Little Gidding community facts for kids

The Little Gidding community was a special group of people. It was like an extended family and a religious group. They lived at Little Gidding in England, from the 1620s to the 1650s. This community became famous because Charles I of England, the King, was very interested in them. Later, in the 1800s, their old buildings were fixed up. A famous poet named T. S. Eliot was inspired by their way of life. He even wrote a well-known poem called Little Gidding about them.

Starting the Community

Mary Ferrar, 1617 portrait

Nicholas Ferrar

The Ferrar family chose Little Gidding as their new home. It was a small village near Sawtry. Nicholas Ferrar and his mother, Mary Ferrar, picked this spot. They were leaving London because of some difficult times. When they arrived, the local church was in bad shape. The family decided to create a new life there, focused on work and prayer.

Why They Moved to Little Gidding

In 1620, a nobleman named Esmé Stewart sold the land of Little Gidding. He sold it to Thomas Sheppard. This area was very rural, and not many people lived there. In 1625, Sheppard sold the land to Nicholas Ferrar and his cousin Arthur Wodenoth. They bought it for Mary Ferrar. The Ferrar and Wodenoth families had invested in the Virginia Company.

Nicholas Ferrar's older brother, John, was a business partner of Thomas Sheppard. Sheppard had a lot of debt. Nicholas used Mary's money to buy Little Gidding. This helped John get out of his debt. The Ferrar family had also lost much of their money when the Virginia Company failed in 1622. They also left London because of a serious outbreak of the second plague pandemic in 1625.

In 1626, Nicholas Ferrar became a deacon. This was a step in becoming a church leader. He was ordained by William Laud, who was a bishop at the time. The bishop of Little Gidding's area was John Williams. He supported the community and visited them three times.

Family Life and Education

The Little Gidding community started with about 30 people. Mary and Nicholas Ferrar lived in the manor house. Nicholas's brother, John Ferrar, and his sister, Susanna, also lived there. Susanna was married to John Collett, and their families were part of the group too.

Mary Ferrar passed away in 1634. Before she died, she gave her leadership role to Mary Collett in 1632. Nicholas Ferrar, who never married, died in 1637. The girls in the community received a good education. They learned Latin and practical skills. Some people made fun of the community. They called it a "Protestant nunnery." This was partly because the girls learned Latin, which was unusual for women back then.

Making Special Books

Binding of a Little Gidding harmony of the Four Evangelists

The community spent a lot of time making unique books. These books were called "gospel harmonies." They combined parts of the Bible's gospels into one story. They also added many pictures to these books. They used cut-up prints from artists like Boetius à Bolswert. Many of these artists were Dutch and Flemish.

Little Gidding was also famous for its bookbinding. They used velvet or leather for the covers. The books often had simple designs stamped in gold.

Links to Cambridge University

The University of Cambridge is about 30 miles from Little Gidding. Nicholas Ferrar had studied at Clare College, Cambridge. He graduated in 1610.

Ferrar Collett, who was Mary Collett's brother, went to Peterhouse in 1636. He studied with Richard Crashaw. Crashaw probably knew Nicholas Ferrar. He visited Little Gidding many times after 1631. He stayed in touch with the community even after Nicholas died.

The famous poet George Herbert also had a connection to the community. He lived near Little Gidding from 1626. He was friends with Ferrar and the community. The church in his town needed repairs. A wealthy woman, Katherine, Duchess of Lennox, helped pay for the work. John and Nicholas Ferrar managed the building project.

After George Herbert died in 1633, his writings went to Nicholas Ferrar. The community helped prepare his poems, known as The Temple, for publishing.

Important Visitors

Little Gidding church, 1851 drawing of the 18th century interior, showing some original 17th century features such as the opposed wall seating rather than pews

In 1634, a lawyer named Edward Lenton visited Little Gidding. He wrote about the church services he saw. His report was later used by people who criticized the community in 1641.

King Charles I heard about the community's special books. He asked to borrow one of their books. This led to the community making a book just for the King. He visited Little Gidding in 1633. This was when he was traveling north for his coronation in Edinburgh.

King Charles I stayed at Little Gidding again in March 1642. This was just before the English Civil War began. His son, the Prince of Wales (who later became Charles II), was with him. They looked at the last book made at Little Gidding. It was a special book about the first five books of the Bible. The King also went hunting and shot a hare. An account of his visit was published later. It included the King's goodbye words: "Pray, pray for my speedy and safe return."

In the final days of the First English Civil War, King Charles I arrived at Little Gidding alone. This was on May 2, 1646. John Ferrar helped him find a hiding place nearby. From there, the King traveled to the Scottish army on May 5.