John Hildrop
John Hildrop | |
|---|---|
| Born | 30 December 1682 |
| Died | 18 January 1756(aged 73) |
| Occupation(s) | Cleric, writer |
John Hildrop(30 December 1682 – 18 January 1756) was an Englishcleric,known as a religious writer and essayist. Hildrop authored one of the earliest works onanimal rights.
Life
[edit]Hildrop was born inPetersfield, Hampshire,the son of William Hildrop.[1]He was educated atSt John's College, Oxford,where he graduated B.A. on 7 July 1702, M.A. on 8 June 1705, B.D. and D.D. on 9 June 1743.[2]
On 14 April 1703 Hildrop was presented to the mastership of theMarlborough Royal Free Grammar SchoolbyThomas Bruce, 2nd Earl of Ailesbury;he was also rector ofMaulden,Bedfordshire.He resigned the mastership on 4 December 1733, and the rectory on 23 March 1734. On 13 April 1734 he was instituted to the rectory ofWath-juxta-Riponon the presentation ofCharles, Lord Bruce,whose chaplain he was.[2]
In 1740 Hildrop became one of the regular contributors to theWeekly Miscellany.He died on 18 January 1756. He was a friend and correspondent ofZachary Grey.[2]
Animal rights
[edit]Hildrop authoredThoughts Upon the Brute-Creation,in 1742. The book aimed to defend animals against abuse and to demonstrate their place in Biblical creation. The book strongly criticized and rejected the view held by French JesuitGuillaume-Hyacinthe Bougeantthat animals have no reason, moral status or souls.[3]
It has been described as the "earliest premodern zoophile treatise" and "one of the earliest pleas for animal rights".[3][4]
Works
[edit]Under the pseudonyms "Phileleutherus Britannicus" and "Timothy Hooker", and anonymously, Hildrop published satirical essays, mainly directed against theDeists.Some of these were reprinted asThe Miscellaneous Works of John Hildrop, D.D.,London, 1754, 2 vols. and comprise:[2]
- An Essay for the better Regulation and Improvement of Free-Thinking.
- An Essay on Honour.
- Free Thoughts upon the Brute Creation or an Examination of Father Bougeant's "Philosophical Amusement",an attempt to prove that lower animals have souls in a state of degradation consequent upon the fall of man.
- A Modest Apology for the Ancient and Honourable Family of the Wrongheads.
- A Letter to a Member of Parliament containing a Proposal for bringing in a Bill to revise, amend, or repeal certain obsolete Statutes commonly called the Ten Commandments.This is ajeu d'esprit,on its first appearance attributed toJonathan Swift.It was reprinted in 1834, London.
- The Contempt of the Clergy considered,an argument for the removal of the Church from state control.
- Some Memoirs of the Life of Simon Shallow.
Other work by Hildrop are:[2]
- Reflections upon Reason,London, 1722, a satire onfree-thinking,attributed at first toFrancis Gastrell,and discussed byThomas MorganinEnthusiasm in Distress,London, 1722.
- A Caveat against Popery; being a seasonable Preservative against Romish Delusions and Jacobitism now industriously spread throughout the Nation,London, 1735.
- A Commentary upon the Second Psalm,London, 1742.
Notes
[edit]- ^Levin, Adam Jacob. "Hildrop, John".Oxford Dictionary of National Biography(online ed.). Oxford University Press.doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/13262.(Subscription orUK public library membershiprequired.)
- ^abcdeStephen, Leslie;Lee, Sidney,eds. (1891)..Dictionary of National Biography.Vol. 26. London: Smith, Elder & Co.
- ^abBekoff, Marc; Meaney, Carron A. (1998).Encyclopedia of Animal Rights and Animal Welfare.Routledge. p. 188.ISBN1-57958-082-3
- ^Perkins, David. (2003).Romanticism and Animal Rights.Cambridge University Press. p. 28.ISBN0-521-82941-0
External links
[edit]- Attribution
This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain:Stephen, Leslie;Lee, Sidney,eds. (1891). "Hildrop, John".Dictionary of National Biography.Vol. 26. London: Smith, Elder & Co.
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