Archive).
He was already a Fellow of Emmanuel College in 1600, when he donated manuscript volumes, of Norwich Cathedral Priory origin, to the College Library. These included a twelfth-thirteenth century Commentary on St Matthew by Rabanus Maurus,M.R. James, The Western Manuscripts in the Library of Emmanuel College. A Descriptive Catalogue (Cambridge University Press, 1904), pp. 80-81 (Internet Archive). a thirteenth-fourteenth century collection of eight tracts by Thomas Aquinas,James, Library of Emmanuel College, pp. 40-41 (Internet Archive). a decorated English fourteenth-century copy of the Moralia of Gregory the GreatJames, Library of Emmanuel College, pp. 97-100 (Internet Archive). (all on vellum), and a Tractatus Patriarchae Antiocheni, written by the Norwich monk John Stowe, relating to the Council of Basle, 1431 in a fifteenth century English hand (on paper): this was the volume belonging to Robert Talbot which had been inspected by John Bale.James, Library of Emmanuel College, p. 111-15 (Internet Archive). (Cudworth's donor inscriptions, dated 1600, describe himself as "Socius".)Emmanuel College Library MSS 1.14.12; 1.2.19; 2.1.1 and 2.2.17 respectively. S. Bush Jnr and C.J. Rasmussen, The Library of Emmanuel College, Cambridge, 1584-1637 (Cambridge University Press, 2005), pp. 77-79 and p. 210 (see also pp. 13, 23 and 26). In February 1602, he signed the Album amicorum of Frederick Kemener.Leiden University Library MS BPL 2554, fol. 108 recto (Leiden University Library catalogue).
Cudworth was awarded the degree of Bachelor of Divinity (1603). He had come particularly under the influence of the godly divine William Perkins (of Christ's College, Cambridge), whom he succeeded as Lecturer of the Parish Church of St Andrew the Great, Cambridge (1602).B. Carter, 'The standing of Ralph Cudworth as a Philosopher' in G.A.J. Rogers, T. Sorell, and J. Kraye (eds), Insiders and Outsiders in Seventeenth Century Philosophy (Routledge: London, 2009), at p. 100 (see note 4). Carter mistakenly calls Stoughton "Richard". Perkins's pupil, William Bedell, was a slightly older contemporary of Cudworth at Emmanuel College. At the request of Perkins's friends and executor, Cudworth (who was then lecturing on the Epistles of St Paul)'Praefatio Moshemii', Systema Intellectuale. edited (and brought to completion) Perkins's Commentary on the first five chapters of St Paul's Epistle to the Galatians (1604),H.C. Porter, Reformation and Reaction in Tudor Cambridge (Cambridge University Press: Cambrudge, 1958), pp. 264–66 (Google) which was dedicated, by Cudworth, to Robert, 3rd Lord Rich (later 1st Earl of Warwick).See Cudworth's first 1604 Letter of Dedication (Umich/eebo) To it he added his own commentary on the sixth chapter,A Commentarie or Exposition, upon the Five First Chapters of the Epistle to the Galatians: penned by the godly, learned, and iudiciall divine, Mr. W. Perkins. Now published for the benefit of the Church, and continued with a supplement upon the sixt chapter, by Rafe Cudworth Bachelour of Divinitie (John Legat: London, 1604). which he dedicated to the puritan Norfolk magistrate, sheriff and MP, Sir Bassingbourn Gawdy of West Harling. Cudworth himself indicates that this is his first published writing: "Not having taken pensill in hande before... the first fruits of my labours, a simple floure growing in a schollars garden."See Cudworth's second 1604 Letter of Dedication (Umich/eebo).
It is argued that Cudworth may be the translator ("R.C.") of Henri Estienne's work Apologie Pour Herodote, published as A World of Wonders (1607).(Henri Estienne), A World of Wonders, Or, An Introduction to a Treatise Touching the Conformitie of Ancient and Moderne Wonders (John Norton: London, 1607). Read original at Google; D.C.N. Wood, 'Ralph Cudworth the Elder and Henri Estienne's "World of Wonders"', English Language Notes, 11 (1973), pp. 93–100. He was presented by Robert, Lord Rich to the Vicariate of Coggeshall, Essex (1606),Clergy of the Church of England database, CCEd Appointment Record ID: 193664. to replace Thomas Stoughton who had been deprived by High Commission for nonconformism. However, he resigned this position (March 1608), and was licensed to preach from the pulpit (ad contionand) by the Chancellor and Scholars of the University of Cambridge (November 1609).Church of England clergy database, CCEd Records ID: 193711 (Vacancy), and 178652 (Appointment). After John Davenant had been appointed Lady Margaret's Professor of Divinity (February 1609/10), Cudworth confided, to Samuel Ward,'Letter from Dr Ralph Cudworth to Dr Samuel Ward', Bodleian Library, Oxford, MS Tanner 75, fol. 339: Early modern letters online. his plans to apply for the rectorate of Aller, Somerset, which advowson belonged to the college.R.W. Dunning (ed.), 'Parishes: Aller ', A History of the County of Somerset, iii (1974), pp. 61–71 (British History Online). He was successful, and was appointed as Rector (1610).CCEd Appointment Evidence Record ID: 178651, as 30 August 1610.
Marriage (1611) and chaplain to James I Cudworth married Mary Machell (c.1582–1634) at Southwark (18 June 1611)Marriage register of St Mary Newington, Southwark, June 1611, appears as 'Rodolph' Cudworth ministr, married to Mrs Mari Machell ye xviii day by lisence'; Memoirs of Cudworth in The Present State of the Republic of Letters, 17 (1736), pp. 24–25: 'An Account' by T. Birch in his edition of the True Intellectual System (J. Walthoe etc.: London, 1743), p. vi. (transl. from Mosheim (1733), below). who had been a nurse ("nutrix") to Henry, Prince of Wales, eldest son of James I.This story derives from J.L. v. Mosheim, Radulphi Cudworthi Systema intellectuale hujus universi (sumtu viduae Meyer: Jena, 1733), i, 'Praefatio Moshemii' (34 sides, unpaginated), side 19. Mosheim credits the biographical research to Edward Chandler, as Bishop of Lichfield & Coventry (1717–30), both in text and footnote to this 'Praefatio', sides 18–19. (i, pp. xxv–xxvii (1773 edition)) Chandler's access to Cudworth's papers is discussed: B. Carter, 'The standing of Ralph Cudworth as a Philosopher' in G.A.J. Rogers, T. Sorell, and J. Kraye (eds), Insiders and Outsiders in Seventeenth Century Philosophy (Routledge: London, 2009), pp. 99–121; p. 115; note 72 (p. 121). Mosheim remarked that Cudworth was admitted among those concerned in the King's private devotions: he was one of the chaplains to James I."fuit et inter eos adscitus, qui Regis Iacobi I. a sacris privatis tum erant."
Machell family connections with Emmanuel College A pedigree traditionE. Bellasis, 'Machell of Crackenthorpe', Transactions of the Cumberland and Westmorland Antiquarian and Archaeological Society, 8 (1886) , second Machell pedigree (from John Machell of London), based partly upon a pedigree tradition which is, in places, confused. The descent shown by Mrs de Salis ('Maternal Ancestry of Gen. James Cudworth of Scituate, New England', in New England Historical and Genealogical Register (1876), p. 464) as daughter of Mathew's son, John (1580-1647), is now discounted. (reinforced by a more recent claim)D. Richardson, 'Cudworth', Jewels of the Crown Newsletter, 4 (2009), pp. 4–6, p. 5. (see Magna Carta Ancestry, 2nd Edition (2011), iii, p. 10, items 15–16). indicates that Mary was the daughter of Mathew Machell and Mary Lewkenor (sister of Sir Edward Lewknor, MP for Denham Hall (near Bury St Edmunds)). Lewknor was a central figure (with the Jermyn and Heigham families) among the puritan East Anglian gentry, and had strong connections with Emmanuel College.P. Collinson, '17: Magistracy and Ministry – A Suffolk Miniature', in Godly People. Essays on English Protestantism and Puritanism (Hambledon Press: London, 1983), pp. 445–66. Lewknor's mother-in-law, Martha Heigham, established (in her will) a scholarship at Emmanuel (1593),Will of Martha Heigham (P.C.C. 1593, Nevill quire). Transcript in S.H.A. Hervey, Denham Parish Registers, 1539–1850, with notes and notices (Paul and Mathew: Bury St Edmunds, 1904), pp. 93–100 (p. 94), and pp. 192–97 (Internet Archive). on behalf of Timothy Oldmayne alias Pricke, son of her minister at Denham; Lewknor (as her sole executor) was responsible for its implementation. Martha's nephew, Sir Robert Jermyn of Rushbrooke Hall, Suffolk (Lewknor's close parliamentary associate) also endowed a Fellowship at the college,Will of Sir Robert Jermyn (P.C.C. 1614, Lawe quire); S.H.A. Hervey, Rushbrook Parish Registers, 1567–1850 (George Booth: Woodbridge, 1903), pp. 150–54 (p. 153); Will of Frances Jermyn, pp. 147–48 (Internet Archive). and his two sons studied at Emmanuel during the 1590s.Venn, Alumni Cantabrigienses (Cambridge University Press: Cambridge, 1922), i(2), p. 473: 'Jermyn, Thomas', (admitted (1585)); Jermyn, Robert' (admitted (1597); BA (1599/1600)).