Romaine, William

Romaine, William, an English divine and writer, was born at Hartlepool, county of Durham, Sept. 25, 1714, and was the son of a Frenlch Protestant who took refuge in England upon the revocation of the Edict of Nantes. Romaine attended school at Houghton-le-Spring for seven years, and then entered Hertford College, Oxford, in 1730 (or 1731), and thence removed to Christ Church. He took his degree of A.M. Oct. 15, 1737, having been ordained deacon the year before. He became curate of Loe Trenchard, Devonshire, in 1737; was ordained priest in 1738, and the same year curate of Banstead and Horton, Middlesex. In 1741 Daniel Lambert, lord mayor of London, appointed him chaplain. In 1748 he became lecturer of St. George's, Botolph Lane, and St. Botolph's, Billingsgate; and in the following year (1749) lecturer of St. Dustan's-in-the-West, which position he held until his death. In 1750 he was appointed assistant morning preacher at St. George's, Hanover Square, and continued until 1756; in 1752 professor of astronomy in Gresham College; curate and morning preacher at St. Olave's, Southwark, in 1756-1759; morning preacher at St. Bartholomew the Great, near West Smithfield, 1759, for nearly two years; chosen rector of St. Andrew Wardrobe, and St. Ann's, Blackfriars, 1764, an election which was disputed, but confirmed by the Court of Chancery in 1766. In the duties of this office he continued faithfully employed until his death, July 26, 1795. Romaine's best known works are, Practical Commentaries on Psalm cvii (Lond. 1747): — The Lord our Righteousness, two sermons (ibid. 1757, 8vo): — Twelve Sermons on Solomon's Song (ibid. 1758-59, 8vo): — The Life of Faith (ibid. 1763): — Scripture Doctrine of the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper (ibid. 1765): — Walk of Faith (ibid. 1771, 2 vols.): — Essay on Psalmody (ibid. 1775). See Allibone, Dict. of Brit. and Amer. Authors, s.v.; Darling, Cyclop. Bibliog. s.v.