Francis Bampfield facts for kids

Francis Bampfield (born around 1615 – died 16 February 1684) was an English preacher. He was known as a Nonconformist, meaning he did not follow the official Church of England. He also believed that Saturday should be the day of rest, a practice called Sabbatarianism.

Francis came from a well-known family in Devon, England. He started out supporting the official Church of England, but his views changed over time. In 1662, a law called the Act of Uniformity was passed. This law made him leave the Church of England. After this, he became a Nonconformist.

He spent nine years in prison because of his beliefs. Even in prison, he continued to preach. He also helped start groups of Seventh Day Baptists. After he was released in 1672, he was jailed again for 18 months for preaching without permission. He then moved to London in 1674 and kept preaching.

In 1683, he was arrested once more. He refused to take the Oath of allegiance, which was a promise of loyalty to the King. Because of this, he was sent to Newgate Prison. He died there from a fever on 16 February 1684.

Francis Bampfield's Life Story

Francis Bampfield was the third son of John Bampfield and Elizabeth Drake. His family lived at Poltimore House.

His older brother, Sir John Bampfylde, was a Member of Parliament. He was removed from Parliament in 1648. Francis's younger brother, Thomas Bampfield, was also a Member of Parliament. He even served as the Speaker of the Commons for a short time in 1659.

In September 1673, Francis married Damaris Town. She was from Limerick, Ireland. Her family lost their land during the Irish Revolt of 1641. Francis and Damaris met when he was in prison in Dorchester. After he was freed, she traveled with him as he preached.

Francis Bampfield's Career and Beliefs

Francis's parents wanted him to become a church leader. He was taught at home by religious families. In 1631, he went to Wadham College, Oxford, where he earned two degrees by 1638. At first, he supported the changes made to the Church of England by Archbishop Laud. This was different from his strict religious upbringing.

In 1639, he became a priest and was sent to the village of Rampisham in Devon. His father gave him money, so he used his church salary to help the people in his parish. In May 1641, he became a Prebendary at Exeter Cathedral.

When the First English Civil War started in 1642, Francis supported the Royalists, who were on the King's side. This was unlike most of his family, who supported Parliament. He continued to use the Book of Common Prayer in his services until Parliament's soldiers stopped him. Later, he said the Book of Common Prayer was "unclean" and "humanely invented."

In 1647, he moved to the parish of Wraxall, Somerset. A few years later, he started working with Richard Baxter. Baxter was a famous cleric known as the 'Puritan saint'. He supported the Reformation of Manners, which aimed to improve people's moral behavior. Francis tried to make his parishioners more disciplined. He replaced games and other fun activities with religious study.

Francis Bampfield's friend and teacher, Richard Baxter, a famous Puritan leader.

Francis was removed from Wraxall in 1653. He then began preaching at Sherborne. In 1657, he was officially installed there. Reports say over 2,000 people attended the service.

After the King returned to power in 1660, Francis was given back his role as a prebendary. Richard Baxter even suggested he become a bishop. However, Francis lost his church position after the 1662 Act of Uniformity. This law required all clergy to follow the Church of England's rules strictly. He was arrested for preaching without a license. He spent most of the next nine years in prison in Dorchester.

While in prison, he became a strong believer in Saturday Sabbatarianism. He helped start a Seventh Day Baptist Church. After he was released in 1672, he traveled around preaching. Soon after, he was sentenced to another 18 months in jail in Salisbury.

In 1674, he moved to London. There, he started several Sabbatarian Baptist congregations. He also hoped to create a worldwide group to train ministers, teach children Hebrew, and convert Jewish people. However, he was not successful in this bigger goal.

In February 1683, Francis was arrested again. He was linked to a radical preacher named Robert Ferguson, but Francis was not involved in any plots. In March, he was brought to court. He refused to take the Oath of allegiance because of his beliefs. He was sent to Newgate Prison, where he died of a fever on 16 February 1684. Many people who supported him attended his funeral at the Anabaptists' burial ground in Aldersgate Street.

One person at the time described Francis as someone whose beliefs changed over time. He was "first a churchman, then a Presbyterian, afterward an Independent, then an Anabaptist, and finally, almost a complete Jew." This shows how his religious journey was always evolving.

Francis Bampfield's Writings

Francis Bampfield wrote several books and papers. Here are some of them:

• The Judgment of Mr. Francis Bampfield for the Observation of the Jewish or Seventh-day Sabbath, 1672.
• The Seventh-day Sabbath the Desirable Day, 1677.
• All in One: All Useful Sciences and Profitable Arts in the One Book of Jehovah Elohim, 1677.
• A Name, an After One, 1681.
• The House of Wisdom, 1681.
• The Lord's Free Prisoner, 1683.
• A Just Appeal from the Lower Courts on Earth to the Highest Court in Heaven, 1683.
• A Continuation of the former Just Appeal, 1683.
• The Holy Scripture the Scripture of Truth, 1684.