John Strype facts for kids
John Strype (born 1 November 1643 – died 11 December 1737) was an English church leader, historian, and writer from London. He first worked as a merchant in Petticoat Lane. In his twenties, he became a church minister (called a perpetual curate) in Theydon Bois, Essex. Later, he became a minister in Leyton. This allowed him to talk with many important church figures of his time. He wrote many books in his later years.
Life Story
John Strype was born in Houndsditch, London. His father was also named John Strype. His family were Huguenots, which means they were French Protestants. They had to leave their home in Brabant to escape religious persecution. They settled in East London, where they worked as merchants and made silk.
Young John went to St Paul's School. Then, he studied at Jesus College, Cambridge and St Catharine's Hall at Cambridge University. He earned his first degree in 1665 and a master's degree in 1669.
In 1669, Strype became a minister in Theydon Bois. A few months later, he also became a minister and speaker in Leyton. He worked at St Mary's Church, Leyton for 68 years. In 1711, he also got a church job in West Tarring, Sussex. He also worked as a speaker in Hackney from 1689 to 1724. He spent his last years in Hackney with his married granddaughter. He died at the age of 94 and was buried in the church at Leyton.
His Writings
John Strype became friends with important people like Sir William Hicks. This friendship helped him gain access to old papers belonging to Sir Michael Hicks, who was a secretary to Lord Burghley. Strype copied many of these papers. He also wrote many letters to important church leaders, such as Archbishop William Wake.
The information he found in these papers and letters helped him write his historical and biographical books. His books mainly focused on the time of the Protestant Reformation in England. Most of his original notes and papers are still kept today in the British Library. His books are very valuable for understanding history and are often used as reference books.
Here are some of John Strype's main works:
- Memorials of Thomas Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury (1694) – This book is about the life of a very important Archbishop.
- Life of the learned Sir Thomas Smith (1698) – A biography of a wise diplomat.
- Life and Acts of John Aylmer, Lord Bishop of London (1701) – About a Bishop of London.
- Life of the learned Sir John Cheke (1705) – A book about another learned person.
- Annals of the Reformation in England (published in four parts between 1709 and 1731) – This series covers the history of the Reformation in England.
- Life and Acts of Edmund Grindal, Archbishop of Canterbury (1710) – Another biography of an Archbishop.
- Life and Acts of Matthew Parker, Archbishop of Canterbury (1711) – More about an Archbishop.
- Life and Acts of John Whitgift, Archbishop of Canterbury (1718) – Yet another Archbishop's story.
- A Survey of the Cities of London and Westminster (1720) – This was an updated version of an older book about London by John Stow.
- Ecclesiastical Memorials (published in 1721 and 1733) – These books contain important records about the church.
Strype also helped publish the works of John Lightfoot in 1684.
