Isaac Basire facts for kids

Isaac Basire (born 1607, died 1676) was an English church leader and explorer. He was born in France. He served as a special priest for King Charles I. During the English Civil War, he left Britain. He traveled to places like Greece and Asia Minor (which is now part of Turkey). His big goal was to convince the Christian churches there to join the Anglican faith. He came back to England in 1661. This was after King Charles II took back the throne.

Early Life and Church Work

Basire was born in Jersey, an island near France. His full name was Isaac Basire de Preaumont. But he dropped the "de Preaumont" part when he moved to England. His father was a Protestant from a noble French family.

When he was 16, Basire went to school in Rotterdam. Two years later, in 1625, he moved to Leyden University. He wrote a paper there in 1627.

Around 1628, Basire settled in England. In 1629, he became a priest. He was ordained by Bishop Thomas Morton. Bishop Morton soon made Basire his personal chaplain. In 1632, Basire moved with Bishop Morton to Durham.

In 1635, Basire married Frances Corbett. She came from an old family in Shropshire. In 1636, the University of Cambridge gave him a special degree. They also made him a university preacher across England and Ireland. That same year, Bishop Morton gave him the church job at Egglescliffe.

In 1640, Basire earned a higher degree (D.D.). In 1641, he became a special chaplain to King Charles I. In 1643, he got a position at Durham Cathedral. In 1644, he became the Archdeacon of Northumberland. This meant he oversaw churches in that area.

These jobs were mostly titles at first. The English Civil War had started. So, he couldn't do the duties or get the pay. In 1645, the important church job at Stanhope became open. The Bishop of Durham usually chose who got this job. But the bishop was afraid of the rebels. So, the king gave the job to Basire. This was also just a title for now.

In 1646, Basire was arrested at Egglescliffe. He was taken to Stockton Castle. He was a strong supporter of the king. After his release, he had to leave England. He needed to find a way to support his family. His wife and children struggled to get money. But Basire sent them money whenever he could. His wife also got help from Dr. Busby. Dr. Busby was a close friend of Basire.

Exciting Travels and Missions

Basire started his travels in Rouen, France. He had a small family inheritance there. Three students joined him. Their names were Lambton, Ashburnham, and Andrews. In the summer of 1647, they traveled to Paris. There, Basire met Queen Henrietta Maria, the wife of King Charles I. She gave him a letter for Sir Kenelm Digby, the English representative in Rome.

Basire then traveled to Naples, Sicily, and Rome. This was in 1649. His students eventually left him. Basire then focused on a bigger goal. He wanted to spread the Anglican faith across the East. This seemed like a very difficult task. He didn't know any Eastern languages. But he believed that if people understood Anglicanism, they would accept it.

Basire visited many places. These included Messina, Zante, the Morea, Smyrna, Aleppo, Antioch, Jerusalem, Transylvania, and Constantinople. He always kept his main goal in mind.

In 1653, he wrote a letter from Pera (near Constantinople). He told Sir Richard Browne what he had done. At Zante, he had great success. He spread the Anglican teachings among the Greek people. He used a Greek translation of the church's catechism (a book of religious questions and answers). This made the "Latins" (Roman Catholics in the East) angry.

So, he had to move on to the Morea. There, the main bishop of Achaea let him preach in Greek. He spoke to a meeting of bishops and clergy. In Aleppo, he often talked with the leader of the church in Antioch. He left copies of the church catechism translated into Arabic.

From Aleppo, he went to Jerusalem. Both Greek and Latin Christians respected him there. The Greek church leader wanted to connect with the Church of England. He gave Basire his official seal. The Latins let him stay in their monastery. This was a rare honor for someone they considered a "heretic" (someone with different beliefs). Basire then crossed the Euphrates River. He went into Mesopotamia. He planned to send their catechism in Turkish to some bishops there. This was in 1652. He spent the winter of 1652–53 in Aleppo.

In the spring of 1653, he traveled from Aleppo to Constantinople by land. This was about 600 miles. He was alone, with no one who spoke European languages. He had learned a little Arabic. He joined a group of 20 Turks. This seemed dangerous. But they treated him well because he helped them as a doctor.

He found some rest in Pera, near Constantinople. He agreed to lead services for French Protestants. But he insisted on using the English church service in French. They agreed and promised to pay him. Here, he met Achatius Baresay. Baresay was an envoy (a messenger) from Prince George Rákóczy II of Transylvania. Baresay introduced Basire to the prince.

In 1661, Basire wrote about his time there. He said he was honored to serve Prince George Rákóczy II. The prince had made him a professor of religion at his university in Alba Iulia. This was the main city of Transylvania. The prince paid him very well. The prince died in 1660 from wounds in a battle with the Turks. The prince's wife, Princess Sophia, asked Basire to arrange the funeral. This kept him in Transylvania for another year.

Basire still focused on his main goal in Alba Iulia. In 1658, he wrote to Sir Edward Hyde. He said his pay was good. But his main reason for staying was the chance to teach the true Christian religion. He had a lot of influence with Prince Rákóczy. He even bravely told the prince what he thought. When a Turkish invasion was coming, Basire urged the prince to fight or give up his throne. The prince fought bravely but lost the battle. He died soon after.

During this time, Basire kept in touch with King Charles II. In 1655, he wrote a long letter to the king. He encouraged the king to stay true to his religion. That same year, Charles wrote to Prince Rákóczy. He thanked the prince for his kindness to Basire. Later, the king wrote again, asking the prince to send Basire back to England. Rákóczy didn't want to lose him. So, he hid the letter from Basire for a while. After the prince's death, his widow asked Basire to stay and teach her son. But Basire refused. The Church of England was now back in power. His wife and five children were still in England.

Return to England

Basire came back to England in late 1661. He traveled through Hamburg and Hull. In Transylvania, a list was made of his belongings and writings. These were to be sent after him. Basire also made a similar list.

He described what he learned from his travels. He said: "The Church of England is the most true and pure of all Christian churches." He added that he had explored most Christian churches. He said, "There is none like it" for its old teachings, worship, and rules.

Basire had mostly worked with Eastern churches. He wrote that his goal was to bring the Greek church closer to the Church of England. He also wanted to help them fix some big mistakes. Basire was ahead of his time. What he tried to do was later attempted by others in the 1700s.

When Basire returned, he got his old jobs back. These included his position at Durham Cathedral. He also got the church job at Egglescliffe. And he became the Archdeacon of Northumberland again. Bishop John Cosin also helped him get back the rich church job at Stanhope. So, Basire was now a wealthy man.

But he still had problems. One big one was his son Peter, who became Catholic. Basire also had a lot of work to do. He wrote that the Archdeaconry of Northumberland needed a lot of effort. He had to help people and repair churches.

He visited the churches in his area. He found many of them "scandalously ruinous" (very broken down). But Bishop Cosin helped him a lot. Basire worked closely with Bishop Cosin, just as he had with Bishop Morton.

The last 15 years of Basire's life were quieter. John Evelyn wrote in his diary in 1661 that Dr. Basire preached in Westminster Abbey. Evelyn called him "that great traveller, or rather French apostle." He said Basire had been "planting the church of England in divers parts of the Levant and Asia."

Basire died on October 12, 1676. He was buried in the cemetery of Durham Cathedral. He wanted to be buried there, not inside the cathedral. He felt it showed respect for God's house.

His Writings

Basire wrote several books and papers:

• In 1646, he published Deo et Ecclesiæ Sacrum. This book was about taking things that belong to the church. He republished it in 1668.
• In 1648, he wrote a short Latin paper. It was about the old churches in Britain. It was published in 1656. It was also translated into English in 1661.
• In 1659, a book called History of the English and Scotch Presbytery came out. Basire wrote it in French. It was translated into English.
• In 1670, Basire published a short private prayer.
• One of his most interesting works is a short biography. It is about the life of Bishop Cosin. Basire wrote it after preaching at Cosin's funeral in 1672. This biography is lively and tells all the important things about Cosin.

Many of Basire's original writings are kept in the Durham Chapter Library. These include notes from his travels in France and Italy. They also include notes from journeys in 1667–68.