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Francis Tallents was an Englishman of French Huguenot ancestry. After his father’s death, he was educated in the free schools at both Mansfield and Newark in Nottinghamshire. In 1635, he matriculated at Peterhouse in Cambridge but later moved to Magdalene to become sub-tutor to the sons of Theophilus Howard, 2nd earl of Suffolk. He later became a fellow and tutor Magdalene. In 1648, he was ordained as a Presbyterian minister at St. Mary’s Woolnoth in London, and the following year, was authorized to preach without an episcopal license (one of only twelve so chosen). In 1653, Tallents became lecturer and curate at St. Mary’s at the invitation of the mayor and aldermen of Shrewsbury. After the passage of the Act of Uniformity, 1662, Tallents was among those ejected from their positions and was imprisoned for a time in Shrewsbury Castle when he continued to preach. After that, he attended worship at St. Mary’s but preached “at different hours.” From 1671 to 1674, he lived near Paris with his student, John Hampden the Younger. Upon his return to England, he ministered to the Presbyterians at Oliver Chapel in Shrewsbury. In December 1680 he was accused of holding a conventicle, but because he had spent the winter in France, he was able to disprove the charge. After the rebellion of James Scott, 1st Duke of Monmouth, against James II in 1685, Tallents was suspected of involvement and imprisoned in Chester Castle. However, the king freed him in September 1686 during a visit to Shrewsbury, and Tallents joined with those who presented the king a purse of gold in gratitude. Tallents was married four times but had only one child, Francis, born to the first wife, Anne Lomax, daughter of Gervase Lomax. (Source: Dictionary of National Biography)
Inscription
Composed in Latin by Francis Tallents himself, the date of death left open, here translated:
Here lie the remains
Of Mr FRANCIS TALLENTs
Formerly Senior Fellow
Of Magdalen College, Cambridge,
And afterwards minister in this church
From the year 1652 to August 24, 1662.
After various labours
He left the world
Expecting the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ,
April 11, 1708,
In the 89th year of his age |
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