Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Meredith, Edward
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.]