John Collett Ryland (1723–1792) was an English
Baptist
Baptists form a major branch of Protestantism distinguished by baptizing professing Christian believers only (believer's baptism), and doing so by complete immersion. Baptist churches also generally subscribe to the doctrines of soul compete ...
minister and author.
Life
The son of Joseph Ryland, a farmer of
Lower Ditchford in
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire ( abbreviated Glos) is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn and the entire Forest of Dean.
The county town is the city of Gl ...
, and Freelove Collett of
Slaughter, he was born at
Bourton-on-the-Water on 12 October 1723. He was baptised in 1741 by
Benjamin Beddome
Benjamin Beddome (23 January 1717 – 3 September 1795) was an English Particular Baptist minister and hymn writer.
Early life
Beddome was born in Henley-in-Arden, Warwickshire, England, the son of Baptist minister John Beddome and Rachel Brandon ...
, who sent him about 1744 to Bernard Foskett's
dissenting academy
The dissenting academies were schools, colleges and seminaries (often institutions with aspects of all three) run by English Dissenters, that is, those who did not conform to the Church of England. They formed a significant part of England's edu ...
at
Bristol
Bristol () is a city, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Gloucestershire to the north and Somerset to the south. Bristol is the most populous city in ...
to prepare for the Baptist ministry. He left Bristol in 1750 to be pastor of the Baptist church at
Warwick
Warwick ( ) is a market town, civil parish and the county town of Warwickshire in the Warwick District in England, adjacent to the River Avon. It is south of Coventry, and south-east of Birmingham. It is adjoined with Leamington Spa and Whi ...
, where he had already preached for four or five years. Here he kept school in St. Mary's parsonage-house, rented from the rector, Dr. Tate.
In October 1759 Ryland left Warwick for
Northampton
Northampton () is a market town and civil parish in the East Midlands of England, on the River Nene, north-west of London and south-east of Birmingham. The county town of Northamptonshire, Northampton is one of the largest towns in England; ...
, where he lived 26 years as minister and schoolmaster. Among his many pupils was
Samuel Bagster the Elder. His church was twice enlarged, and in 1781 his son
John Ryland
John Ryland (1753–1825) was an English Baptist minister and religious writer. He was a founder and for ten years the secretary of the Baptist Missionary Society.
Life
The son of John Collett Ryland, he was born at Warwick on 29 January 175 ...
joined him as co-pastor. In 1786 he passed to his son the care of the church, and moved his school to
Enfield, where it prospered.
This was the school attended by the Romantic poet
John Keats
John Keats (31 October 1795 – 23 February 1821) was an English poet of the second generation of Romantic poets, with Lord Byron and Percy Bysshe Shelley. His poems had been in publication for less than four years when he died of tuberculo ...
(1795-1821) and his brothers George and Tom.
Ryland frequently preached in the neighbourhood. He is said to have once addressed from a coach-box, in a seven-storied wig, holiday crowds assembled on the flat banks of the
River Lea
The River Lea ( ) is in South East England. It originates in Bedfordshire, in the Chiltern Hills, and flows southeast through Hertfordshire, along the Essex border and into Greater London, to meet the River Thames at Bow Creek. It is one of t ...
, near
Ponder's End. He was massive in person, and his voice in singing was compared to the roaring of the sea. The degree of M.A. was conferred on him in 1769 by
Brown University
Brown University is a private research university in Providence, Rhode Island. Brown is the seventh-oldest institution of higher education in the United States, founded in 1764 as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providenc ...
, founded in 1765.
Ryland died at Enfield on 24 July 1792, and was buried at Northampton, his funeral sermon being preached by
John Rippon
John Rippon (29 April 1751 – 17 December 1836) was an English Baptist minister. In 1787 he published an important hymnal, ''A Selection of Hymns from the Best Authors, Intended to Be an Appendix to Dr. Watts’ Psalms and Hymns'', commonly ...
and published. An elegy by "Legatus" also appeared (London, 1792).
Works
Ryland published to the point of money troubles, and as his friends
James Hervey and
Augustus Toplady told him, he would have done more if he had done less. With
James Ferguson James Ferguson may refer to:
Entertainment
* Jim Ferguson (born 1948), American jazz and classical guitarist
* Jim Ferguson, American guitarist, past member of Lotion
* Jim Ferguson, American movie critic, Board of Directors member for the Broadca ...
he issued ''An Easy Introduction to Mechanics'', 1768, and ''A Series of Optical Cards''. He contributed to the ''Baptist Register'' edited by
John Rippon
John Rippon (29 April 1751 – 17 December 1836) was an English Baptist minister. In 1787 he published an important hymnal, ''A Selection of Hymns from the Best Authors, Intended to Be an Appendix to Dr. Watts’ Psalms and Hymns'', commonly ...
, wrote many of the articles for
Charles Buck's ''Theological Dictionary'', London, 1802, and edited
Edward Polhill's ''Christus in Corde'',
Francis Quarles's ''Emblems'',
Jonathan Edwards Jonathan Edwards may refer to:
Musicians
*Jonathan and Darlene Edwards, pseudonym of bandleader Paul Weston and his wife, singer Jo Stafford
*Jonathan Edwards (musician) (born 1946), American musician
** ''Jonathan Edwards'' (album), debut album ...
's ''Sermons'' (1780), and
Cotton Mather
Cotton Mather (; February 12, 1663 – February 13, 1728) was a New England Puritan clergyman and a prolific writer. Educated at Harvard College, in 1685 he joined his father Increase as minister of the Congregationalist Old North Meeting H ...
's ''Student and Preacher'' (1781).
Ryland's own publications (issued at London unless otherwise stated) were:
*''Memoir of J. Alleine'', 1766; 2nd ed. 1768.
*
*
*
*
*''Contemplation on the Nature and Evidences of Divine Inspiration'', Northampton, 1776. These last three, with additions, were republished (Northampton, 1779) with portrait, as ''Contemplations on the Beauties of Creation''; 3rd ed. 3 vols. Northampton, 1780.
*''The Preceptor or Counsellor of Human Life'', 1776.
*
*''Character of James Hervey, with Letters'', 1790.
*''A Translation of John Owen's Demonstrations of Divine Justice'', 1790.
*''A Picture of Popery, prefixed to Luther's Discourses by Capt. Henry Bell''; 2nd ed. 1791.
*
*''Evidences that the Christian Religion is of God''; 2nd ed. 1798.
*''Select Essays on the Moral Virtue, and on Genius, Science, and Taste'', 1792.
*
On 2 July 1784 he delivered at sunrise over the grave of
Andrew Gifford in
Bunhill Fields
Bunhill Fields is a former burial ground in central London, in the London Borough of Islington, just north of the City of London. What remains is about in extent and the bulk of the site is a public garden maintained by the City of London Cor ...
an ''Oration'' which was published. It was reprinted in 1834 and 1888.
Family
Ryland was twice married: first, on 23 December 1748, to Elizabeth Frith of Warwick (died 1779); and secondly to Mrs. Stott, widow of an officer.
John Ryland
John Ryland (1753–1825) was an English Baptist minister and religious writer. He was a founder and for ten years the secretary of the Baptist Missionary Society.
Life
The son of John Collett Ryland, he was born at Warwick on 29 January 175 ...
(1753–1825) and
Herman Witsius Ryland were sons by his first wife.
Notes
Further reading
* ''Naylor, Peter: John Collett Ryland (1723-1792)'' in ''Michael Haykin (ed) British Particular Baptists volume 1'': Springfield, Missouri: Particular Baptist Press 1998
*
*
*
;Attribution
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ryland, John Collett
1723 births
1793 deaths
English Baptist ministers
English writers
People from Bourton-on-the-Water
English male writers