John Frewen (divine) facts for kids

John Frewen (born 1558, died 1628) was an English Puritan minister. He was a religious leader who believed in a simpler, stricter form of the Anglican church.

Life of John Frewen

John Frewen came from an old family in Worcestershire, England. He was likely born in 1558. His family owned land in places like Hill Croome and Earls Croome.

He became a priest on June 24, 1582. The next year, his father helped him become the rector (head priest) of Northiam, a town in Sussex. When he moved to Northiam, Frewen probably lived in a house called 'Carriers.' Later, in 1593, he bought the Church House in Northiam. His family lived there for many years.

Frewen was a very strict Puritan. This sometimes caused problems with people in his church. In 1611, some people tried to accuse him of not following church rules. However, a jury decided there was no case against him.

Even after this, some people continued to bother him. In 1622, Frewen went to a special church court. It was reported that a man named Robert Cresswell had insulted him on the road, calling him rude names. Because of this, Cresswell was banned from the church.

John Frewen made his will on June 1, 1627, because he was "aged and weak." He passed away in April 1628 and was buried in his church in Northiam on May 2.

John Frewen's Writings

John Frewen wrote several books and pamphlets. His first book was called 'Certaine Fruitfull Instructions and necessary doctrines meete to edify in the feare of God.' It was published in London in 1587. This book was meant to teach people about living a good life in God's eyes.

Two years later, in 1589, he published another guide. It was titled 'Certaine Fruitfull Instructions for the generall cause of Reformation.' This book talked about changes needed in the church and defended against criticisms from the Pope.

In 1598, Frewen helped publish a pamphlet called 'A Courteous Conference with the English Catholickes Romane.' He wrote the introduction for it. This book was about why people should obey the government, even if they had different religious beliefs.

Frewen also published some of his sermons. These were talks he gave in his church at Northiam. They were collected and published in 1612. Interestingly, 250 years later, another rector of Northiam, who was related to Frewen, gave these same sermons again!

In 1621, Frewen published 'Certaine choise grounds and principles of our Christian Religion.' This book was used to teach the people of Northiam about the basics of Christian faith. He also left behind a large unfinished book about Christian principles.

A famous artist named Marcus Gheeraerts the Younger painted a portrait of John Frewen in 1627. The painting showed him wearing a wide-brimmed hat. His right hand rested on a Bible, open to a part that Puritans liked. His left hand held a skull, which was a reminder of life's shortness.

John Frewen's Family

John Frewen was married three times and had many children.

His first wife was Eleanor, who died in 1606. They had six sons:

• Accepted Frewen (1588–1664)
• Thankfull (1591–1656), who worked for an important judge and faced difficulties during the English Civil War.
• John (1595–1654), who took over his father's job as rector of Northiam.
• Stephen, a successful businessman in London.
• Joseph.

They also had a daughter named Mary. She married John Bigg.

In 1607, Frewen married Helen Hunt. They had three sons:

• Benjamin, who lived in London.
• Thomas, who became a captain in the army. He started a new branch of the family in Ireland.
• Samuel.

Helen Frewen passed away in 1616. John Frewen married his third wife, Susan Burdon, in 1619. She lived for many years after he died.