John Arnway facts for kids

John Arnway (1601–1653) was an English religious leader who strongly supported the king during a time of war. He was known as a royalist divine.

Arnway's Early Life and Education

John Arnway came from a well-known family in Shropshire, England. He inherited a good amount of land and money. He went to St. Edmund Hall at Oxford University to study. In 1635, he became a church leader, known as a rector, in the towns of Hodnet and Ightfield.

Supporting the King During Conflict

In 1642, England was in the middle of a big conflict called the English Civil War. John Arnway chose to support King Charles I. He joined the king's side in Oxford. Because of his support for the king, soldiers from Parliament attacked his home in Wem. They took everything he owned. Arnway himself said they left him with nothing at all.

Challenges and Exile

Later, John Arnway became an important church official. He was made Archdeacon of Lichfield and Coventry. He also became a prebendary of Woolvey. He continued to work for the king's cause. As a result, his property was taken away, and he was put in prison. He stayed in prison until after the king died. After his release, he was forced to leave England. He found safety in The Hague, a city in the Netherlands.

Life in Virginia

Life in exile was hard for Arnway, and he became very poor. Because of this, he accepted an invitation to move to Virginia. At that time, Virginia was an English colony in America. He went there to continue his work as a religious leader among the English settlers. It is believed that John Arnway died in Virginia in 1653.

Arnway's Published Works

While he was living in The Hague, John Arnway wrote and published two important pamphlets in 1650.

• The Tablet: This pamphlet defended King Charles I. It was written to argue against a book by John Milton called Eikonoklastes.
• An Alarum to the Subjects of England: This pamphlet told the story of the unfair treatment and hardships that Arnway and others had experienced.

Both of these writings were printed again in 1661 by William Rider, who was from Merton College.