# Walter Cradock

> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Walter_Cradock
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Walter_Cradock.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Cradock
> Source revision: 1235361897
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

Welsh Anglican clergyman

"Walter Craddock" redirects here. For the American baseball pitcher, see [Walt Craddock](/source/Walt_Craddock).

Walter Cradock Born 1606 (1606) Died 1659(1659-00-00) (aged 52–53) Other names Craddock, Cradoc Occupation Welsh Anglican clergyman

**Walter Cradock** (Craddock, Cradoc) (c. 1606 – 1659) was a Welsh [Anglican](/source/Anglican) clergyman, who became a travelling [evangelical](/source/Evangelicalism) preacher. He was a founder of the first [Independent](/source/Independent_(religion)) church in Wales in 1638, at [Llanvaches](/source/Llanvaches), with [William Wroth](/source/William_Wroth) and [William Thomas](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=William_Thomas_(Baptist)&action=edit&redlink=1), an early Baptist.

## Life

He was born at [Trefela](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Trefela&action=edit&redlink=1), near [Llangwm, Monmouthshire](/source/Llangwm%2C_Monmouthshire), and is believed to have been educated at the [University of Oxford](/source/University_of_Oxford). His first position was as a curate, at [Peterston-super-Ely](/source/Peterston-super-Ely), [Glamorgan](/source/Glamorgan).[1]

In 1633 [William Erbery](/source/William_Erbery), Vicar of St.Mary's, Cardiff, Cradock his curate there, and William Wroth, were reported to [William Laud](/source/William_Laud), and the [Court of High Commission](/source/Court_of_High_Commission) turned them out for unorthodox preaching, and on the technical grounds and acid test of orthodoxy, of refusing to read the [Book of Sports](/source/Book_of_Sports).[2] From late in 1634 Cradock spent almost a year in [Wrexham](/source/Wrexham), preaching, and making a convert of [Morgan Llwyd](/source/Morgan_Llwyd).[3] From there Cradock had to move to [Herefordshire](/source/Herefordshire), where he met [Vavasor Powell](/source/Vavasor_Powell). With [John Miles](/source/John_Myles_(minister)), Cradock, Erbery, Powell, and Llwyd are the group of recognised Puritan leaders, who founded the later Welsh [Nonconformist](/source/Nonconformist_(Protestantism)) congregations, whether [Baptist](/source/Baptist), [Congregationalist](/source/Congregationalist), [Presbyterian](/source/Presbyterian) or [Quaker](/source/Quaker).[4]

He was also at [Shrewsbury](/source/Shrewsbury) at this period. [Sir Robert Harley](/source/Robert_Harley_(1579%E2%80%931656)), of [Brampton Bryan](/source/Brampton_Bryan), Herefordshire, took Cradock in, during 1639.[5] He moved on to [Llanfair Waterdine](/source/Llanfair_Waterdine), and an independent congregation there. On the outbreak of the [English Civil War](/source/English_Civil_War) the Llanvaches congregation, an independent [conventicle](/source/Conventicle), moved with Cradock to [Bristol](/source/Bristol), where there was an independent church at [Broadmead](/source/Broadmead). Since royalist forces then occupied Bristol, in 1643, some moved again to London, and made contact with [Henry Jessey](/source/Henry_Jessey), who had been a supporter of the congregation from the start; Cradock preached with Jessey at [All-Hallows-the-Great](/source/All-Hallows-the-Great).[6][7]

In 1641 Cradock was in the group of preachers for Wales authorized by the [Long Parliament](/source/Long_Parliament) : others were Erbery, [Ambrose Mostyn](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ambrose_Mostyn&action=edit&redlink=1), [Richard Symonds](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Richard_Symonds_(minister)&action=edit&redlink=1), and [Henry Walter](/source/Henry_Walter_(priest)). These Welsh radicals formed a tight and effective lobbying group, and held together until the mid-1650s.[5] Parliament renewed similar authority, in 1645 and 1646, with funding;[8][9] it was also specified that Symonds, Henry Walter and Cradock should preach in Welsh.[10] Cradock had already shown he could do that in 1645, preaching to captured royalist Welshman after the [battle of Naseby](/source/Battle_of_Naseby).[11]

He was one of the “Welsh saints”, who commanded troops of [Thomas Harrison](/source/Thomas_Harrison_(soldier)) with Vavasor Powell and [Jenkin Jones](/source/Jenkin_Jones_(captain)).[12] He was later appointed the regular preacher to [Barebone's Parliament](/source/Barebone's_Parliament), at [St. Margaret's, Westminster](/source/St._Margaret's%2C_Westminster).[13]

He was a supporter of [Oliver Cromwell](/source/Oliver_Cromwell), and when controversy arose over Cromwell's [Protectorate](/source/The_Protectorate), he condemned Vavasor Powell's anti-Cromwell pamphlet *The Word of God*. The majority of the Welsh Puritan group of which he had been a founder agreed with him.[14] He withdrew, to a living at Llangwm.[1]

## Works

- *The Saints Fulnesse of Joy* (1646)

- *Gospel-Libertie* (1648)

- *Mount Sion or the Privilege and Practice of the Saints* (1649)

- *Divine Drops* (1650)

- *Gospel-Holinesse* (1655)

## Notes

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-NLW_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-NLW_1-1) ["CRADOC, WALTER (1610? - 1659), Puritan theologian"](https://biography.wales/article/s-CRAD-WAL-1610). *[Dictionary of Welsh Biography](/source/Dictionary_of_Welsh_Biography)*. [National Library of Wales](/source/National_Library_of_Wales). Retrieved 4 April 2014.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** Gareth Elwyn Jones. *Modern Wales: A Concise History* (1994), p. 120.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** Thomas Allen Glenn, Merion in the Welsh Tract: (1970), p. 262.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** John T. Koch, *Celtic Culture: A Historical Encyclopedia* (2006), p. 422.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-LP_5-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-LP_5-1) ["Dorion Cymmro Blog"](http://www.cymmrodorion1751.org.uk/pages/publications/religious.html). cymmrodorion1751.org.uk. Retrieved 22 January 2014.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** Claire Cross, *Church and People: England, 1450–1660* (1999), p. 183.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-caerwentcom_7-0)** ["Oct 07 Newsletter"](https://web.archive.org/web/20110708111347/http://www.caerwentcom.com/394%20October%20Caerwent%20Newsletter%20Woe%20Unto%20Me%20Part%20III%20(2).htm). Archived from [the original](http://www.caerwentcom.com/394%20October%20Caerwent%20Newsletter%20Woe%20Unto%20Me%20Part%20III%20(2).htm) on 8 July 2011. Retrieved 4 April 2014.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-british-history_8-0)** ["House of Lords Journal Volume 8 – 17 November 1646 | Journal of the House of Lords: volume 8 (pp. 568–569)"](http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=34139). british-history.ac.uk. Retrieved 4 April 2014.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-british-history2_9-0)** ["House of Commons Journal Volume 4 – 22 July 1646 | Journal of the House of Commons: volume 4 (pp. 621–624)"](http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=23746). british-history.ac.uk. Retrieved 4 April 2014.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-llgc_10-0)** ["SYMONDS, RICHARD (1609 - ?), Puritan preacher"](https://biography.wales/article/s-SYMO-RIC-1609). *[Dictionary of Welsh Biography](/source/Dictionary_of_Welsh_Biography)*. [National Library of Wales](/source/National_Library_of_Wales). Retrieved 22 January 2014.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-11)** [Christopher Hill](/source/Christopher_Hill_(historian)), *Change and Continuity in 17th Century England* (1974), p. 26.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-12)** [Austin Woolrych](/source/Austin_Woolrych), *Commonwealth to Protectorate* (1982), p. 11.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-13)** Austin Woolrych, *Commonwealth to Protectorate* (1982), p. 241.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-14)** Gareth Elwyn Jones. *Modern Wales: A Concise History* (1994), p. 123.

## External links

- [*Brief Biographical Information & Book entitled MOUNT SION, 1648 & Glad Tidings, 1648.*](http://www.sovereignredeemerbooks.com/views/books/book-list.php?author=walter-cradock)

## Further reading

- Geoffrey F. Nuttall, *The Welsh Saints 1640–1660: Walter Cradock, Vavasor Powell, Morgan Llwyd* (Cardiff, 1957)

- T. Charles, T.; D. Oliver. *The works of the late Rev. Walter Cradock, with a short account of his life* (Chester, 1800)

Authority control databases International ISNI VIAF GND FAST WorldCat National United States Netherlands Other Open Library SNAC Yale LUX

---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Walter Cradock](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Cradock) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Cradock?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.