Ingham, Benjamin, was bom at Ossctt, Yorkshire, June 11, 1712. He received a liberal education, first at Batley school, and afterwards at Queen's College, Ox- ford, where, in 1733, he joined himself with Charles and John Wesley, the founders of IMethodism, In 1735 he received episcopal ordination, and in the same year em- I barked with Mr. Wesley for Georgia. He remained in I Georgia about two years, visited Carolina and Pennsyl- j vania, and then returned to England, where, soon after j his arrival, he accompanied Wesley to Herrnlutt, the i seat of the Moravians, and so strong became his sympa- thies with this excellent people that he could not sacri- fice his attachment to them when the Methodists revolt- ed from the disorders of the Fetter-lane society. He went into Yorkshire, and with incredible itinerant la- bors, assisted by Moravian companions, he founded there what may be called a Moravian form of IMethodism. Preaching stations were established throughout the county and in neighboring shires. At Birstal he took Nelson publicly by the hand, and gave him liberty to i speak in all his chapels. The Wesleys, Whitclield, JNIa- I dan, and Komaine often preached for his societies, and they seem to have been generally recognised by the Methodistic leaders as a legitimate branch of the great revival, notwithstanding Wesley's people in Yorkshire experienced many vexations from the eccentricities of j individual preachers, who retained some of the London : ]\Ioravian follies. Within a few years, the number of. " Inghamite" societies reached eighty-four. In 1741, j\Ir. Ingham married Lady Margaret Hastings, sister to the earl of Huntingdon, on which he removed his resi- dence from Ossett to Abberford, where he continued to reside till his death. After forming this connection, he was so far from relaxing in his exertions to preach the Gospel that he greatly extended the sphere of his oper- ations, and, in process of time, may be said to have evan- gelized all the surrounding country. Ingham was ad- mitted to Wesley's Conference in Leeds, but the precise relation of his societies to the \\'esleyan body was never defined. He had his own Conferences also, and at one of them was elected a r/eneral overseer, or bishop. Lady Huntingdon, who could not approve all the ilisciplinary f?atures of his societies, attempted to promote a union of them with Wesley, and she sent Whitefiehl to New- castle-upon-T3'ne to meet the Wesle^-s for consultation on the subject. Charles assented, but John declined the overture, very wisely, as events demonstrated. In 1759, Ingham read "Sandeman's Letters on Theron and As- pasio," and " Glas's Testimony of the King of Martyrs." These works produced such an impression on his mind that he deputed two of his preachers to Scotland to learn more fully the views of their authors. At Edinburgh they met Sandeman, and Glas at Dundee. They re- turned converts to the Sandemanian principles, and im- mediately spread discontent and disputes among the so- cieties. Ingham's authority could not control the par- tisan violence which sr)on broke out. He called in the assistance of his friends. The countess of Huntingdon wrote them letters. Whitefield used his antiuence to save them. Romaine hastened into Yorkshire, but could not restrain them. Ingham attempted to excommuni- cate the disturbers, but it was an endless task. The whole order was wrecked and sunk. Thirteen societies
INGHAMITES
584
INHERITANCE
onlv remained from more than eighty which had flour- ished with all the evidences of permanent prosperity. Ingham seems to have remained a Sandemanian (q. v.), and developed his views in a Treatise on the Faith and Ilopeof the Gospel {MGi). He died in 1772. Some of his societies came to the Wesleyan Church ; others unit- ed with the Daleites (q. v.), a class of Scotch Independ- ents. See Jones, Christian Biography, s. v. ; Stevens, Ilistor;/ of Methodism, i, 390 sq.
Inghamites. See iNGH.ur.
Inglis, Charles, D.U., was born in Ireland about the year 1733. Emigrating to America, he took charge of the Free School at Lancaster, Pa., previous to 1759, and, having decided to enter the ministry, he went to England for ordination. The Society for the Propaga- tion of the Gospel appointed him their missionary at Dover, Del., his field embracing the whole county of Kent, including three churches. In 1765 he became assistant minister of Trinitj-, N. Y., and catechist to the negroes. He received the honorary degree of A.B. from King's College, N.Y., in 1767, and those of A.M. and D.D. fnjm < )xford some years later. In the progress of the IJevoliition he took part with the Tories, and in 1775 re- plied to Paine's Common ,Seiise by a pam|jhlet which was so offensive to the '• Sons of Liberty" that they commit- ted it to the flames. When preaching before Washing- ton, in the same year, he refused to omit the prayer for the king and the royal family. After the Declaration of Independence he caused his church to be closed, and took refuge in Flushing, then in possession of the lioy- alists. He was chosen rector of Trinity, N. Y., in 1777. In consequence of many losses during the Revolution and political differences, he found it necessary finally to leave the countrj% In 1783 he sailed for Nova Scotia, of which province he was appointed bishop in 1787, as the first colonial bishop of the Church of England. He resided at Halifax till his death, Feb., 1816. He pub- lished 7'm-o Sermons; and a Letter in "Hawkins's His- torical Notices." — Sprague, .1 nnals, v, 186 ; Allibone, Diet, of Authors, i,m2.