ton, Somerset (Visitations of Essex, Harl. Soc., pt. i. pp. 427–8; Morant, Essex, Preface). He became an attorney of Clifford's Inn, and was afterwards made secondary of the king's bench and one of the clerks of the papers. He died at his country seat at Bocking, Essex, in 1653 (Administration Act, P. C. C., dated 13 May 1653). By his wife Elizabeth, daughter of Richard Lake of ‘Norton Horny’ (? Galby) Place, Leicestershire, who survived him, he had five sons and three daughters.
Availing himself of his access to legal records, Jekyll filled above forty volumes with valuable materials for the histories of Essex, Norfolk, and Suffolk (Gough, British Topography, i. 345). A portion of the Jekyll collection was included in the list of manuscripts belonging to John Ouseley, rector of Springfield, Essex, printed in the ‘Catalogi Librorum Manuscriptorum Angliæ,’ 1697 (ii. 103). After Ouseley's death these manuscripts came into the hands of the Rev. William Holbrook, his son-in-law, who in 1710 was willing to sell them to Harley, earl of Oxford (cf. Harl. MS. 3779). Other of Jekyll's papers passed to Jekyll's grandson, Nicholas Jekyll of Castle Hedingham, Essex. Holbrook is said to have subsequently communicated his part of the collection to William Holman [q. v.], who obtained additions from Nicholas Jekyll. Of two manuscript catalogues of the Jekyll MSS., drawn up by Holman in 1715, one is now in the library of All Souls' College, Oxford (No. 297), and the other is in the British Museum (Egerton MS. 2382, f. 153). Many of Jekyll's volumes ultimately found their way into the British Museum (see Harl. MSS. 3968, 4723, 5185, 5186, 5190, 5195, 6677, 6678, 6684, and 6685; various papers inserted in Harl. MSS. 6832 and 7017), and five folio volumes, containing very valuable materials for the history of Essex (Add. MSS. 19985–9). Morant by his own account had in his possession those Jekyll MSS. which had belonged to Ouseley, and made copious use of them (Nichols, Lit. Anecd. ii. 705).
An interesting letter from Jekyll to Sir Symonds D'Ewes, dated from Bocking on 19 Dec. 1641, is in Harleian MS. 376.
[Trans. of Essex Archæolog. Soc. ii. 152–3; Notes and Queries, 1st ser. xii. 454–5; Macray's Annals of Bodleian Library, 2nd edit. p. 238.]
JEKYLL, THOMAS (1646–1698), divine, born on 16 July 1646 in the parish of St. Stephen, Walbrook, London, was the eldest son of John Jekyll, dealer. He entered Merchant Taylors' School in 1652 (Register, ed. Robinson, i. 212), was admitted a commoner of Trinity College, Oxford, on 4 Sept. 1663, and graduated B.A. in 1667, and M.A. in 1670 (Wood, Fasti Oxon., ed. Bliss, ii. 297, 319). By 1674 he was vicar of Rowde, Wiltshire, by 1680 he had been presented by the Haberdashers' Company to Mr. Jones's lectureship at Newland, Gloucestershire, and by 1681 he was minister of the New Church in St. Margaret, Westminster. During the Roman catholic revival under James II he instituted a free school in connection with the New Church for the instruction of fifty poor children in the doctrines of the church of England and general knowledge. In 1694 he proceeded D.D. as a member of Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge (Graduati Cantabr. 1659–1823, p. 260). He died in October 1698, and was buried on the 7th in the New Church (Luttrell, Relation, 1857, iv. 436), when a funeral sermon was preached by his old friend John Williams, bishop of Chichester. There is an inscription to his memory written by himself. He left a widow, Elizabeth, and three sons and five daughters (will P. C. C. 216, Lort).
By desire of a patron Jekyll was accustomed when residing at Rowde to preach twice a year at Bristol. He incurred the enmity of an influential clergyman in that city, and on attempting to preach there on 31 Jan. 1675 he was mobbed, taken before the mayor, and accused of infamous crimes. To vindicate his reputation he published the sermons which he intended to have delivered as ‘Peace and Love recommended and persuaded,’ 4to, London, 1675. At Newland he gave dire offence by his sermon preached on fast day, 22 Dec. 1680, entitled ‘Popery a great Mystery of Iniquity,’ 4to, London, 1681, which he printed for the sake of such secure protestants ‘that will hardly believe there is a popish plot, or that ever it should take effect.’
Jekyll also published: 1. ‘True Religion makes the best Loyalty,’ 4to, London, 1682, a sermon prepared for the Duke of Monmouth and his followers, who intended to meet at St. Michael, Cornhill, on 21 April 1682, afterwards delivered at the New Church on Restoration day, 29 May following. 2. ‘A brief and plain Exposition of the Church Catechism (Prayers and Graces for children),’ 8vo, London, 1690 (another edit. 1696), composed for the use of his school.
[Wood's Athenæ Oxon. (Bliss), iv. 682–3.]
JELF, RICHARD WILLIAM (1798–1871), principal of King's College, London, born 25 Jan. 1798, was the second son of Sir
