Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 29.djvu/376

 Mr. W. R. Ingram is in the lobby of the Royal Courts of Justice.

‘Analyses and Digest of the Decisions of Sir George Jessel, late Master of the Rolls, with full Notes, References, Comments, and copious Index,’ 8vo, by Apsley Petre Peter, was published in London in 1883. 

JESSEY or JACIE, HENRY (1601–1663), baptist divine, was born on 3 Sept. 1601, at West Rounton, near Northallerton, North Riding of Yorkshire; his father was rector of Rounton. In 1618 he began his studies at Cambridge; and on 6 Nov. 1622 was admitted a ‘Constable's scholar’ of St. John's College, when he signed himself ‘Henricus Jacie Eboracensis.’ He applied himself to logic and philosophy; in 1622 he came under religious convictions and resolved to enter the ministry. He graduated B.A. in 1623. His father's death placed him in very straitened circumstances; he had to live on 3d. a day, out of which he contrived to pay for the hire of books. Hebrew and rabbinical literature were his favourite studies. He left Cambridge in 1624, and for nine years was tutor in the family of Brampton Gurdon (d. 1649), at Assington, Suffolk. While there he took up the study of medicine. In 1626 he graduated M.A. Wood thinks he was the ‘Henry Jacie, M.A.,’ who applied in 1627 for incorporation at Oxford; the result of the application is not known. In 1627 he was episcopally ordained; the pledges thus incurred weighed on his mind subsequently. He preached in various places and visited the poor, but declined taking any charge till, in 1633, he accepted the vicarage of Aughton, East Riding of Yorkshire, vacant by the deprivation of Alder for nonconformity. Jessey would not go so far in conformity as Alder had done; accordingly in 1634 he was deprived for disusing the ceremonies and for removing a crucifix. Sir Matthew Boynton of Barmston, East Riding of Yorkshire, engaged him as his chaplain to preach there and in a neighbouring village. With Boynton he went to London in 1635, and thence in 1636 to Hedgley House, near Uxbridge, Middlesex. He thought of emigrating to New England, but was induced to undertake, at midsummer 1637, the pastoral charge of a separatist congregation gathered in Southwark by Henry Jacob (1563–1624?) [q. v.], and lately ministered to by John Lathrop [q. v.], who had emigrated in 1634.

This congregation, founded in 1616, was independent in church government, bound by covenant to follow the divine directions ‘as he had made them known, or should make them known.’ In 1633 there had been a baptist secession from it. Jessey's settlement as pastor was followed by a like secession (1638). He examined the question, and while deciding for infant baptism, held immersion to be imperative. The controversy was revived in 1644; ultimately he adopted baptist views, and was immersed (June 1645) by Hanserd Knollys [q. v.] He did not, however, make baptism a term of communion.

For many years Jessey's church had to struggle against opposition, and frequently changed its place of meeting. On 21 Feb. 1638, at Queenhithe, the whole congregation was carried off by the bishop's pursuivants; the indignity was repeated elsewhere in the following May. Undaunted by these troubles the congregation in November 1639 despatched Jessey to South Wales, to assist Cradock and William Wroth in constituting an independent church (called the first in Wales) at Llanvaches, Monmouthshire. On 21 April 1640, while taking part in a general fast on Tower Hill, several members of Jessey's flock were committed to the Tower, and bound over to appear at the next sessions, but the prosecution was dropped. Too numerous now to meet together without discovery, the congregation divided by mutual consent, half going off (18 May 1640) with Praisegod Barbon [q. v.], who had been elder of a separatist church in Leyden. Samuel How (‘cobler How’) and Stephen More have been described as Jessey's colleagues, the probability being that on How's death (in 1640) his congregation joined with Jessey's till the appointment of More as How's successor in 1641. On 22 Aug. 1641 Jessey and five others were committed to Wood Street compter by the lord mayor, but released on appeal to parliament. On the surrender of Bristol to Prince Rupert (26 July 1643), some of the independents of Llanvaches, who had taken refuge in that city, removed to London; a number of them frequented the church of Allhallows the Great, of which Robert Bragg (d. 14 April 1704, aged 77), an independent, was rector. Jessey and others (one of whom, till 1653, was Christopher Feake [q. v.]) joined in keeping up a lecture twice a week at Allhallows. Edwards reports that in 1646 Jessey was present with Knollys at a meeting ‘about Aldgate,’ when an attempt was made to restore sight to a blind woman by anointing and prayer. In 1650 he was on a tour among churches of his communion in the north, and visited his aged mother at York.

Jessey projected a revised translation of