Thomas Westfield (1573 – 25 June 1644) was an English churchman, Bishop of Bristol and member of the Westminster Assembly.

Life

He was born in the parish of St. Mary's, Ely, in 1573, and went to the free school there under Master Spight. He proceeded to Jesus College, Cambridge, where he was elected a scholar, and afterwards held a fellowship from 1599 to 1603. He graduated B.A. in 1593, M.A. in 1596, and B.D. in 1604.^[1] He was incorporated B.D. at Oxford on 9 July 1611, proceeded D.D. at Cambridge in 1615, and was reincorporated D.D. at Oxford on 26 March 1644. On 5 August 1619 he was admitted a student at Gray's Inn.

After serving as curate at St. Mary-le-Bow under Nicholas Felton, he was presented to the rectory of South Somercotes in Lincolnshire in 1600, which he exchanged on 18 December 1605 for the London living of St. Bartholomew, Smithfield, where David Dee had been deprived;^[2] Westfield was chaplain to Robert Rich, 1st Earl of Warwick, the patron, and his son Henry.^[3] On 28 April 1615 he was appointed to the rectory of Hornsey, which he retained until 1637. On 14 November 1631 he was collated archdeacon of St. Albans, and on 17 December 1633 was included in a royal commission to exercise ecclesiastical jurisdiction in England and Wales. In 1631 he became president of Sion College.^[3]

On the outbreak of the First English Civil War he continued to reside in London, but, falling under suspicion of royalist sympathies, he was abused in the streets and sequestered from St. Bartholomew. He left for the King's forces, and on 26 April 1642 was consecrated bishop of Bristol, in succession to Robert Skinner. Westfield held his other offices in commendam with his bishopric, probably without deriving any revenue from them. The emoluments of his bishopric also were at first retained from him by the Parliament, but on 13 May 1643 they were restored to him by order of the parliamentary Committee of sequestrations out of respect for his character, and he was given a pass to Bristol. This good treatment may have been due to his consent to attend the Westminster Assembly, which met on 1 July. Although his share in the proceedings was small, he was present at least at the first meeting. He died on 25 June 1644, and was buried in the choir in Bristol Cathedral, where a monument was erected to him by his wife Elizabeth (d. 1653), daughter of Adolphus van Meetkerke the president of Flanders, and sister of Edward Meetkerke. By her he had a daughter Elizabeth.

An emotive preacher, he was known as "Mournful Jeremy"^[3] and the "weeping prophet".

Works

He was the author of two collections of sermons:

Englands Face in Isrels Glasse, or the Sinnes, Mercies, Judgments of both Nations, eight sermons, London, 1646; London, 1655; reprinted, with three other sermons, under the title 'Eleven choice Sermons as they were delivered . . . by Thomas Westfield . . . Bishop of Bristol,' London, 1656.
The White Robe, or the Surplice vindicated, four sermons, 1660; new edit. 1669.

Notes

References

This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: "Westfield, Thomas". Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900.

Church of England titles Preceded byRobert Skinner Bishop of Bristol 1642 to 1644 Succeeded byThomas Howell

v t e Bishops of Bristol
For the sole Bishop suffragan of Bristol, see Henry Holbeach
Bristol (1542)	Paul Bush John Holyman Richard Cheyney John Bullingham Richard Fletcher John Thornborough Nicholas Felton Rowland Searchfield Robert Wright George Coke Robert Skinner Thomas Westfield Thomas Howell Episcopacy abolished (Commonwealth) Gilbert Ironside (Er) Guy Carleton William Gulston John Lake Gilbert Ironside (Yr) John Hall John Robinson George Smalridge Hugh Boulter William Bradshaw Charles Cecil Thomas Secker Thomas Gooch Joseph Butler John Conybeare John Hume Philip Yonge Thomas Newton Lewis Bagot Christopher Wilson Spencer Madan Reginald Courtenay Folliott Cornewall George Pelham John Luxmoore William Lort Mansel John Kaye Robert Gray Joseph Allen Diocese dissolved; see Bishop of Gloucester and Bristol
Bristol (1897)	George Forrest Browne George Nickson Clifford Woodward Frederick Cockin Oliver Tomkins John Tinsley Barry Rogerson Mike Hill Lee Rayfield (acting) Vivienne Faull

v t e Archdeacons of St Albans
Medieval	John Blebury John Hatfield William Alnwick/Alnewyke John Peyton John Hatfield Stephen London William Albon William of Wallingford Nicholas Boston John Rothebury John Thornton Thomas Newland/Newlonde Richard Runham John Stonewell/Stonywell John Killingworth John Albon John Mainard/Maynard Richard Runham Thomas Marshall Thomas Kyngesbury Egidius Ferrers Thomas Kingsbury/Kyngesbury William East/Este
Early modern	William Este James Dugdale David Kempe Giles Lawrence William Hutchinson Thomas Raymond Thomas Westfield Mark Frank Christopher Shute William Bell Edward Carter John Cole Lionel Gatford Philip Stubbs Fifield Allen John Cole James Ibbetson Samuel Horsley Joseph Pott Robert Hodgson John Watson William Hale Charles Burney Anthony Grant
Late modern	Walter Lawrance Kenneth Gibbs Arthur Parnell Aylmer Skelton Thomas Wood Charles Cockbill Basil Snell Peter Mumford David Farmbrough Edward Norfolk Philip Davies Richard Cheetham Helen Cunliffe Jonathan Smith Jane Mainwaring Charles Hudson

v t e The Westminster Assembly
Documents	Westminster Confession of Faith Westminster Larger Catechism Westminster Shorter Catechism Directory for Public Worship Form of Presbyterial Church Government
People	John Arrowsmith Simeon Ashe Robert Baillie Thomas Baylie Robert Blair Samuel Bolton John Bond William Bridge Ralph Brownrigg Anthony Burges Cornelius Burges Jeremiah Burroughs Adoniram Byfield Richard Byfield Edmund Calamy Archibald Campbell John Campbell Richard Capel Joseph Caryl Thomas Case Daniel Cawdry William Cecil Francis Cheynell John Clotworthy Thomas Coleman John Conant Edward Conway John Cook Edward Corbet Robert Crosse Robert Devereux Robert Douglas Calybute Downing John Dury John Earle John Elphinstone Daniel Featley Basil Feilding Nathaniel Fiennes William Fiennes Thomas Ford Thomas Gataker George Gillespie John Glynne Thomas Goodwin William Gouge William Greenhill William Grey John Hacket Matthew Hale Henry Hammond Robert Harley John Harris Robert Harris Arthur Haselrig Alexander Henderson Philip Herbert Charles Herle Thomas Hill Richard Holdsworth Edward Howard Joshua Hoyle Archibald Johnston John Ley John Lightfoot Richard Love William Lyford John Maitland Stephen Marshall John Maynard William Mew Edward Montagu George Morley Matthew Newcomen William Nicholson Philip Nye Herbert Palmer Algernon Percy Andrew Perne William Pierrepont John Pym Edward Reynolds Robert Reynolds Henry Rich Francis Rous Benjamin Rudyerd Samuel Rutherford Robert Sanderson Henry Scudder Lazarus Seaman Obadiah Sedgwick John Selden Josias Shute Sidrach Simpson William Spurstowe Edmund Staunton Peter Sterry Oliver St John (1580–1646) Oliver St John (1598–1673) William Strode William Strong Zouch Tate Henry Tozer Anthony Tuckney William Twisse Henry Vane the Elder Henry Vane the Younger Richard Vines George Walker Samuel Ward Thomas Westfield Philip Wharton Jeremiah Whitaker John White Bulstrode Whitelocke John Wilde Henry Wilkinson Walter Yonge Thomas Young
Westminster Abbey Jerusalem Chamber

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