Thomas Brett (1667-1743) - Rector of Betteshanger
The Non-Jurors
The non-jurors (non-swearers) are little known today except to students of the history of the Church of England. In 1688, the Catholic James II was deposed and replaced by the Protestant William of Orange and his wife Mary. On 1st March 1689 the clergy were required to take a new oath of allegiance to William and Mary. However, on that day, a number of bishops were absent from the House of Lords; so Parliament passed an Act making the oath compulsory.
The bishops, led by the Archbishop of Canterbury, William Sancroft (1617-1693), refused to take a new oath on the grounds that James II was still the lawful sovereign. This was not unfamiliar ground for William Sancroft, in 1651 he had been dismissed as a fellow at the University of Cambridge for refusing to take an oath of allegiance to the government of the Commonwealth. After the Restoration of Charles II (1660), he was made a royal chaplain, and from 1664 to 1677 he served as Dean of St. Paul's Cathedral in London. In 1678 he became Archbishop of Canterbury. Sancroft and a group of seven bishops had been imprisoned in the Tower of London (April - June 1688) for opposing policies of the James II. Despite his opposition to James he rejected William's claim to the throne, consequently, he was dismissed from his bishopric in 1690.
Among the other prominent non-jurors were: the saintly hymn writer Thomas Ken; the ecclesiastical polemicist Jeremy Collier; the historian Henry Dodwell; and Henry Hyde, 2nd Earl of Clarendon. Amongst their numbers some had been imprisoned by James II for defying him on religious issues. Around four hundred clergy followed their lead; deprived of their livings, many clergy and their families faced starvation. The non-jurors formed a Church within a Church, with their own parishes and bishops.
Thomas Brett
Thomas Brett was born in Betteshanger on 3rd September 1667, his father also Thomas Brett (1640-1695) of Spring Grove, Wye in Kent, his mother Letitia Brett (1644-1731), the daughter of John Boys of Betteshanger. The young Thomas was educated at Wye grammar school and then admitted to Queen's College, Cambridge on 20th March 1684. In 1687 his father removed him for 'extravagance' and he returned to school, but he later returned, only to find his books had been 'embezzled by an idle scholar'. He then moved to Corpus Christi College, Cambridge in January 1689. He gained a LL.B degree from Corpus Christi in 1690, ordained a deacon on 21st December the same year; and entered the priesthood on 20th September 1691. He was finally awarded a LL.D from Queen's in 1697.
Thomas worked as curate at Folkestone for a year, and was a lecturer at the church in Islington until his father's death forced him to return to Kent in May 1696, where he was curate to the parish of Great Chart. He married Bridget (1677-1765), the daughter of Sir Nicholas Toke, on 22nd September 1696 and they had 12 children. He was awarded the living of Betteshanger 1 after his uncle, Thomas Boys, died in December 1702; in April 1705 also became rector of Ruckinge.
He wrote many books on liturgical matters 2.
His first book, published in 1707, five years after he was awarded the living of Betteshanger, was:
"An Account of Church-Government and Governours. Wherein is Shewed, That the Government of the Church of England is most agreeable to that of the Primitive Church" By Thomas Brett, LL.D. And Rector of Betteshanger near Canterbury.
Although he had previously taken the oath of allegiance, after the death of Queen Anne in 1714 he refused to take the oath to George I and resigned both his livings. His decision was partly influenced by the trial of Henry Sacheverell in 1710.
Henry Sacheverell was a fanatical, undistinguished, but popular, High Church Party (Tory) Anglican preacher. He came to national prominence when he assailed the powerful Whig minister Sidney Godolphin and Sacheverell was tried for sedition by the House of Lords. This was a time when civil and clerical leaders were still trying to come to terms with the events of the Civil War (1642-1651) and the Glorious Revolution of 1688. Differing views led to a political system divided into Tories and Whigs. Issues included the rights and authority of the monarchy and religious toleration. During the trial Londoners rioted in sympathy with Sacheverell, but he was convicted in March 1710 and suspended from preaching for three years. Invoking the name of their martyr, the Tories swept to victory in the parliamentary elections of October 1710.
He became a prominent member of the non-jurors, being consecrated a bishop in 1716, and he officiated in his own house at Spring Grove, Wye, and was presented at the assizes for keeping a conventicle (clandestine meeting). In 1718 and 1729 complaints were made against him to Archbishop Wake for interfering with the duties of the parish clergyman.
Thomas Brett was described as 'an amiable man, of pleasant conversation, and lived quietly in his own house', 3 where he died in 1743. The Brett epitaphs can be seen on a ledger stone in the floor of the nave at the St Gregory and St Martin church in Wye which states:
'In Hope of a Joyfull re----- / Within this vault are deposited the --- / of Gregory Brett buried Mar 6 1541 / Gregory his Son Churchwarden 1582, 83, 84 / he rebuilt the old Steeple burnt by Lightning / On July 15 1572 low he was a great / Contributor before giving the Parish / a Debr of £92 12 6 besides his sess of / £30 for Wm Benet they granted this / Burial Place to him & his Heirs on Paym of / of 8 -- very Interment. Bur. Feb 18 1586 / Thomas Brett Son of Edward Son of the / first Gregory Bapt Nov 25 1563 / Bur. Jan 20 1631 / Gregory Brett Son of Tho. Bapt June / 29 1581 Bur Sept 20 1658 / Thomas Brett Son of Gregory Brett Bapt / July 13 1606 Bur Ap 5 1646 / Thomas Brett Son of Tho Bapt Nov. 11 / 1640 Bur Feb 28 1695 & Lætitia his / Wife Daughter & Heir of John Boys of / Margaret Born Mar 4 1644 / Married June 29 1665 died Aug 25 1751. / Thomas Brett of Springgrove Son / Tho Born Sept. 3 1667. Dr of Laws 1697 / became Rector of Betteshanger 1703 / & of Ruckinge 1705, but resigned both / in 1714 because he could not comply / with the Terms then imposed with / a Safe Conscience died Mar. 5. 1743. / & Bridgett his Wife Daughter of Sir: Nic. Toke of Godinton knt Born Sept. / 25 1677. Married Sept. 22 1696. / died May 7 1765. / of twelve Children She bore him / seven are interred in this Vault three / only survive Nicolas [sic], Margaret, Sarah. / The said Nicholas Brett CLERK Born Apr. 1 / 1713 Died Aug. 20 1776. / A Man universally ....'
Thomas Brett's son, Nicholas, was also a non-juror priest, who acted as chaplain to Sir Robert Cotton for a time, but who later lived at the family estate in Spring Grove, Kent and died in 1775.
The decline of the non-jurors
In 1718, the non-jurors divided on the form of Liturgy they should use, into the Usagers and Non-Usagers. The non-jurors were only ever a small minority and most of the clergy of the Church of England took the new oath, even though some harboured grave reservations.
The movement began to fragment and different groups consecrated their own bishops. By the time of the accession of George III their days were numbered and on the death of Bishop Boothe in 1805, the non-jurors ceased to exist.
[1] - According to Bradshaw's Directory of 1847, 'Edward Grotius Boys, by his will, gave this manor [of Great Betteshanger] to his kinsman the Rev. Thomas Brett, rector of this parish, and he, about the year 1713 sold it to Salmon Morrice, Esq., a captain in the royal navy . . .'
[2] - Thomas Brett published numerous books, sermons and tracts, this is not a complete list:
1707 - 'An Account of Church-Government and Governours. Wherein is Shewed, That the Government of the Church of England is most agreeable to that of the Primitive Church.' The second edition in 1710 had large additions and amendments.[3] - Dictionary of National Biography, Vol VI, 1886, 286.
1708 - 'Two Letters on the Times wherein Marriage is said to be prohibited.'
1711 - 'A Sermon on Remission of Sins, according to the Scriptures and the doctrine of the Church of England ... With a preface in its vindication from Popery.' pp. 39. John Wyat, London. Reprinted in 1715.
1712 - 'The Doctrine of Remission of Sins, and the power of absolution, as set forth in a late sermon, explain'd and vindicated in remarks on Dr. Cannon's Account of his two motions in the Lower House of Convocation.' pp. 64. John Wyat, London.
1712 - 'A Sermon of the Honour of the Christian Priesthood, and the necessity of a divine call to that office; with a preface to the Dissenters, etc.' pp. 24. John Wyat, London.
1712 - 'Letter to the Author of "Lay Baptism Invited" &c.'
1713 - 'The Dangers of a Relapse. A sermon preach'd at the Royal Chapel at St. James's on May 29. 1713. Being the day of thanksgiving to Almighty God, for having put an end to the Great Rebellion, etc.' pp. 24. John Wyat: London.
1713 - The Christian altar and sacrifice. : A sermon, shewing that The Lord's table is a proper altar, ... pp. xvi, 40. John Wyat, London.
1714 - 'A Further Enquiry into the Judgment and Practice of the Primitive Church, in relation to persons being baptized by laymen. Wherein the second part of Mr. Binghams Scholastical History is considered.' pp. 55. John Wyat, London.
1714 - 'A review of the Lutheran principles; shewing, how they differ from the Church of England, and that Baron Puffendorf's essay for uniting of Protestants, was not design'd to procure an union between the Lutherans and the Church of England, as is insinuated in the title of the late edition of that book. In a letter to a friend' pp. 52. Henry Clements, London.
1714 - 'A Letter to the author of the History of the Lutheran Church, from a Country School-boy.' [Signed: Philalethes, his pen name.] pp. 39. John Morphew: London.
1715 - 'Dr Brett's Vindication of himself, from the Calumnies thrown upon him in some late news-papers, wherein he is falsly charged with turning Papist. In a letter to the Honourable Archibald Campbell Esq;.' pp. 75. John Morphew, London.
1717 - 'The Independency of the Church upon the State, as to its pure spiritual powers: proved from the Holy Scriptures,' etc. pp. x. 125. Henry Clements: London.
1718 - 'The Divine Right of Episcopacy, and the necessity of an episcopal commission for preaching God's word, and for the valid ministration of the Christian sacraments, proved from the Holy Scriptures, etc.' pp. viii. 196. Henry Clements, London.
1718 - 'Tradition necessary to explain and interpret the Holy Scriptures'
1720 - 'A vindication of the postscript to a book called, The necessary use of tradition to understand the Holy Scriptures [i.e. Tradition necessary to explain and interpret the Holy Scriptures, by Brett himself]: in answer to a book [by Nathaniel Spinckes], entitled, No just grounds for introducing the new Communion office, etc.' Rich. King London.
1720 - 'A Farther Proof of the Necessity of Tradition, to explain and interpret the Holy Scriptures. In answer to a book [by a Nonjuror, i.e. N. Spinckes], entitl'd, No just grounds for introducing the new Communion Office, &c.' pp. xxv. 131. Rich. King, London
1720 - 'A Discourse concerning the Necessity of discerning the Lord's Body in the Holy Communion. With a preface, giving an account of the erroneous opinions of the Papists, Lutherans, and Calvinists, upon this subject.' pp. xxiv. 51. Richard King, London.
1720 - 'A Collection of the Principal Liturgies, used by the Christian Church in the celebration of the Holy Eucharist: particularly the ancient, viz. the Clementine, the Liturgies of S. James, S. Mark, S. Chrysostom, S. Basil, &c. Translated ... by several hands. With a dissertation upon them, shewing their usefulness and authority, and pointing out their several corruptions and interpolations. By T. Brett.' 2 pt. Richard King, London.
1725 - 'Instruction to a person newly Confirmed.'
1729 - 'A Chronological Essay on the Sacred History, from the creation of the world to the birth of Christ: being a defence of the computation of the Septuagint. With tables ... To which is added, An Essay on the Confusion of Languages, and a discussion of that question, Whether the primitive language be any where remaining?' pp. 94. Fletcher Gyles, London.
1732 - 'A General History of the World, from the Creation to the destruction of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar ... Wherein the sacred and prophane history is corrected, the Septuagint and Hebrew chronology compared, and adjusted to the years before Christ.' pp. xvi. 320. Fletcher Gyles, London.
1735 - 'A True Scripture Account of the Nature and Benefits of the Holy Eucharist, in answer to a book [by B. Hoadly], intituled, A Plain account of the nature and end of the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper.' pp. 171. J. Roberts, London.
1738 - 'A Supplement to the Remarks on the Rev. Dr Waterland's Review of the doctrine of the Eucharist. Sacrifice explained, and the appendix added to it.' pp. 42. A. Bettesworth & C. Hitch, London.
1743 - 'Four Letters on Necessity of Episcopal Communion.'
1748 - 'Life of John Johnson.' Prefixed to his posthumous tracts.