View source for Richard Allestree 1621/2-1681

__NOTITLE__
===[[name::Richard]] [[name::ALLESTREE]] [[date of birth::1621;1622|1621/2]]-[[date of death::1681|81]]===

====Biographical Note====
Born at [[place of birth::Uppington]], near [[location::the Wrekin]], [[location::Shropshire]]. Son of [[family::Richard Allestree]], a [[occupation::steward]] to [[associates::Sir Richard Newport]]. BA [[education::Christ Church , Oxford]] 1640. In 1642 Allestree joined the royalist troop raised in [[location::Oxford]] by [[associates::Sir John Byron]] and was present at the battle of Kineton Field. He was seized by a parliamentarian force on his return to [[location::Oxford]], but was released when that garrison surrendered to the royalists. He returned to [[organisations::Christ Church , Oxford|Christ Church]] by October that year and became [[occupation::censor]] of [[organisations::Christ Church , Oxford|Christ Church]], but was expelled from the university after refusing to submit to the authority of the parliamentarian visitors in 1648. 

Allestree became [[occupation::chaplain]] to [[associates::Francis Newport]] and was sent to [[location::France]] to resolve the affairs of his father, [[associates::Sir Richard Newport|Lord Newport]] (Sir Richard Newport). Returning to [[location::England]], he stayed with [[associates::the Newport family]] in [[location::Shropshire]] until the royalists were defeated at the battle of Worcester. He then returned to [[location::France]] to take royalist dispatches to [[associates::Charles II|Charles Stuart]]. During the interregnum Allestree, [[associates::John Dolben]] and [[crossreference::John Fell]] read the common prayer of the Church of England in private at [[location::Beam Hall]], [[location::Merton Street]].  

After the Restoration Allestree was elected a [[occupation::canon]] and, alongside [[associates::John Dolben|Dolben]] and [[associates::John Fell|Fell]], was created DD by royal mandate. He served as treasurer of [[organisations::Christ Church, Oxford|Christ Church]] and was made [[occupation::Chaplain-in-ordinary]] to the king, [[occupation::Regius Professor]] of Divinity at the [[organisations::University of Oxford|University]] 1663, and [[occupation::provost]] of [[organisations::Eton College]] 1665. Allestree is the likely [[author::author]] of the anonymous devotional manual [[book title::''The Whole Duty of Man'']] ([[date of publication::1657]]). 

====Books====
Allestree [[bequest::bequeathed]] his library of ca.3500 books to the care of [[beneficiary::Christ Church, Oxford]], for the use of the [[occupation::Regius Professor]].

====Sources====
<div id="sourcelist"> 
*Hiscock, W. ''A Christ Church miscellany'', 1946, 14-15.  
*Purcell, M. ‘Useful weapons for the defence of that cause’: Richard Allestree, John Fell and the foundation of the Allestree Library, ''The Library'' 6th ser 21 (1999), 124-47.
*Spurr, John. [https://doi.org/10.1093/ref:odnb/395 "Allestree, Richard (1621/2–1681), Church of England clergyman."] ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography''. 
</div>

{{DEFAULTSORT:Allestree, Richard}}

[[Category:Academics]]
[[Category:Libraries Bequeathed to Institutions]]
[[Category:Royal Chaplains]]
[[Category:All Owners]]