MERDDIN, WYLLT (fl. 577), Welsh poet. [See Myrddin.]
MEREDITH, EDWARD (1648–1689?), Roman catholic controversialist, was son of Edward Meredith, rector of Landulph, Cornwall, in which county he was born in 1648. He was elected a king's scholar at Westminster School, and was elected to Christ Church, Oxford, in 1665. He left the university without having taken a degree in order to enter into the service of Sir William Godolphin, whom he accompanied on his embassy to Spain in the capacity of secretary. While in Spain he followed the example of his patron by professing himself a Roman catholic. On his return he took part in the current controversy between the Anglican and Roman churches. He was present at the singular conference between Tenison and Andrew Pulton the jesuit on 29 Sept. 1687. Tenison denied Meredith's competency to act as an umpire, one of his objections being that Meredith was converted when very young. The latter replied: ‘I know not what the Doctor calls young, but it was not 'till I had gone through one of the best and most careful schools in England, and spent above three years at the university, and as many in Spain.’ Some time after the revolution of 1688 Meredith went abroad, and, as Dodd was informed, died in Italy.
His works are: 1. ‘Some Remarques upon a late popular piece of Nonsense called Julian the Apostate [by the Rev. Samuel Johnson]. Together with a particular Vindication of His Royal Highness the Duke of York. … By a Lover of Truth, Vertue, and Justice,’ London, 1682, fol. 2. ‘A Journal of Meditations for every Day in the Year. Gathered out of divers Authors. Written first in Latin by N. B., and newly translated into English by E. M.,’ 3rd edition, London, 1687, 8vo. 3. ‘A Letter to Dr. E. S[tillingfleet] concerning his late Letter to Mr. G[odden] and the Account he gives of it in a Conference between Mr. G. and himself,’ London, 1687, 4to. 4. ‘Remarks on a late Conference between Andrew Pulton, Jesuit, and Thomas Tenison, D.D.,’ London, 1687, 4to. 5. ‘Some further Remarks on the late Account given by Dr. Tenison of his Conference with Mr. Pulton, wherein the Doctor's three exceptions against Edward Meredith are examined, &c.,’ London, 1688, 4to. James Harrington published anonymously ‘A Vindication of Protestant Charity, in answer to some passages in Mr. E. M[eredith's] Remarks on a late Conference,’ Oxford, 1688, 4to.
[Boase and Courtney's Bibl. Cornub. p. 348; Dodd's Church Hist. iii. 465; Jones's Popery Tracts, pp. 128, 137, 140, 434; Welch's Alumni Westmon. (Phillimore), p. 161; Wood's Athenæ Oxon. (Bliss), iv. 393, 653; Wood's Autobiog. (Bliss), p. xcv.]
MEREDITH, RICHARD (1550?–1597), bishop of Leighlin and Ferns, a native of Denbighshire, was a son of Robert Meredith ap Gronw and Margaret his wife, daughter of William John ap Gronw, and was nearly related to Richard Davies [q. v.], bishop of St. David's. He was born about 1550, and about 1568 matriculated at Oxford, probably from White Hall, in 1570 merged in Jesus College, from which he graduated B.A. on 4 March 1572–3, and M.A. on 1 June 1575. In 1578 he became prebendary of the collegiate church of Brecon; rector of Barton, Pembrokeshire, in 1578; vicar of Llanavon Vawr, Brecknockshire, in 1579; cursal prebendary of St. David's and rector of Angle or Nangle, Pembrokeshire, in 1580. In 1584 he was appointed chaplain to Sir John Perrot [q. v.], lord deputy of Ireland, and accompanied him to Dublin. By letters patent dated 13 June 1584 he was appointed dean of St. Patrick's. On 4 May 1586 he was presented to the living of Loughrea in the diocese of Clonfert, and also held the rectory of Killadorie in the diocese of Kildare. On 16 March 1586–7 he obtained license to visit England for four months. In 1589 he was promoted by patent dated 13 April to the see of Leighlin, which had been vacant for two years, and was consecrated by Adam Loftus [q. v.], archbishop of Dublin; he took possession on 30 April, holding his deanery in commendam, because the bishopric was not worth 50l. a year. Meredith rebuilt the see-house and surrounded it with a strong wall. Soon after Meredith's arrival in Ireland the question of diverting the revenues of St. Patrick's to establish a university at Dublin became the occasion of a bitter quarrel between Loftus and Perrot [see under Loftus, Adam, 1533?–1605]. Meredith sided with Perrot. He consequently shared in the odium which was lavished upon the lord-deputy, and was subsequently accused of complicity in the treasonable designs imputed to his patron (cf. Cal. State Papers, Ireland, 1588–92, pp. 313, 350). On 10 June 1590 orders were received for his conveyance to England. He crossed on 9 Aug., was tried in the Star-chamber, fined 2,000l., and was a prisoner in the Fleet in March 1590–1. In the following year the fine was remitted on Meredith's granting the queen an annuity of three hundred marks for ten years, which was assigned to the chief baron of the exchequer, chief justice of common pleas, and master of the rolls. On 30 Jan. 1593–4 Meredith was again fined
