Thomas Jollie

Thomas Jollie (1629–1703) was an English Dissenter, a minister ejected from the Church of England for his beliefs.

Thomas Jollie was born at Droylsden, near Manchester, on 14 September 1629, and baptised on 29 September at Gorton Chapel, then in the parish of Manchester. His father, Major James Jollie (1610–1666), was provost-marshal general of the forces in Lancashire (1642–7), and was nominated (2 October 1646) an elder for Gorton in the first or Manchester classis in the presbyterial arrangement for Lancashire, but did not act, being an independent. He married Elizabeth Hall (d February 1689, aged 92), widow, of Droylsden, whose daughter by the former marriage was wife of Adam Martindale. Thomas Jollie entered Trinity College, Cambridge, in 1645, two years earlier than Oliver Heywood, with whom he formed a lifelong friendship. He does not seem to have graduated.

Having received a unanimous call from the parishioners of Altham, a chapelry in the parish of Whalley, Lancashire, he settled there in September 1649. He formed at Altham despite opposition a gathered church, and ministered there with growing repute. Excommunication was practised in his church with no respect of persons. In 1655 Jennet, daughter of Robert Cunliffe, a member of parliament for Lancashire, was excommunicated for promising marriage to a papist (John Grimshaw) "against the advice of the church."

Jollie was one of twenty-one Lancashire ministers, presbyterian and independent, who met at Manchester on 13 July 1659 and subscribed ten articles of a proposed ‘accommodation’ between those two bodies. A further meeting was to have been held in the following September, but all such measures were broken off by the rising under George Booth, 1st Baron Delamer. After the Restoration Jollie got into trouble through not using the prayer-book. Arrested on a warrant from three deputy-lieutenants, he was discharged on taking the oath of supremacy. A second arrest was followed by an attempt to forcibly prevent his preaching. At length he was cited to the bishop's court at Chester, and after three appearances was condemned to suspension. His suspension was delayed by the death of his bishop, Henry Ferne, on 16 March 1662, but was carried into effect so as to prohibit him from preaching on 17 August. On the following Sunday (24 August) the Uniformity Act came into force, and Jollie resigned his living.

...
Wikipedia