James Nayler (1618 - 1660)

Born 1618 in West Ardsley, Yorkshire, England

Husband of Anne (Scott) Nayler — married 1637 in Yorkshire, England

Died 21 Oct 1660 at about age 42 in King's Ripton, Huntingdonshire, England

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Michael Cayley [send private message] and Religious Society of Friends Project WikiTree [send private message]

James Nayler was a Friend (Quaker). Join: Quakers Project Discuss: quakers

Biography

Birth and Early Life

James Nayler was born in West Ardsley, Yorkshire in 1618. His father seems to have been a reasonably prosperous farmer^[1]; he is described as "goodman Nayler", “goodman” signifying yeoman.^[2] No firm information seems to have survived to identify his parents. A record of a court hearing gives his birth places "Anderslow in Yorkshire":^[3] this may either be the name of a farmstead or small hamlet in the parish of West Ardsley, or it may be what the person who recorded the trial thought he heard.

Marriage

He married Anne Scott in 1637/1638^[4][5] or 1639.^[1] They settled in Wakefield, Yorkshire, where they had a farm. They had three daughters:^[1]

• Mary, baptised at All Saints, Wakefield, Yorkshire on 28 March 1640 with her last name spelt Nailor in the parish register^[6] and buried at Wakefield on 29 June 1640^[7]
• Jane, baptised on 8 May 1641 at All Saints, Wakefield, Yorkshire, with her last name spelt Nailor in the parish register^[8]
• Sara, baptised at All Saints, Wakefield, Yorkshire on 25 March 1643 (possibly 1643/4, which would make it 1644 in modern reckoning)^[9]

Soldier

James joined the parliamentary army in 1643, serving first under Thomas Fairfax and then as a quartermaster under John Lambert.^[1][10] In 1650 he was present at the Battle of Dunbar. Ill-health caused him to leave the army in 1651.^[1][10]

Quakerism

By 1650 James Nayler was already starting to preach.^[1][10] On his return home the following year he joined an independent congregation, but soon after met George Fox. Whether because of this or not, he became part of the early Quaker movement, preaching and taking a prominent role. He and George Fox stayed at Margaret Fell’s home at Swarthmoor, Lancashire in 1652. They were arrested at Kirkby Stephen, Westmorland and held in prison at Appleby, Westmorland. Following their release in April 1654, James Nayler engaged in itinerant preaching in the North of England and in debate with recognised religious ministers, and wrote a number of Quaker tracts.^[1]

Difficulties between James Nayler and George Fox

In 1655 he went to London, and his success there led to his being regarded by some as the leader of the Quakers, rather than George Fox. The following year a group of female adherents sought to disrupt Quaker gatherings to promote James Nayler as head of the movement, and tried to persuade him to speak against some other Quaker leaders, but he refused.^[1]

James started on a journey to visit George Fox in prison in Cornwall, but was arrested en route and held at Exeter. One female adherent, Martha Simmonds, went on to Cornwall and spoke admonishingly to George Fox. On his release, George Fox went to see James Nayler in prison but Nayler refused to acknowledge him as his superior in the Quaker movement. Allegedly George Fox asked him to kiss his hand in submission^[10], and, when Nayler refused, sarcastically asked him to kiss his foot instead.^[1]

Margaret Fell wrote a letter (full of flowery religious language) of admonishment to him, dated 15 October 1656, remonstrating with him about his attitude to George Fox and assertions that George Fox "is burying thy name that he may raise his own"; and warning him to "mind while it is called to-day what thou art doing, lest thou walk naked and be a stumbling block to the simple" and to "beware of siding with unclean spirits lest thou be cut off for ever."^[11]

Entry into Bristol and Subsequent Punishment

James Nayler was released from prison in Exeter on 20 October 1656. On 24 October, he and a small group arrived in Bristol. He was riding a horse, and companions cast robes before him and sang "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of Sabbaoth". He was subsequently interrogated by Bristol church ministers and then subjected to a parliamentary investigation in London. He was found guilty of claiming to be Christ and to be divine, though he himself stated that he was merely engaging in an act of symbolism. A vote to have him put to death for blasphemy was narrowly defeated, but he was given 300 lashes, put in the pillory, and had his tongue bored through and the letter 'B' (signifying blasphemy) branded on his forehead, He then had to repeat his entry into Bristol, but sitting back-to-front on the horse.^[1][12] There followed imprisonment with hard labour in Bridewell, London. He continued to write in prison, with his works being smuggled out.^[1]

Last Years

In his last years he was largely disowned by Quakers. An attempt by his wife to secure his release failed, but he was finally freed under an amnesty for Quakers in 1659. His quarrel with George Fox was patched up, and he started preaching again.^[1]

In 1660 he set off for his home but was robbed and beaten at Huntingdon. He was taken to the home of a local Quaker but did not recover from his injuries.^[1] He died the next day.^[10] He was buried at King's Ripon, Huntingdonshire on 21 October 1660.^[1]

Deathbed Words

Shortly before dying he is said to have spoken these words^[13]:

"There is a spirit which I feel that delights to do no evil, nor to revenge any wrong, but delights to endure all things, in hope to enjoy its own in the end. Its hope is to outlive all wrath and contention, and to weary out all exaltation and cruelty, or whatever is of a nature contrary to itself. It sees to the end of all temptations. As it bears no evil in itself, so it conceives none in thoughts to any other. If it be betrayed, it bears it, for its ground and spring is the mercies and forgiveness of God. Its crown is meekness, its life is everlasting love unfeigned; it takes its kingdom with entreaty and not with contention, and keeps it by lowliness of mind. In God alone it can rejoice, though none else regard it, or can own its life. It’s conceived in sorrow, and brought forth without any to pity it, nor doth it murmur at grief and oppression. It never rejoiceth but through sufferings; for with the world’s joy it is murdered. I found it alone, being forsaken. I have fellowship therein with them who lived in dens and desolate places in the earth, who through death obtained this resurrection and eternal holy life."

Research Notes

Marriage Year

The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography gives his marriage year as 1639.^[1] Paver's Marriage Licences has an entry for the marriage of James Nayler, "agriculturer" of East Ardsley, Yorkshire and Anne Scott, age 26, of Rothwell, Yorkshire in 1637/8.^[4] Boyd's Marriage Index also gives 1637 as the marriage year.^[5]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14} Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, entry for 'Nayler, James', print and online 2004, available online via some libraries
2. ↑ William C Braithwaite. The Beginnings of Quakerism, Macmillan, 1912, p. 61, footnote 1
3. ↑ Cobbett's Complete Collection of State Trials and Proceedings for High Treason, Vol. V, London, 1816, p. 834, Google Books
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1} Paver's Marriage Licences, FindMyPast and accompanying image
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1} Boyd's Marriage Index, FindMyPast
6. ↑ "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:J771-WZ4 : 5 February 2023), Mary Nailor, 1640
7. ↑ "England, Yorkshire, Bishop's Transcripts, 1547-1957", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:68ZF-4QTL : 16 August 2021), Mary Nayler, 1640, and linked parish register image on FindMyPast
8. ↑ England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975, https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N5BJ-Z66
9. ↑ England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975, https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N5BJ-BVH
10. ↑ ^{10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4} British Civil Wars Project, entry for James Nayler, accessed 3 August 2019
11. ↑ Isabel Ross. Margaret Fell, Mother of Quakerism, third edition, William Sessions, 1996, Appendix Nine, pp. 396-397
12. ↑ For a full discussion of Nayler's trial, see William G Bittle, 'The Trial of James Nayler and Religious Toleration in England', Quaker Studies, Vol. 73, No. 1 (Spring 1984), pp. 29-33, available on JSTOR (free registration required)
13. ↑ Quaker Faith and Practice, 5th edition, 2013, section 19.12, website of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) in Britain, accessed 3 August 2019

• Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, entry for 'Nayler, James', Oxford University Press, print and online 2004, available online via some libraries
• Bittle, William C. James Nayler 1618-1660. The Quaker Indicted by Parliament, William Sessions in association with Friends United Press, 1986
• Deacon, John. An exact history of the life of James Naylor with his parents, birth, education, profession, actions, & blaspheemies [sic]. Also how he came first to be a Quaker, and received his commission from heaven (as he saith) when he was in the field at plow. Taken from his own mouth. With the doctrines, tenets and practises of some other of the same sect, 1657, Oxford Text Archive, http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12024/A82017
• Wikipedia: James Nayler
• Quakers in the World website, accessed 4 August 2019
• Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900, entry for James Nayler, Wikisource
• Braithwaite, William G. The Beginnings of Quakerism, Macmillan, 1912
• Gwyn, Douglas. 'James Nayler and the Lamb's War', Quaker Studies, Vol. 12, issue 2, article 2, published by George Fox University, available online at George Fox University website
• British Civil Wars Project, entry for James Nayler, accessed 3 August 2019
• Wikidata: Item Q1680887, en:Wikipedia