Adoniram Byfield facts for kids
Adoniram Byfield (died 1660) was an English clergyman. He was one of the main writers, called "scribes," for an important meeting known as the Westminster Assembly. This assembly was a group of religious leaders who met in the 1640s to discuss and change the Church of England. Byfield's job was to write down everything that was said and decided during these long meetings. His notes, which are over half a million words long, are a very important record of what happened during that time in British history.
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Life of Adoniram Byfield
Adoniram Byfield was likely born before 1615. He was the third son of a well-known clergyman named Nicholas Byfield. Adoniram went to Emmanuel College, Cambridge, a famous university, starting in 1620. He finished his first degree in 1624.
In 1625, he became a minister. By 1629, he was working at the church of All Hallows Staining in London. In 1642, he served as a chaplain for a military group.
Scribe for the Westminster Assembly
On July 6, 1643, Byfield got a very important job. He was chosen as one of two main scribes for the Westminster Assembly. The other scribe was Henry Roborough. Their assistant was John Wallis. The scribes were not actually members of the assembly, but they were crucial for keeping records.
At first, the scribes were not allowed to wear their hats, unlike the assembly members. However, they received a payment of four shillings a day, just like the other religious leaders. This payment was not always given on time. For all their hard work, Byfield and Roborough were given the right to publish the Directory of Public Worship. This was a book that explained how church services should be held. They sold the rights to this book for £400, which was a lot of money back then!
Later Church Work
While working for the assembly, Byfield also became a minister in Fulham, a part of London. He first got a church job there that paid money but did not require much work (a "sinecure rectory"). Later, he became the main vicar.
Between 1649 and 1654, Byfield also took on a role at a church in Collingbourn Ducis, Wiltshire. He was not removed from his church positions when the king returned to power in England (this event was called the English Restoration).
In 1654, Byfield was named an assistant commissioner for Wiltshire. His job was to help remove ministers who were not doing their jobs well. He was very active in this role. His experience as a scribe for the assembly made him very good at questioning people.
Adoniram Byfield passed away in London at the end of 1660 or early 1661. His wife, Katharine, managed his affairs after he died.
Works of Adoniram Byfield
Byfield's most important work is the huge collection of notes he took during the Westminster Assembly meetings. These notes, or "minutes," are almost entirely written in his own handwriting, which can be quite difficult to read! They are kept safe in Dr. Williams's Library. These notes were first put into a book and published in 1874.
Before the assembly met, Byfield had published a book called a "catechism," which is a set of questions and answers used for teaching religious beliefs. In 1626, he also helped publish a book by his father called Rule of Faith, which was about the Apostles' Creed (a statement of Christian beliefs).
Byfield is also believed to have written a book called A Brief View of Mr. Coleman his new modell of Church Government in 1645. He also helped another minister, Chambers, with his book Apology for the Ministers of the County of Wiltshire in 1654.
