Grantham Killingworth

Grantham Killingworth (1699–1778) was an English lay Baptist controversialist.

Life

A grandson of Thomas Grantham, he was born in Norwich. He was a layman, and a personal friend of William Whiston, whom he supplied with evidence of cures effected through "prayer, fasting, and annointing with oyl" by a Unitarian Baptist minister, William Barron (died 7 February 1731, aged 51).^[1][2]

Killingworth died in 1778, leaving an endowment to the Priory Yard General Baptist chapel, in Norwich.^[1]

Works

Killingworth wrote on the perpetuity of baptism, against Thomas Emlyn; in favour of credobaptism, against John Taylor, and Michajah Towgood; and on close communion, against James Foster, John Wiche, and Charles Bulkley. His publications include:^[1]

• A Supplement to the Sermons … at Salters' Hall against Popery, 1735; 3rd ed. 1736; 5th ed. 1738, with appendices, including his answer to Emlyn's Previous Question, 1710.
• An Examination, 1741, of Foster's Discourse (1744) on "catholic communion".
• An Answer to the Defence of Dr. Foster, 1752, (the Defence was by "Philocatholicus", i.e. John Wiche).
• An Answer to Mr. Charles Bulkley's Pleas for Mixt Communion, 1756.
• A Letter … to the late … Mr. Whiston, 1757.