Henry Jacob facts for kids

Henry Jacob (born 1563, died 1624) was an English church leader. He had strong Calvinist beliefs, which meant he followed the ideas of John Calvin about Christianity. He started a special church group that wanted to separate from the main Church of England. This group was connected to others called the Brownists.

Early Life and Beliefs

Henry Jacob was born in 1563 in Cheriton, Kent, England. His father was John Jacob. Henry went to St. Mary Hall, Oxford University. He studied hard and earned his first degree in 1583 and a master's degree in 1586.

Around 1590, Henry Jacob joined a group called the Brownists. These were people who wanted to separate from the Church of England. When many Brownists had to leave England in 1593, Henry Jacob moved to Holland. There, he formed a new church group. This group was made up of former members of the Church of England. They were independent but did not fully separate at first.

Returning to England and New Ideas

In 1597, Henry Jacob returned to England. He disagreed with some teachings of the Church of England. Because of his strong opinions, he had to leave the country again.

Even though he was part of the Brownists, Jacob believed the Church of England was still a true church. He thought it just needed big changes. Because of this, people sometimes called him a 'semiseparatist'. Today, scholars also call these groups Independents, Brownists, or Puritans. They all shared Calvinist ideas about faith.

Jacob's more moderate views led to a big argument with another leader, Francis Johnson. For a while, Jacob lived in Middelburg, Holland. He gathered a group of English people living in exile there. This group included important thinkers like William Ames and William Bradshaw.

In 1610, he visited John Robinson in Leyden, Holland. Robinson was a key leader for many English people seeking religious freedom. Jacob eventually adopted Robinson's ideas on how churches should be run.

Founding the First Congregational Church

In 1616, Henry Jacob came back to London. His goal was to start a church group that was separate from the Church of England. This group would be like the ones he and Robinson had organized in Holland.

He successfully brought together a religious community in Southwark, London. Many people believe this was the very first congregational church in England. A congregational church is one where each local church group makes its own decisions. Jacob led this church for about six years.

Journey to Virginia

In October 1622, Henry Jacob traveled to Virginia in America with some of his family. He helped start a new settlement there. This settlement was named 'Jacobopolis' after him.

Henry Jacob died in London in April or May 1624. His wife, Sara, and several children survived him, including his son Henry Jacob the younger. After Jacob's death, John Lothropp took over leadership of his London church group.