Nathanael Ball
Encyclopedia
Nathanael Ball was an English clergyman, an assistant to Brian Walton in his London Polyglot Bible.
, near Taunton Dean, Somerset
. He was educated at Merchant Taylors' School
before entering King's College, Cambridge
, where he had a name as a scholar.
He also spoke French idiomatically. While at university he gained the friendship of John Tillotson
. Having taken the degrees of B.A. and M.A., he received orders, and was settled at Barley, Hertfordshire
, a living recently sequestered from Herbert Thorndike
.
He married there the daughter of a neighbouring clergyman named Parr, by whom he had ten sons and three daughters. Thorndike in 1658-9 recovered his living, and Ball was ejected. For some time he stayed in his parish, and then moved to Royston
as a minister. But after the Act of Uniformity 1662
he resigned the office. He did not immediately leave Royston, but preached in the neighbourhood and elsewhere, as opportunities offered. He later retired to Little Chishill
, of which parish his brother-in-law, Robert Parr, became the rector soon after the ejection of James Willett. While at Chishill he acted as an evangelist in the town and parish, and at Epping, Cambridge, Bayford, and other places.
In 1668 he took part with Stephen Scandrett
, Barnard, Havers, Coleman, and Billio in two public disputes with George Whitehead
, a Quaker. In 1669 he was returned to Archbishop Gilbert Sheldon
as a 'teacher to a conventicle at Thaxted, in connection with Scambridge [Scandaret] and Billoway [Billio].' On the 'Declaration' of 1672 he was described as of Nether Chishill, and obtained a license (25 May 1672) to be a 'general presbyterian teacher in any allowed place.' In June 1672 his own house was licensed to be a presbyterian meeting-place, and he himself was licensed in August to be a 'presbyterian teacher in his own house' there. He lived 'in a small cottage of forty shillings a year rent,' and frequently suffered for nonconformity. He died on 8 September 1681, aged 58.
, of St. Sepulchre's, London, who died only a few weeks after him. They came into the possession of John Faldo
, another ejected minister, who published a volume by Ball entitled 'Spiritual Bonndage and Freedom; or a Treatise containing the Substance of several Sermons preached on that subject from John viii. 36, 1683.' It is dedicated to 'the right honourable and truly virtuous the Lady Archer, of Coopersail, in Essex.'
Ball also wrote 'Christ the Hope of Glory, several Sermons on Colossians i. 27, 1692.' His Biblical and oriental manuscripts and his correspondence were lost.
Life
He was born at PitminsterPitminster
Pitminster is a village and civil parish in Somerset, England, situated south of Taunton in the Taunton Deane district. The village has a population of 929. The parish also includes the villages of Angersleigh, Blagdon or Blagdon Hill and Staplehay...
, near Taunton Dean, Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
. He was educated at Merchant Taylors' School
Merchant Taylors' School, Northwood
Merchant Taylors' School is a British independent day school for boys, originally located in the City of London. Since 1933 it has been located at Sandy Lodge in the Three Rivers district of Hertfordshire ....
before entering King's College, Cambridge
King's College, Cambridge
King's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England. The college's full name is "The King's College of our Lady and Saint Nicholas in Cambridge", but it is usually referred to simply as "King's" within the University....
, where he had a name as a scholar.
He also spoke French idiomatically. While at university he gained the friendship of John Tillotson
John Tillotson
John Tillotson was an Archbishop of Canterbury .-Curate and rector:Tillotson was the son of a Puritan clothier at Haughend, Sowerby, Yorkshire. He entered as a pensioner of Clare Hall, Cambridge, in 1647, graduated in 1650 and was made fellow of his college in 1651...
. Having taken the degrees of B.A. and M.A., he received orders, and was settled at Barley, Hertfordshire
Barley, Hertfordshire
Barley is a village and civil parish in the district of North Hertfordshire, England. According to the 2001 census, it has a population of 659. The place-name refers to a lea or meadow and not to the grain-producing plant...
, a living recently sequestered from Herbert Thorndike
Herbert Thorndike
Herbert Thorndike was an English academic and clergyman, known as an orientalist and Canon of Westminster Abbey. He was an influential theological writer during the reigns of King Charles I and, after the Restoration, King Charles II...
.
He married there the daughter of a neighbouring clergyman named Parr, by whom he had ten sons and three daughters. Thorndike in 1658-9 recovered his living, and Ball was ejected. For some time he stayed in his parish, and then moved to Royston
Royston
Royston is the name of several places:* Royston, South Yorkshire, England* Royston, British Columbia, Canada* Royston, Hertfordshire England** Royston Town F.C., an English football club* Royston, Glasgow, a district of Glasgow, Scotland...
as a minister. But after the Act of Uniformity 1662
Act of Uniformity 1662
The Act of Uniformity was an Act of the Parliament of England, 13&14 Ch.2 c. 4 ,The '16 Charles II c. 2' nomenclature is reference to the statute book of the numbered year of the reign of the named King in the stated chapter...
he resigned the office. He did not immediately leave Royston, but preached in the neighbourhood and elsewhere, as opportunities offered. He later retired to Little Chishill
Little Chishill
Little Chishill is a hamlet in the South Cambridgeshire civil parish of Great and Little Chishill....
, of which parish his brother-in-law, Robert Parr, became the rector soon after the ejection of James Willett. While at Chishill he acted as an evangelist in the town and parish, and at Epping, Cambridge, Bayford, and other places.
In 1668 he took part with Stephen Scandrett
Stephen Scandrett
Stephen Scandrett was an English nonconformist minister and controversialist.-Life:Born about 1631, he was a son of the yeoman of the wardrobe of Charles I. He matriculated at Wadham College, Oxford, 16 December 1654, and graduated B.A. 19 March 1657, and M.A. 28 June 1659...
, Barnard, Havers, Coleman, and Billio in two public disputes with George Whitehead
George Whitehead (Quaker leader)
George Whitehead was a leading early Quaker preacher, author and lobbyist remembered for his advocacy of religious freedom before three kings of England. His lobbying in defense of the right to practice the Quaker religion was influential on the Act of Uniformity, the Bill of Rights of 1689 and...
, a Quaker. In 1669 he was returned to Archbishop Gilbert Sheldon
Gilbert Sheldon
Gilbert Sheldon was an English Archbishop of Canterbury.-Early life:He was born in Stanton, Staffordshire in the parish of Ellastone, on 19 July 1598, the youngest son of Roger Sheldon; his father worked for Gilbert Talbot, 7th Earl of Shrewsbury. He was educated at Trinity College, Oxford; he...
as a 'teacher to a conventicle at Thaxted, in connection with Scambridge [Scandaret] and Billoway [Billio].' On the 'Declaration' of 1672 he was described as of Nether Chishill, and obtained a license (25 May 1672) to be a 'general presbyterian teacher in any allowed place.' In June 1672 his own house was licensed to be a presbyterian meeting-place, and he himself was licensed in August to be a 'presbyterian teacher in his own house' there. He lived 'in a small cottage of forty shillings a year rent,' and frequently suffered for nonconformity. He died on 8 September 1681, aged 58.
Legacy
He left his manuscripts to Thomas GougeThomas Gouge
Thomas Gouge was an English Presbyterian clergyman, a contemporary of Samuel Pepys, associated with the Puritan movement....
, of St. Sepulchre's, London, who died only a few weeks after him. They came into the possession of John Faldo
John Faldo
-Life:Faldo is said to have been educated at Cambridge University, and to have been a chaplain in the army, so that he held no benefice when the Act of Uniformity 1662 became law. In 1673 he is described as a nonconforming minister at Barnet, and in 1684 was chosen pastor of the congregation at...
, another ejected minister, who published a volume by Ball entitled 'Spiritual Bonndage and Freedom; or a Treatise containing the Substance of several Sermons preached on that subject from John viii. 36, 1683.' It is dedicated to 'the right honourable and truly virtuous the Lady Archer, of Coopersail, in Essex.'
Ball also wrote 'Christ the Hope of Glory, several Sermons on Colossians i. 27, 1692.' His Biblical and oriental manuscripts and his correspondence were lost.