William Ames (died 1662) was an early English itinerant

Quaker Quakers are people who belong to the Religious Society of Friends, a historically Protestant Christian set of denominations. Members refer to each other as Friends after in the Bible, and originally, others referred to them as Quakers ...

preacher and writer. He joined the Quakers in 1655 at

Dublin Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...

, having been a Baptist minister in

Somerset Somerset ( , ), Archaism, archaically Somersetshire ( , , ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by the Bristol Channel, Gloucestershire, and Bristol to the north, Wiltshire to the east ...

, and afterwards a

Roundhead Roundheads were the supporters of the Parliament of England during the English Civil War (1642–1651). Also known as Parliamentarians, they fought against King Charles I of England and his supporters, known as the Cavaliers or Royalists, who ...

officer in the

English Civil War The English Civil War or Great Rebellion was a series of civil wars and political machinations between Cavaliers, Royalists and Roundhead, Parliamentarians in the Kingdom of England from 1642 to 1651. Part of the wider 1639 to 1653 Wars of th ...

. He settled at Amsterdam in 1657, where he was tolerated, though once confined for a short time as a

lunatic ''Lunatic'' is a term referring to a person who is seen as Mental disorder, mentally ill, Risk, dangerous, Foolishness, foolish, or crazy—conditions once attributed to "lunacy". The word derives from ''lunaticus'' meaning "of the moon" or "moo ...

. Ames zealously preached to the Collegiants, and although initially in accord, they later fell out. He traveled in Germany and was favorably received by Charles I Louis, Elector Palatine. Ames returned to England in 1662, was sent to Bridewell prison for attending a

meeting, and died before the end of the year.

Life

He joined the Quakers in 1655 at

, having been a Baptist minister in

, and afterwards a

officer in the

. He settled at

Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , ; ; ) is the capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, largest city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It has a population of 933,680 in June 2024 within the city proper, 1,457,018 in the City Re ...

in 1657, where he was tolerated, though once confined for a short time as a lunatic. Ames zealously preached to the

Collegiants In Christian history, the Collegiants (; ), also called Collegians, were an association, founded in 1619 among the Arminians and Anabaptists in Holland. They were so called because of their colleges (meetings) held the first Sunday of each month ...

and they were initially in accord although later they fell out. William Sewel, ''The history of the rise, increase, and progress of the Christian people called Quakers'', Third Edition, Philadelphia: Samuel Keimer, 1728, Preface He travelled in Germany, and was favourably received by

Charles I Louis, Elector Palatine Charles I Louis (; 22 December 1617 – 28 August 1680) was Elector Palatine from 1648 until his death. He was the second son of Frederick V of the Palatinate, the "Winter King" of Bohemia, and the British princess Elizabeth Stuart. Aft ...

. He returned to England in 1662, was sent to

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 in 1553 as Bridewell Hospital for use as a ...

for attending a Quaker meeting, and died before the end of the year.

Works

He wrote a large number of tracts in Dutch, the titles of which are given in Joseph Smith's ''Catalogue of Friends' Books.''

References

Sources

External links

* Year of birth missing 1662 deaths 17th-century Quakers 17th-century English Baptist ministers 17th-century English non-fiction writers Converts to Quakerism English Quakers Former Baptists Parliamentarian military personnel of the English Civil War English expatriates in Ireland English emigrants to the Netherlands English people who died in prison custody Prisoners who died in England and Wales detention {{england-writer-stub

Life

Works

See also

References

Sources

External links