Theodosia Alleine

Theodosia Alleine ( – 1685) was an English nonconformist writer.

Theodosia Alleine
Died1685
Occupationnon conformist writer
NationalityKingdom of England
Genrebiography

Life

Her birth date is unknown but she was brought up in Batcombe, Somerset where her father, Richard Alleine was the minister. He had two wives and Theodosia's mother cannot be identified. After the Restoration her father and his brother became non-conformist ministers.[1]

St Mary Magdalene, Taunton in 1796

She had met a young man named Joseph Alleine. In 1654 he had offers of employment which he declined. The following year, George Newton of St Mary Magdalene, Taunton sought him for his assistant. Newton had been appointed one of the assistants of the commissioners for ejecting scandalous ministers in Somerset by the First Protectorate Parliament.[2] Alleine accepted the offer and the marriage was arranged. Theodosia is presumed to be his cousin but it is not known how close a cousin she was.[1] She was said to have been "bred to work" and she soon opened a boarding school at George Newton's house and the school had twenty and sometimes thirty boarders.[1]

In 1663 Josep's ministry was not approved and he was imprisoned and Theodosia stood by him during that year at Ilchester; he was released on 26 May 1664. In 1665 the Five Mile Act was passed, requiring expelled ministers to move at least five miles from their former parishes. Joseph and Theodosia moved to a house in an "obscure place" at Wellington, near Taunton. However they were still harassed and they stayed with friends and moved again to Taunton, Fullands. That house is said to be still extant and was the home of John Mallack. There they held another "secret" service and Richard was again arrested in July 1655.[1]

When her husband died, his life was celebrated by the creation of a book with several contributors. Alleine submitted a biography of her husband. She had expected that this would be a draft "for a better hand" but her account was well regarded and taken verbatim[1] and she was credited when it was published as An Account of the Life and Death of That Excellent Minister of Christ, the Rev. Joseph Alleine. Written by Richard Baxter, Theodosia Alleine, and Other Persons, to Which are Added His Christian Letters.[3] Her husband was buried in his schurch in Taunton and Theodosia remarried.[4]

References
  1. "Alleine, Theodosia (fl. 1654–1677), nonconformist writer". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. 2004. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/67079. Retrieved 2020-09-30. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  2. Roots, Ivan (2004). "Newton, George (1601/2–1681), clergyman and ejected minister". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/20054. Retrieved 2020-09-30. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  3. Baxter, Richard; Alleine, Joseph; Alleine, Theodosia (2018-10-13). An Account of the Life and Death of That Excellent Minister of Christ, the Rev. Joseph Alleine. Written by Richard Baxter, Theodosia Alleine, and Other Persons, to Which are Added His Christian Lelters. Creative Media Partners, LLC. ISBN 978-0-342-84842-3.
  4. The Gentleman's Magazine. 1801.
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