Richard Farnham facts for kids

Richard Farnham (died 1642) was an English man who believed he was a special messenger from God, often called a "prophet." He claimed, along with another man named John Bull, that they were the two important witnesses mentioned in an old book of the Bible called Revelation.

Early Life and Beliefs

Richard Farnham was a weaver, someone who makes cloth by hand. He came from a town called Colchester and moved to Whitechapel in London around 1636. In London, he met John Bull, who was also a weaver.

Together, Farnham and Bull started telling people that they were prophets. They said they had "the very spirit of God" and were the "two great prophets" who were supposed to appear at the end of the world, as described in the Bible. They even claimed that the terrible disease known as the plague would not come near their homes. Their unusual ideas and claims quickly got a lot of attention.

Challenges and Imprisonment

Farnham made a controversial choice when he married a woman named Elizabeth Addington. Her husband, Thomas, was a sailor who was away at sea at the time. Farnham and Elizabeth had several children together.

In April 1636, Farnham and Bull were arrested because their religious beliefs were very different from what the official church taught. They were questioned by a special court called the Court of High Commission. Farnham was then sent to Newgate prison.

A pamphlet was published in 1636 that shared what Farnham and Bull said during their questioning. Farnham added a note saying he did not claim to be Christ or the prophet Elias. He also said he hadn't predicted a shower of blood. Instead, he insisted he foresaw a long period of dry weather, sickness, and war.

Life in Confinement

By February 1637, Richard Farnham was still in Newgate prison. He wrote to William Laud, who was the powerful Archbishop of Canterbury, asking to be released. Farnham continued to call himself "a prophet of the most High God." He worried that the court had forgotten about him and asked for a quick trial, even threatening to ask the king for help.

A month later, he wrote to Laud again, asking to go back to his home. By this time, his family was split up, and two of his children had to be cared for by the local community. He also asked the council to protect him from Laud, who wasn't reading his letters.

Soon after, Farnham was moved to Bethlehem Hospital, which was also known as Bedlam. It was a place where people with mental health issues were cared for, and he was kept there closely. In January 1638, doctors told the council that he was sane and could have more freedom within the hospital.

Around this time, Elizabeth Addington's husband, Thomas, returned home. He accused Elizabeth of marrying someone else while he was still alive. She was found guilty in August 1638. However, she was later pardoned because Farnham was seen as responsible for her actions.

Later Years and Death

After Elizabeth's trial, the judges ordered Farnham to be moved from Bethlehem Hospital to Bridewell. This was a place where people were kept busy with hard work.

In late 1640, Farnham became very sick with the plague. He was moved to the house of a friend named Cortin or Curtain. He died there in January 1642. Elizabeth Addington was with him and said that, just as he had predicted, he rose from the dead on January 8, 1642.

John Bull, Farnham's fellow prophet, died ten days after Farnham. Their followers believed that both men had "gone in vessels of bulrushes to convert the ten tribes," which was a way of saying they had gone on a special journey to spread their message.

About Farnham's Story

Besides the pamphlet mentioned earlier, two other writings talked about Richard Farnham's life:

• "A Curb for Sectaries and bold propheciers..." published in London in 1641.
• "False Prophets Discovered, being a true story of the Lives and Deaths of two weavers, late of Colchester, viz. Richard Farnham and John Bull..." published in London in 1641 or 1642.