Josias Shute (also Josiah) (1588?1643) was an English churchman, for many years rector of St Mary Woolnoth in London, archdeacon of Colchester , and elected a member of the Westminster Assembly .

Life [ edit ]

He was the son of Christopher Shute , vicar of Giggleswick , Yorkshire , where he was born. After receiving his education at Giggleswick School , he went on to attend Trinity College, Cambridge , where he graduated B.A. 1605, and M.A. 1609. ^[1] He was instituted on 29 November 1611, on the presentation of James I, to the rectory of St. Mary Woolnoth, Lombard Street , where his learned preaching was appreciated by the royalist party. He remained there for thirty-three years.

From about June 1632 Shute acted as chaplain to the East India Company , preached thanksgiving and other sermons for them at St. Helena , and protested against the reduction of mariners' wages. Shute was appointed by Charles I to the archdeaconry of Colchester on 15 April 1642, and was chosen on 14 June 1643 by the houses of parliament a member of the Westminster Assembly of divines, but died on 13 June 1643, before the first sitting. He was buried in St. Mary Woolnoth on the 14th. Thomas Fuller , quoting the tract Persecutio Undecima (1648), says he was 'molested and vext to death by the rebels,' and that he was denied a funeral sermon by Richard Holdsworth as he wished. One was, however, preached by Ephraim Udall . Shute married, on 25 April 1614, at St. Mary Woolnoth, Elizabeth Glanvild (Glanville) of the parish, but had no issue.

There is a boy's house at Giggleswick School named in his honour. ^[2] Famous alumni of Shute House include Will Nicklin and John Sturgess. ^[3]

Works [ edit ]

Shute was a Hebrew scholar. His manuscripts, left in the hands of his brother, Timothy Shute of Exeter, were published posthumously:

• Divine Cordial Is delivered in Ten Sermons, London, 1644, edited by William Reynolds .
• Judgement and Mercy, or the Plague of Frogges inflicted removed, in nine sermons, to which is added his funeral sermon, London, 1645.
• Sarah and Hagar, xix Sermons on Genesis xvi., London, 1649, published by Edward Sparke .

References [ edit ]

Attribution

•  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain :  " Shute, Josias ". Dictionary of National Biography . London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885?1900.