John Pendarves facts for kids

John Pendarves (born in 1622, died in 1656) was an English religious leader known for his strong beliefs. He was a Puritan, which meant he followed a strict form of Protestant Christianity. His wife, Thomasine Pendarves, was a very independent woman. She became well-known after some letters she exchanged with another person were published. She even once read a letter meant for her husband and wrote her own important reply instead.

Life Story

John Pendarves was born in a place called Skewes in Cornwall, England. His father was also named John Pendarves. In 1637, when he was about 15, he started studying at Exeter College, Oxford. He was good at debating and finished his first degree in 1642.

After college, he worked as a preacher in different towns. Eventually, he became a Baptist minister in Abingdon. Baptists are a type of Christian who believe that people should be baptized as adults, not as babies. John Pendarves was very confident in his beliefs and often challenged other religious leaders to public debates. One famous debate happened in Watlington, but it didn't have a clear winner.

John Pendarves's wife, Thomasine, played an interesting role in his life. Another Baptist minister, William Kiffin, wrote a letter to John Pendarves. In the letter, Kiffin suggested that John should remove a woman named Elizabeth Poole from her preaching role. However, Thomasine Pendarves found the letter first! She wrote back to Kiffin, telling him his idea was not good. She also told him that in the future, he should write to her directly because she didn't trust her husband to handle things correctly. This shows how strong-willed and independent Thomasine was.

His Death

John Pendarves died in London in September 1656. His body was brought back to Abingdon by boat. He was buried in a special burial ground that had been bought for his church members. Many people came from nearby villages to attend his funeral and spend time in prayer. However, on October 2, soldiers were sent to break up the large gatherings.

His Writings

John Pendarves was part of a group called the Fifth Monarchists. These were people who believed that Jesus Christ would soon return to Earth and set up a new kingdom. In 1656, John Pendarves published a book called ‘Arrowes against Babylon’. In this book, he criticized the Church of Rome and the Church of England. He also questioned the Quakers, another religious group, saying they hid their true beliefs.

Other religious leaders, like William Ley and John Tickell, wrote responses to his book. The Quakers also had people, such as James Naylor, who defended their beliefs against his criticisms. John Pendarves also helped write prefaces for another religious pamphlet. A sermon he preached in London was published after he died.

His Private Life

John Pendarves married Thomasine Pendarves by 1647. She came from a town called Dartmouth. Her family, the Newcomens, were quite important and had interests in Ireland and tin mining. As mentioned earlier, Thomasine was a very independent person. She became a topic of discussion after some letters she had exchanged with Abiezer Coppe were published. Her most notable action was intercepting a letter meant for her husband and replying with her own, very strong, opinion.