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Edward Waddington (1670?–1731) was an English prelate,bishop of Chichester from 1724 to 1731.
Waddington was born in London in 1670 or 1671. He was educated atEton College, and was admitted a scholar ofKing's College, Cambridge, on 30 June 1687, graduating B.A. in 1691 and M.A. in 1695, and proceeding D.D. in 1710.[1] He was elected a fellow of King's College, and was made chaplain to the Bishop of Lincoln. In 1698, his grandfather dying and leaving him an estate of £500 a year, he resigned his fellowship, at the same time, presenting the college with twelve folio volumes, entitled 'Thesaurus Antiquitatum Romanorum,' collected byGrævius.
On 1 October 1702 he was presented by the crown to the rectory ofWexham, near Eton in Buckinghamshire. He was instituted rector of All Hallows the Great in Thames Street on 12 September 1712, was appointed chaplain in ordinary to George I in 1716, and was elected a fellow of Eton College on 9 November 1720. On the death ofJohn Adams on 29 January 1719–20, he presented himself for election as provost of King's College, but was defeated byAndrew Snape. On 11 October 1724 he was consecratedbishop of Chichester in succession to Thomas Bowers. He found the Episcopal palace in a ruinous condition, and refitted it at his own charge. In 1730 he entered into a controversy withNathaniel Lardner on the prosecution ofThomas Woolston for writing against the reality of Christ's miracles. Lardner's plea for freedom of statement did not meet with Waddington's approval, and several letters on the subject passed between them.[2]
Waddington died without issue at Chichester on 8 September 1731,[3] and was buried in the cathedral. He was a liberal benefactor to Eton College, to which he left his library. He was married, on 20 June 1699, to Frances, daughter ofJonathan Newey of Worcestershire. She died on 5 September 1728. Most of Waddington's wealth descended to his nieces,[4] one of whom, Elizabeth Price, in 1731 made a runaway match withIsaac Maddox at one time his chaplain, and afterwards bishop of Worcester.[3]
Waddington was the author of several published sermons. His portrait was painted byHamlet Winstanley, and was engraved byJohn Faber the younger (reproduced above).
This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: "Waddington, Edward".Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900. This entry cites:
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| Preceded by | Bishop of Chichester 1724–1731 | Succeeded by |
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