The past two blogs that I have posted on Little Gidding have talked a lot about a man named Nicholas Ferrer, so I think it is only fair to give a little background information on him as well.
He was born to a merchant who was one of the earlier members of the Virginia Company. He became involved in the company, and in 1622, he rised above his brother in the ranks when he became deputy. Due to a few family issues, Nicholas and his wife thought it best to leave London and all of the drama that came with the city life, and that was when they purchased the Manor at Little Gidding in 1624. When the plague his London in 1625, they hastened their move to the country, but they came to find the place in complete disrepair. His wife's first order of action was to restore the church before even their own dwelling place.
In 1626, William Laud, who was Bishop of St. David's, but then became the Archbishop of Canterbury, ordained Nicholas as a deacon. The family became very involved in making Little Gidding a place of worship, and they devised the Gospel Harmonies. When Charles I heard them, he borrowed the Ferrer copy until the family made him one. Only 15 copies survive today.
Nicholas died in 1637 at 1 am, which was the hour that he arose every single day to begin his prayers. He was buried in a table tomb in front of the church.
The mission of Nicholas Ferrar was kept alive by his family who were commited to goodwill and the Church of England
Additional resources:
No comments:
Post a Comment