John Collett Ryland (1723–1792) was an English
Baptist
Baptists are a Christian denomination, denomination within Protestant Christianity distinguished by baptizing only professing Christian believers (believer's baptism) and doing so by complete Immersion baptism, immersion. Baptist churches ge ...
minister and author.
Life
The son of Joseph Ryland, a farmer of
Lower Ditchford in
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire ( , ; abbreviated Glos.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by Herefordshire to the north-west, Worcestershire to the north, Warwickshire to the north-east, Oxfordshire ...
, and Freelove Collett of
Slaughter, he was born at
Bourton-on-the-Water
Bourton-on-the-Water is a village and civil parish in Gloucestershire, England, that lies on a wide flat vale within the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The village had a population of 3,296 at the 2011 census. Much of the village ...
on 12 October 1723. He was baptised in 1741 by
Benjamin Beddome, 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, Protestants who did not conform to the Church of England. They formed a significant part of educatio ...
at
Bristol
Bristol () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, the most populous city in the region. Built around the River Avon, Bristol, River Avon, it is bordered by t ...
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, Warwickshire, River Avon. It is south of Coventry, and south-east of Birmingham. It is adjoined wit ...
, 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 town and civil parish in Northamptonshire, England. It is the county town of Northamptonshire and the administrative centre of the Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority of West Northamptonshire. The town is sit ...
, 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 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, along with Lord Byron and Percy Bysshe Shelley. His poems had been in publication for less than four years when he died of tub ...
(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 the East of England and Greater London. 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 Cr ...
, 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 university, private Ivy League research university in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. It is the List of colonial colleges, seventh-oldest institution of higher education in the US, founded in 1764 as the ' ...
, founded in 1765.
Ryland died at Enfield on 24 July 1792, and was buried at Northampton, his
funeral sermon being preached by
John Rippon 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
Augustus Montague Toplady (4 November 174011 August 1778) was an English Anglican cleric and hymn writer. He was a major Calvinist opponent of John Wesley. He is best remembered as the author of the hymn "Rock of Ages". Three of his other hy ...
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 (band), Lotion
* Jim Ferguson, American movie critic, Board of Directors member ...
he issued ''An Easy Introduction to Mechanics'', 1768, and ''A Series of Optical Cards''. He contributed to the ''Baptist Register'' edited by
John Rippon, 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), ''Jonathan Edward ...
's ''Sermons'' (1780), and
Cotton Mather
Cotton Mather (; February 12, 1663 – February 13, 1728) was a Puritan clergyman and author in colonial New England, who wrote extensively on theological, historical, and scientific subjects. After being educated at Harvard College, he join ...
'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.
*
*
*''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 (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
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;Attribution
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ryland, John Collett
1723 births
1793 deaths
English Baptist ministers
English writers
People from Bourton-on-the-Water
English male writers