Mead, Matthew (1629-01-01 - 1699-10-16)

Matthew Mead (1628/9-1699) was a clergyman and ejected minister. He was born at Leighton Buzzard, the second son of Richard Meade of Mursely, Buckinghamshire, and his wife, Joane. He studied at Eton College (1645-1648) and was elected a scholar at King's College, Cambridge. He was admitted as a fellow on 6 August 1649, resigning on 6 June 1651. Mead married Elizabeth Walton (d. 1707) in 1655, the year in which he also became morning lecturer at St Dunstan and All Saints, Stepney. He was appointed curate of New Chapel, Shadwell, in 1658, and in the following year took up a lectureship at St Bride's, Fleet Street. He acquired a lectureship at St Sepulchre, Holborn but was ejected in 1662. Mead succeeded William Greenhill as pastor of the Independent church at Stepney in 1671. He then succeeded John Owen as lecturer at Pinner's Hall, London, in 1683, a position which he held until his death on 16 October 1699. He was buried in Stepney churchyard, survived by his widow and seven of their thirteen children, including the noted physician, Dr. Richard Mead.