HAMMOND, Henry (1605-1660), a learned royalist divine of the Church of England, was born at Chertsey in Surrey, August 18, 1605. He was educated at Eton, whence in his fourteenth year he passed to Magdalen College, Oxford, becoming demy or scholar in 1619, and fellow in 1625. After graduating in arts he turned his attention to divinity; in 1629 he entered holy orders, and in 1631 became bachelor of divinity. Two years afterwards, in preaching before the court, he won the approval of the earl of Leicester, who in the same year presented him to the living of Penshurst in Kent. Hammond received his doctor’s degree in 1639, and in 1643 was promoted to the dignity of archdeacon of Chichester. He was a member of the convocation of 1640, and also, but nominally only, of the Westminster Assembly of divines, which began its sittings in 1643. In the latter year Dr Hammond was concerned in the unsuccessful rising at Tunbridge in favour of King Charles I., and was obliged to flee in disguise to Oxford, then the royal headquarters. There he spent much of his time in writing, though he accompanied the king’s commissioners to London, and afterwards to the ineffectual convention at Uxbridge in 1645, where he disputed with the Presbyterian Vines. In his absence he was appointed canon of Christ Church and public orator of the university. These dignities he relinquished for a time in order to attend the king as chaplain during his captivity in the hands of the parliament. When Charles was deprived of all his loyal attendants at Christmas 1647, Hammond returned to Oxford and was made subdean of Christ Church, only, however, to be removed from all his offices in 1648 by the parliamentary visitors, who imprisoned him for ten weeks. Afterwards he was permitted, though still under ...