John Bruen facts for kids

John Bruen (born 1560, died 1625) was an English Puritan man who was well-known in his time for being very religious. He was not a minister but a regular person who lived his faith every day.

John Bruen's Early Life

John Bruen grew up in Bruen Stapleford, a village in Cheshire, England. His father was a wealthy landowner. John was one of many children from his father's second marriage. He and his sister, Katharine, were especially known for their strong Puritan beliefs.

When John was young, he lived with his uncle Dutton for three years. There, he learned from a schoolmaster named James Roe. The Dutton family was famous for controlling the musicians and entertainers in the county. Young John became a very good dancer! He later said that back then, Sundays were often spent with "May-games and May-poles, pipings and dancings." It was rare to hear a preacher or a sermon even once a year.

Around age 17, John and his brother Thomas went to St. Alban Hall, Oxford University for about two years. He left the university in 1579. The next year, his parents arranged for him to marry a daughter of Mr. Hardware, who had been mayor of Chester twice. At this time, John enjoyed hunting and even kept many hunting dogs with a friend.

How John Bruen Changed His Life

In 1587, John's father passed away. This meant John had less money. He decided to make big changes in his life. He got rid of his hunting dogs, stopped hunting, and turned his land into something more useful.

John raised his children very strictly. He also made sure to hire only serious and religious servants. One of them, Robert Pashfield, had a special leather belt. It helped him remember parts of the Bible, with marks and knots for different books and sections!

John's daily routine was very disciplined. In summer, he woke up between 3 and 4 AM, and in winter, at 5 AM. He read prayers twice a day with his household. He also prayed seven times a day by himself.

John believed in making churches simpler. He removed the beautiful stained glass windows from Tarvin Church and changed some of the carved images. On Sundays, he walked a mile from his house to the church. Most of his servants followed him, and he would gather his tenants along the way. By the time he reached the church, he was leading a large group of people! He often stayed at church all day, from morning prayers until the evening service.

John even paid for a preacher to teach at his own house, and later for the whole church parish. His home became very well-known and attracted many visitors. A famous Puritan preacher named William Perkins once called John's home, Bruen Stapleford, "the very topsail of all England" for its strong religious practices.

John's first wife died suddenly. After some time, he married Ann Fox, whom he met at a religious gathering in Manchester. They lived at her mother's house for a year before returning to Stapleford. Once again, his house was filled with visitors from important families.

John Bruen's Later Years

John's second wife passed away after ten years of marriage. As a widower, he decided to change his household. He had 21 people living with him, and he sent them to live elsewhere. He then moved to Chester. While there, he worked to pay off any debts on his property. He also helped some of his children get settled in their own lives.

John made sure to support the poor people in his parish. He used the money from two mills in Stapleford to help them. Later, he returned to Stapleford with his third wife, Margaret.

John Bruen became ill and passed away in 1625, when he was 65 years old. A picture of him was included in a book called Marrow of Ecclesiastical History by Samuel Clarke. John Bruen's life wasn't full of big adventures, but he is remembered as a perfect example of a religious Puritan man.

What John Bruen Believed In

John Bruen's strong beliefs, like his decision to change the church decorations, were written about by William Hinde. Hinde was a church leader in Bunbury, Cheshire, and he wrote a book about John Bruen that was published in 1641.

John strongly believed that God had special plans for everything that happened. He also believed in 'judgments' (signs from God) and even witchcraft. He was known for being very welcoming and generous to guests in his home. He also gave a lot of money to help the poor people in his neighborhood and in Chester. He even refused to drink toasts at important feasts, like the one held by the high sheriff.

Towards the end of his life, John said that his prayers were twice joined by "ravishing sights," which meant he had amazing spiritual experiences. He also put together a collection of Bible verses and writings from other religious authors. This collection was called 'A godly profitable collection of divers sentences out of Holy Scripture, and variety of matter out of several divine authors.' People often called these his "cards," and there were 52 of them.

His son, Calvin Bruen, who was a merchant in Chester, faced difficulties for visiting William Prynne. Prynne was a famous Puritan writer who was being taken through Chester to be imprisoned.