The John Bargrave Collection

Sampson was for many years engaged in preparing a history of puritanism and nonconformity in which he sought to represent the nonconformists 'as a Considerable, an injured & misjudged people' by examining their lives, learning, and usefulness to the church (H. Sampson to R. Thoresby, 9 May 1699, Yorkshire Archaeological Society, MS 7). He therefore drew up a list of ejected ministers for each county, and 'there were few Counties in which he did not add some Characters of the Ejected, (either from his own Knowledge, as particularly in Warwickshire; or from the Information of others)' (Calamy, Abridgement, 2.xxiii, 752). Ralph Thoresby, the Leeds antiquary, was among those who assisted him. He also co-operated with Roger Morrice, who was engaged in a similar project. The history was never published, as Sampson himself admitted the undertaking proved too great for him: 'Onus impar humeris' (H. Sampson to R. Thoresby, 9 May 1699, Yorkshire Archaeological Society, MS 7). Calamy when preparing his own account of the ejected ministers relied greatly on Sampson's manuscript collections, particularly in his Account (1713) and the Continuation (1727). (Wykes, ODNB)