The history of the town of Dorchester, Massachusetts, By a committee of the Dorchester antiquarian and historical society ...

214 HISTORY OF DORCHESTER.
school. Shortly after, iRichard was solicited to keep
school at Toxteth, where he removed in 1611, and was
" found fit to be a schoolmaster at fifteen years of
age." After he had kept school awhile, he entered
Brazen-nose College, at Oxford, and before he had
spent as much time there as he desired, he received
a call to preach the gospel at Toxteth, where he had
formerly kept school. This call he accepted. He
preached his first sermon Nov. 30, 1618, and " there
was a very great concourse of people to hear him."
He received Episcopal ordination, by the hands of
Dr. Morton, Bishop of Chester, after the mode of
those times." He had previously shown a disposition to nonononformity, but was strongly urged to
accept of ordination in the usual way, because he
could not otherwise continue with them. As with
others among his cotemporaries, non-conformity grew
upon him, and he was too conscientious to confine
himself to the observance of religious forms which
he in heart despised. Sept. 29th, 1624, he married
Katharine, daughter of Edmund Hoult, Esq., of
Bury, but it was some time before the father would
consent to it, he having a prejudice against " nonconformable Puritans." She vwas the mother of six
sons: viz., Samuel, Timothy, Nathaniel and Joseph,
born in England; and Eleazer and Increase, born
here. His reputation spread as a preacher, and besides officiating on Sundays. at Toxteth, " he kept a
lecture at Prescot," and preached in various other
places, and often'at funerals. His lecture at Prescot
caused no little excitement; and in August, 1633,
complaints were made against him for non-conformity,