Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 20.djvu/402

 Distant Communication.’ This made some stir in the scientific world, and encouraged the writer to produce a more ambitious ‘Essay on the different Modes of Communication by Signals’ in 1797. This contained a number of elaborate and ingenious illustrative plates. The book gave a concise history of the progressive movements in the art of communication from the first beacon light to the telegraphy of the writer's day, with many valuable suggestions. Gamble, who was much esteemed in scientific circles, civil as well as military, died at Knightsbridge on 27 July 1811. He held the rectory of Alphamstone, and also that of Bradwell-juxta-mare, Essex. The latter was a most valuable living.



GAMBOLD, JOHN (1711–1771), bishop of the Unitas Fratrum, was born on 10 April 1711 at Puncheston, Pembrokeshire. He received his early education from his father, William Gambold, a clergyman, and in 1726 entered as a servitor at Christ Church, Oxford. His taste was for poetry and the drama, but his father's death in 1728 preyed upon his spirits, and for a couple of years he abandoned himself to religious melancholy. In March 1730 he introduced himself to the acquaintance of Charles Wesley, his junior by two years, who had entered at Christ Church in the same year. Charles brought him under the influence of John Wesley, who admitted him to the society of the Oxford methodists, the ‘Holy Club,’ as it was called. Gambold's account (written in 1736) of the customs and pursuits of this society is of considerable historical value. He was much indebted to Wesley, but was ‘slow in coming into his measures,’ his turn being towards quietism rather than evangelistic activity. He shut himself up to the study of the earlier Greek fathers, and was captivated by their mysticism.

In September 1733 he was ordained by John Potter, bishop of Oxford, and in 1735 was instituted to the vicarage of Stanton-Harcourt, Oxfordshire. Here his sister kept house for him, and for about two years (1736–8) Keziah Wesley (youngest surviving sister of his friend) was a member of his household. Gambold attended to the duties of his small parish, but spent much time in retirement. He was working his way out of mysticism; John Wesley, on his return from Georgia (February 1738), found him ‘convinced that St. Paul was a better writer than either Tauler or Jacob Behmen.’ Wesley introduced him to the Moravian missionary, Peter Boehler, who gave addresses at Oxford in Latin, Gambold acting as interpreter. Next year he met Count Zinzendorf, and was much impressed by him; at a later date he was the interpreter of Zinzendorf's German addresses. His religious musings found expression in a dramatic piece, the most important of his poems, written in 1740. In December of that year he had a visit from his younger brother, who gave him an account of the London Moravians; he was attracted by the homely warmth of their fellowship. Accompanying his brother to London (1741) he came under the influence of Philip Henry Molther. On 2 July 1741 he broke with Wesley. He preached before the university of Oxford on 27 Dec. 1741 a sermon of rather high church tinge. In October 1742 he resigned his living, having been for some little time with the Moravians in London. He was admitted a member of their society in November, while teacher in a boarding-school at Broadoaks, Essex. On 14 May 1743 he married Elizabeth, (b. 7 Dec. 1719, d 13 Nov. 1803), daughter of Joseph Walker of Littletown, Yorkshire, and went to live in Wales, keeping a school at Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire.

In November 1744 Gambold returned to London and became a stated preacher at Fetter Lane. In December 1745 Wesley found him unwilling to renew their former intercourse; they met again in 1763, but Gambold was still shy, yet Wesley spoke of him to the last (1770) as one of the most ‘sensible men in England.’ Gambold took part, in March 1747, in a synod of the brethren at Herrnhaag in the Rhine provinces. In 1749 he addressed a letter to Zinzendorf, proposing the formation of an ‘Anglican tropus,’ a plan for the admission, as Moravian brethren, of persons who should still remain members of the church of England. Gambold was willing to concede that an Anglican prelate should exercise some supervision in Moravian affairs, and assist at their ordinations; also that the common prayer-book should be adopted in their assemblies. The latter provision was not carried out; but, at a synod in London in September 1749, Wilson, the aged bishop of Sodor and Man, was chosen ‘antistes’ of the ‘reformed tropus’ (with liberty to employ his son as substitute), and accepted the office.

In 1753 the Moravian community was weakened by the secession of [q. v.] and his following. Gambold exerted himself to repair the loss. At a synod held at Lindsey House, Chelsea, he was consecrated a ‘chorepiscopus’ in November 1754 by Bishops Johannes de Watteville, John Nitschmann, and David Nitschmann the