John Poynder
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

John Poynder (1779–1849) was an English lawyer and theological writer, best known for his ''Literary Extracts'' and as a proponent of Christian. missions in India


Life

He was eldest son of a tradesman in the city of London; his mother belonged to the
evangelical Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide Interdenominationalism, interdenominational movement within Protestantism, Protestant Christianity that affirms the centrality of being "bor ...
wing of the
Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britain ...
. He attended a school at
Newington Butts Newington Butts is a former hamlet, now an area of the London Borough of Southwark, that gives its name to a segment of the A3 road running south-west from the Elephant and Castle junction. The road continues as Kennington Park Road leading to ...
, kept by
Joseph Forsyth Joseph Forsyth (18 February 1763 – 20 September 1815) was a Scottish writer on Italy. Life Forsyth was born at Elgin, Scotland, on 18 February 1763, and was the son, by his second marriage, of Alexander Forsyth, merchant in Elgin, a man of ...
. He wanted in early life to undertake a career in the English church, but entered a solicitor's office. For nearly forty years Poynder was clerk and solicitor to the royal hospitals of
Bridewell Bridewell Palace in London was built as a residence of King Henry VIII and was one of his homes early in his reign for eight years. Given to the City of London Corporation by his son King Edward VI for use as an orphanage and place of correc ...
and
Bethlehem Bethlehem (; ar, بيت لحم ; he, בֵּית לֶחֶם '' '') is a city in the central West Bank, Palestine, about south of Jerusalem. Its population is approximately 25,000,Amara, 1999p. 18.Brynen, 2000p. 202. and it is the capital o ...
, and for three years he was under-sheriff of London and Middlesex.


Activism

The Rev. William Jay was his lifelong friend. Moved by sermons of Jay and Claudius Buchanan, Poynder set himself to rouse proprietors of
East India Company The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (the Indian subcontinent and Southea ...
against the Company's religious tolerance. For many years he contended almost singlehanded in the court of proprietors at the East India House, for the prohibition of the custom of '' sati''; the practice was stopped by
Lord William Bentinck Lieutenant General Lord William Henry Cavendish-Bentinck (14 September 177417 June 1839), known as Lord William Bentinck, was a British soldier and statesman who served as the Governor of Fort William (Bengal) from 1828 to 1834 and the First G ...
. Poynder also investigated the profits made by the company from worshippers and pilgrims at the temples of
Jagannath Jagannath ( or, ଜଗନ୍ନାଥ, lit=Lord of the Universe, Jagannātha; formerly en, Juggernaut) is a deity worshipped in regional Hindu traditions in India and Bangladesh as part of a triad along with his brother Balabhadra, and sister ...
, Gya and
Allahabad Allahabad (), officially known as Prayagraj, also known as Ilahabad, is a metropolis in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.The other five cities were: Agra, Kanpur (Cawnpore), Lucknow, Meerut, and Varanasi (Benares). It is the administrat ...
.


Death

Poynder died at Montpelier House, South Lambeth, on 10 March 1849. Poynder's library was sold by Sotheby & Co. on 10 Jan. 1850 and two following days. The collection included the ''Phænomena et Diosemeia'' of Aratus Solensis, with autograph and annotations of
John Milton John Milton (9 December 1608 – 8 November 1674) was an English poet and intellectual. His 1667 epic poem '' Paradise Lost'', written in blank verse and including over ten chapters, was written in a time of immense religious flux and political ...
.


Works

Poynder is best known for his ''Literary Extracts from English and other Works, collected during Half a Century,'' 1844, 2 vols.; a second series in one volume appeared in 1847. They contain observations by Richard Clark (1739–1831), the city chamberlain, on incidents in the political and social life of London. Poynder's own thoughts come under "Miscellaneous". Poynder's other works relate mostly to his religious convictions. They include: * ‘Christianity in India,’ 1813; a series of letters sent to the ‘Times’ under name of Laicus, with those of his opponent, ‘An East India Proprietor.’ * ‘Brief Account of the Jesuits’ (anon.) 1815; also included in the ‘Pamphleteer,’ vi. 99–145. * ‘History of the Jesuits, with a Reply to Mr. Dallas's Defence of that Order’ (anon.), 1816, 2 vols. * ‘Popery the Religion of Heathenism, being Letters of Ignotus in the “Times”’ (anon.), 1818; 2nd edit., with new title and author's name, 1835 (Halkett and Laing, Pseud. Literature, ii. 1973); on the publication of the second edition, called ‘Popery in alliance with Heathenism,’
Cardinal Wiseman Nicholas Patrick Stephen Wiseman (3 August 1802 – 15 February 1865) was a Cardinal of the Catholic Church who became the first Archbishop of Westminster upon the re-establishment of the Catholic hierarchy in England and Wales in 1850. Born ...
addressed to him some printed letters of remonstrance. * ‘The Church her own Enemy,’ 1818. * ‘Human Sacrifices in India,’ substance of speech at the courts of the East India Company, 21 and 28 March,’ 1827. * ‘Speech at Court of East India Company, 22 Sept. 1830, on its Encouragement of Idolatry,’ 1830. * ‘Friendly Suggestions to those in Authority,’ 1831. * ‘Life of Francis Spira,’ translated, 1832. * ‘State of Ireland reconsidered, in answer to Lord Alvanley,’ 1841. * ‘Word to the English Laity on Puseyism,’ 1843 (followed by ‘A second Word’ in 1848). * ‘Idolatry in India: six Letters on the Continuance of the Payment to the Temple of Juggernaut,’ 1848. Poynder contributed to the ''
Christian Observer The ''Christian Observer'' was a London evangelical periodical, serving a readership in the Church of England. It appeared from 1802 to 1874. History The ''Christian Observer'' was founded by William Hey "in response to the dissenters' ''Leeds ...
'' and the '' Church and State Gazette''.


Family

Poynder married at Clapham church, on 15 September 1807, Elizabeth Brown, who died at South Lambeth on 22 September 1845, aged 60. They had several sons and daughters. One of the sons, Frederick, graduated B.A. of Wadham College, Oxford, in 1838, and was later chaplain of Bridewell Hospital, and second master of Charterhouse School.


References

* ;Attribution {{DEFAULTSORT:Poynder, John 1779 births 1849 deaths English lawyers English writers English male writers