Edmund Staunton facts for kids

Edmund Staunton (1600–1671) was an English church leader and a very important person during a time of big changes in England. He was chosen by the country's Parliament to be the head of Corpus Christi College, Oxford, which is a famous university college. He was also part of a special group called the Westminster Assembly, which discussed religious rules. Later in his life, he became a minister who didn't follow the official church rules, known as a nonconformist.

A Life of Faith and Learning

Edmund Staunton was born on October 20, 1600, in a town called Woburn, Bedfordshire. He was the younger son of Francis Staunton.

School Days

When he was 14, in 1615, he started studying at Wadham College, Oxford. Soon after, he moved to Corpus Christi College, Oxford. He was a very good student. Around 1620, after being sick and almost drowning, he started thinking a lot about his life and his faith.

Becoming a Preacher

In 1623, after finishing his studies, Edmund decided to become a minister. He started preaching in a town called Witney. He was popular with the people there. Later, he moved to Bushey in Hertfordshire, and then to Kingston upon Thames. He stayed in Kingston for about 20 years. People called him "the searching preacher" because he made them think deeply about their beliefs. He taught people, visited their homes, and started a weekly talk about faith. In 1634, he earned more degrees from Oxford.

A Role in Parliament's Plans

In 1643, Edmund Staunton was chosen to be part of the Westminster Assembly. This was a group of important religious leaders who met in London to decide how the church in England should be run. He was also one of six special preachers at Westminster Abbey, a very famous church.

Leading a College

In 1648, the Parliament decided to remove the head of Corpus Christi College, Oxford, named Robert Newlyn. Because Edmund Staunton had studied there before, he was chosen to take over. He officially became the head of the college in 1649. He was very strict and focused on religious teachings.

Changes and Challenges

In 1652, Edmund Staunton agreed to follow a new rule from Parliament. He was then put on a special committee that looked after the university. However, about two years later, when Oliver Cromwell became the leader of England, Edmund was not on the new committee.

In 1660, when the king returned to power, Edmund Staunton was removed from his position as head of Corpus Christi College. His old predecessor, Robert Newlyn, got his job back. Edmund left Oxford and moved to Rickmansworth in Hertfordshire. He continued to preach in different towns.

After a law called the Act of Uniformity 1662 was passed, Edmund, like many other nonconformist ministers, was not allowed to preach openly. He continued to live in private homes and preached secretly, even though it was against the law. He later became a pastor at a church in London. His last move was to Bovingdon, Hertfordshire, where he preached to small groups of people in towns like St. Albans. He passed away in Bovingdon on July 14, 1671, and was buried in the local church.

What He Wrote

Edmund Staunton was known for his powerful sermons, which are religious speeches. He wrote a few of these sermons. He also wrote two small books, called tracts. One was titled A Dialogue between a Minister and a Stranger about Soul Affairs, and the other was A Treatise of Christian Conference. These were published after he died, along with a book about his life written by Richard Mayo.