Editing John Bampton

{{Short description|English churchman (1690–1751)}}
{{For|the 14th-century theologian|John Bampton (theologian)}}
'''John Bampton''' (1690{{snd}}2 June 1751) was an English [[Clergy|churchman]] who founded the [[Bampton Lectures]] at the [[University of Oxford]].

==Biography==
Bampton's father was Jasper Bampton of Salisbury.<ref name="Ox">{{alox1|title=Bampton, John (2)}}</ref> In 1705 at age 16 he was admitted to [[Trinity College, Oxford]], where he graduated B.A. in 1709, M.A. in 1712.<ref name="Ox"/> He was rector of [[Stratford Tony]], Wiltshire, and simultaneously a [[prebendary]] of [[Salisbury Cathedral|Salisbury]], from April 1718 until his death in 1751.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Bampton, John (1712–1751) |url=https://theclergydatabase.org.uk/jsp/persons/CreatePersonFrames.jsp?PersonID=6887 |access-date=28 February 2023 |website=Clergy of the Church of England Database |publisher=King’s College London}}</ref><ref name=DECH>Sidney Leslie Ollard (editor) (1912), ''Dictionary of English Church History'', article Bampton, John, p. 36.</ref>

==Will establishing lectures==
He is now remembered chiefly because of the contents of his [[Will (law)|will]], which directs that eight lectures shall be delivered annually at [[Oxford]] in the [[University Church, Oxford|University Church]] on as many Sunday mornings in full term, "between the commencement of the last month in [[Lent]] term and the end of the third week in Act term, upon either of the following subjects: to confirm and establish the Christian faith, and to confute all heretics and schismatics; upon the divine authority of the Holy Scriptures; upon the authority of the writings of the primitive fathers, as to the faith and practice of the primitive Church; upon the divinity of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ; upon the divinity of the Holy Ghost; upon the articles of the Christian faith as comprehended in the [[Twelve Apostles|Apostles]] and [[Nicene Creed]]s."<ref name=":0">{{Cite DNB|wstitle=Bampton, John_(d.1751)|first=Thompson|last=Cooper|volume=3}}</ref>

The bequest did not take effect until 1779, when the first lecturer was chosen.<ref name=":0" />

The lecturer, who must be at least a Master of Arts of [[University of Oxford|Oxford]] or [[University of Cambridge|Cambridge]], was formerly chosen yearly by the heads of colleges, on the fourth Tuesday in [[Easter]] term, and no one can be chosen a second time. The [[Bampton Lectures]], as they are known, began in 1780, and are still held, but have been biennial since 1901. The lectures have to be published within two months of their delivery.<ref name="EB1911">{{EB1911|inline=1|wstitle=Bampton, John|volume=3|page=305}}</ref>

==Background to the benefaction==
{{Infobox UK legislation
| short_title           = Oxford University and Earl of Radnor's Estates Act 1805
| type                  = Act
| parliament            = Parliament of the United Kingdom
| long_title            = An Act for effectuating an Exchange between the Chancellor, Masters and Scholars of the University of Oxford and the Right Honourable Jacob Earl of Radnor.
| year                  = 1805
| citation              = [[45 Geo. 3]]. c. lxxxii
| introduced_commons    = 
| introduced_lords      = 
| territorial_extent    = 
| royal_assent          = 27 June 1805
| commencement          = 
| expiry_date           = 
| repeal_date           = 
| amends                = 
| replaces              = 
| amendments            = 
| repealing_legislation = 
| related_legislation   = 
| status                = 
| legislation_history   = 
| theyworkforyou        = 
| millbankhansard       = 
| original_text         = https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukla/Geo3/45/82/pdfs/ukla_18050082_en.pdf
| revised_text          = 
| use_new_UK-LEG        = 
| UK-LEG_title          = 
| collapsed             = yes
}}
Bampton owned Nunton Farm, in southern Wiltshire near his parish, comprising land in [[Nunton]], [[Downton, Wiltshire|Downton]], and [[Britford]]. [[Jacob Bouverie, 1st Viscount Folkestone]] wished to purchase it for his estate at [[Longford Castle]] which is just north-east of Nunton. Bampton was unwilling to sell, a dispute arose, and to put the land beyond Folkestone's reach, Bampton left it to the University of Oxford, which took possession around 1778 after his wife had died. Eventually [[Jacob Pleydell-Bouverie, 2nd Earl of Radnor]], Folkestone's grandson, made an exchange in 1805 with the university of Nunton Farm for the Tinkersole estate at [[Wing, Buckinghamshire]], backed by a local act of Parliament, the '''{{visible anchor|Oxford University and Earl of Radnor's Estates Act 1805}}''' ([[45 Geo. 3]]. c. lxxxii).<ref name=DECH/>

==Sarum lectures==
A second series of lectures, not restricted to Anglican theologians, was established with the Bampton fund in 1952.<ref>{{ODNBweb|id=1264|title=Bampton, John|first=Philip|last=Carter}}</ref> The first Sarum lecturer was appointed for 1954; the lectureship was discontinued in 1995.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bodley.ox.ac.uk/dept/scwmss/wmss/online/single-items/miscellaneous/miscellaneous.html|title=S.I. Misc.|website=www.bodley.ox.ac.uk}}</ref> The subsequent annual series of Sarum Theological Lectures are unconnected, being organised by [[Sarum College]] and taking place in [[Salisbury Cathedral]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.salisbury.anglican.org/news/renowned-scholar-arrives|title=Renowned Scholar Arrives|first=Michael|last=Ford|publisher=|via=www.salisbury.anglican.org|access-date=2019-02-08|archive-date=2019-02-09|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190209123900/https://www.salisbury.anglican.org/news/renowned-scholar-arrives|url-status=dead}}</ref>

;Sarum Lecturers at Oxford
{{expand list|date=September 2011}}
*1954 [[C. H. Dodd]], ''Historical Tradition in the Fourth Gospel''
*1958 Fernando Capelle
*1960 [[A. N. Sherwin-White]], ''Roman Society and Roman Law in the New Testament''
*1964 [[David Knowles (scholar)|David Knowles]], ''From Pachomius to Ignatius: A Study in the Constitutional History of the Religious Orders''
*1966 [[Basil Edward Butler]],<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bellenger |first=Aidan |date= |title=A Short Biography of Bishop B. C. Butler |url=http://vatican2voice.org/3aboutbutler/bellenger.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303235707/http://vatican2voice.org/3aboutbutler/bellenger.htm |archive-date=3 March 2016 |website=Vatican II |via=Internet Archive}}</ref> ''The Theology of Vatican II''
*1968 [[Alec Vidler]], ''A Variety of Catholic Modernists''
*1971 [[H. H. Price]], ''Essays in the Philosophy of Religion''<ref>Price, H. H. 1972. ''Essays in the Philosophy of Religion: Based on the Sarum Lectures, 1971''. Oxford: Clarendon Press.</ref>
*1972 [[Edward Yarnold]], ''Second Gift: Study of Grace''<ref>{{ODNBweb|id=77190|title=Yarnold, Edward John|first=Anthony|last=Meredith}}</ref>
*1976 John S. Donne, ''The Reasons of the Heart''
*1980 [[Schubert Ogden]], ''The Point of Christology''
*1982 [[Henry Chadwick (theologian)|Henry Chadwick]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/the-rev-professor-henry-chadwick-historian-of-the-early-church-who-held-the-regius-chairs-of-851641.html|title=The Rev Professor Henry Chadwick: Historian of the early Church who|date=21 June 2008|website=The Independent}}</ref> on St Augustine of Hippo
*1986 [[Gordon D. Kaufman]]
*1990 [[Raymond Plant, Baron Plant of Highfield|Raymond Plant]], published in ''Politics, Theology and History''
*1992 [[Basil Mitchell (academic)|Basil Mitchell]], ''Faith and Criticism''
*1995–6 David Martin, published as ''Does Christianity Cause War?''<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.britsoc.co.uk/Library/issue82.pdf |title=Archived copy |accessdate=2011-09-09 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20030911173631/http://www.britsoc.co.uk/Library/issue82.pdf |archivedate=2003-09-11 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://journals.lib.unb.ca/index.php/JCS|title=Journal of Conflict Studies|website=journals.lib.unb.ca}}</ref>

==Notes==
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Bampton, John}}
[[Category:1690 births]]
[[Category:1751 deaths]]
[[Category:Alumni of Trinity College, Oxford]]