Andrew Michael Ramsay facts for kids
Andrew Michael Ramsay (born July 9, 1686 – died May 6, 1743) was a Scottish writer. He spent most of his adult life living in France. People often called him the Chevalier Ramsay, which means "Knight Ramsay." He also held a special title, a baronet, given by the Jacobite royal family. The Jacobites were supporters of James Francis Edward Stuart, who they believed should be the king of England and Scotland.
Ramsay was born in Ayr, Scotland. His father was a baker. In 1710, he traveled to the Netherlands to meet François Fénelon. Ramsay was interested in a way of thinking about faith called Quietism. This idea focused on finding inner peace and a direct connection with God. Because of this, he became a Roman Catholic.
He stayed in France until 1724. During this time, he wrote many books about politics and religion. One of his books was dedicated to James Francis Edward Stuart, the Jacobite claimant to the English and Scottish thrones. In January 1724, Ramsay went to Rome. He became a tutor to James's two sons, Charles Edward and Henry. However, his job did not last long. Ramsay was connected to a group led by John Erskine, Duke of Mar, who lost favor that year. By November 1724, Ramsay was back in Paris.
Ramsay visited England in 1730. He received an honorary degree from the University of Oxford. This honor was supposedly because he was a student of Fénelon. But it was likely also because of his connections to the Jacobite party. He passed away in St Germain-en-Laye, France, on May 6, 1743.
Ramsay believed in Christian universalism. This means he thought that all people would eventually be saved by God. He wrote that God's power, wisdom, and love cannot be stopped. Therefore, God will eventually forgive and bring happiness to all people.
Ramsay's Life Story
Andrew Michael Ramsay was most likely born on July 9, 1686. He grew up in Ayr, Scotland, where his father was a baker. He probably studied at Edinburgh University. As a young man, he was very religious. It seemed like he would become a minister in the Church of Scotland. But in 1708, he became a tutor for the two children of David Wemyss, 4th Earl of Wemyss.
As a young person, Ramsay was drawn to a spiritual movement called Quietism. This movement was practiced by a group around George Garden in Rosehearty. It was based on the teachings of Antoinette Bourignon. This group was similar to another community in Rijnsburg led by Pierre Poiret. In these communities, people from different religions and social backgrounds lived together.
In 1710, Ramsay traveled to Rijnsburg to meet Poiret. Later, he met Jeanne Marie Bouvier de la Motte Guyon, also known as Mme Guyon. From there, he went to stay with Fénelon in Cambrai in August 1710. He lived in Fénelon's home for several years. He became good friends with the Marquis de Fénelon. The Marquis was a young relative of the archbishop and a devoted student of Mme Guyon. Ramsay later wrote his book Vie de Fénelon to honor this time. From 1714 to 1716, Ramsay worked as a secretary for Mme Guyon. He was present in Blois when she died on June 9, 1717.
Fénelon helped Ramsay become a Catholic. However, Mme Guyon did not think conversion was necessary for her followers. She strongly advised them to stick to their own faith. She encouraged them to focus on "Pure Love" in their meditations. In his Life of Fénelon (London, 1723), Ramsay shared how Mme Guyon's ideas had influenced him.
Ramsay's connection with Fénelon helped him gain attention from important people. Fénelon had a lot of influence at the French royal court. This was because he had been a teacher to the grandsons of Louis XIV. Because of this, Ramsay was noticed by the nobility. The Comte de Sassenage, in particular, hired Ramsay to tutor his son from 1718 to 1722.
In 1722, Ramsay became involved in important discussions. These talks were about a tax on the money of Jacobite exiles. The British government had suggested this tax. By this time, Ramsay knew Cardinal Fleury well. After the death of the Regent Philippe II, Duke of Orléans in 1723, Cardinal Fleury became the main power behind King Louis XV.
In 1723, Ramsay was made a knight in the Order of St. Lazarus of Jerusalem. This order started as a Crusader military group in France. Its purpose was to protect pilgrims. In 1724, he joined the Jacobite household in Rome. But his time there was short. There were many court arguments. Also, his teaching job was difficult because Bonnie Prince Charlie was only three and a half years old. So, he returned to Paris in the same year.
From 1725 to 1728, Ramsay stayed as a guest at the Hôtel de Sully. He was supported by Maximilien de Béthune, Duc de Sully. The Duc was married to the widowed Comtesse de Vaux, who was Mme Guyon's daughter. During this time, Ramsay was an active member of the Club de l'Entresol. This was an early modern "think tank" in Paris. He met famous people there, like Lord Bolingbroke and Montesquieu.
In this setting, he wrote his book Travels of Cyrus in 1727. This book made him a very popular author. To prepare for a new edition of the book, he traveled to London from 1729 to 1730. There, he met Montesquieu again. Both Ramsay and Montesquieu were chosen as Fellows of the Royal Society in December 1729. In 1730, Ramsay also joined the Spalding Gentlemen's Society in Lincolnshire. This club exchanged letters with the Society of Antiquaries of London. Famous members included Sir Isaac Newton, John Gay, and Alexander Pope. Ramsay received another honor in 1730: an honorary Doctor of Civil Law degree from Oxford University.
Before receiving these academic honors, Ramsay was already well-known in intellectual circles. The important Mémoires de Trévoux published some of his writings. In 1732, they published his introduction to the math work of Edmund Stone. They continued to support his philosophical ideas. In 1719, he published an Essai de Politique. This was updated in 1721 as Essai philosophique sur le gouvernement. It was translated into English in 1722. This work supported putting James Francis Edward Stuart back on the British throne. It also suggested replacing the House of Commons with a group of nobles who would advise the king. Many of these ideas appeared again in his Life of Fénelon and The Travels of Cyrus. However, Ramsay later accepted that the king should rule through Parliament. He wrote about this in his Plan of Education for a Young Prince (1732).
The Travels of Cyrus became one of the best-selling books of the 1700s. In it, Ramsay also suggested that Britain should create a worldwide trading empire. He believed Britain could become the "Capital of the Universe."
Ramsay returned to France in 1730. After the Duc de Sully died, Ramsay began working for the Comte d'Évreux. The Comte was a prominent member of the la Tour d'Auvergne family. This family had connections to the Jacobite Court through marriage. They also had strong friendships with Fénelon's circle.
Ramsay's job in the Évreux household was to tutor a nephew, Godefroy Géraud. After Géraud's death, Ramsay tutored the Count's grand-nephew, the Prince of Turenne. For the Prince's education, Ramsay wrote the Histoire du Vicomte de Turenne (1735). For this book, he used handwritten notes from James II, which were approved by James Francis Edward Stuart. These were the Memoirs of James II. They were later found by David Hume in Paris in 1763. Sadly, these important manuscripts were lost during the French Revolution.
In June 1735, Ramsay married Marie Nairne (1701–1761). She was the daughter of Sir David Nairne, who worked for James III. For their wedding, Chevalier Ramsay was made a Scottish Knight and Baronet on March 23, 1735. This title could be passed down to his male children. He had a son and a daughter. However, his son (1737–1740) died as a baby. His daughter (1739–1758) died at age 19 from smallpox.
Ramsay lived until 1743 under the protection of the Bouillon family in St. Germain-en-Laye. He spent his time writing and studying. Most importantly, he prepared his biggest work: Philosophical Principles of Natural and Revealed Religion. This book was published after his death (1748–49) by his wife and friends. Ramsay said the second part of this book was "a history of the human mind in all ages, nations and religions concerning the most divine and important truths." Some "Chinese Letters" written by Ramsay were never published.
Ramsay and Freemasonry
Ramsay became involved with Freemasonry when it first came to France around 1725–1726. Charles Radclyffe, Earl of Derwentwater, who was the Grand Master for France starting in 1736, attended Ramsay's funeral. It is thought that Ramsay being a Mason helped him join the Gentleman's Club of Spalding. John Theophilus Desaguliers, a well-known supporter of Masonry, was also a member there.
In 1736, Ramsay gave a public speech in Paris. In this speech, he described four qualities needed to become a French Freemason:
- Being kind to others (philanthropy)
- Having good moral values
- Keeping secrets
- Having an interest in sciences and arts (empathy for sciences and fine arts)
In 1737, Ramsay wrote his Discourse pronounced at the reception of Freemasons. In this speech, he connected Freemasonry with the Crusader knights. His own title as a Knight of St. Lazarus of Jerusalem might have inspired him. Or perhaps he wanted to promote a tradition linked to the Bouillon family. Ramsay felt his speech was important enough to share with the Church. He sent the text to Cardinal Fleury. He asked for the Church's blessing for the principles of Freemasonry as he had explained them. He said: "The Order asks you to protect your brothers with your authority, to teach them with your knowledge, to inspire them with your good actions, to help them when they need it, to let go of all personal anger, and to work for peace and unity in society."
The Church was already having problems with other groups, like the Society of Jesus. The idea of Masonic ritual seemed completely wrong to them. Cardinal Fleury replied to Ramsay's letter on March 20, 1737. By the end of March, he had forbidden all Masonic meetings.
People often mistakenly say that Ramsay mentioned the Knights Templar in his Discourse. But he actually mentioned the Knights Hospitaller. However, people listening might have understood his mention of Crusader knights to be a hint about the Knights Templar. The memory of the Knights Templar was still a sensitive topic in France. This might have led to the Pope speaking out against the organization a year later.
