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{{Short description|English Nonconformist clergyman and writer (1785–1859)}}
{{more citations needed|date=March 2012}}
{{more citations needed|date=March 2012}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2020}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2020}}
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| death_cause =
| death_cause =
| resting_place = Key Hill Cemetery, Birmingham, England
| resting_place = Key Hill Cemetery, Birmingham, England
| nationality = UK
| nationality = British
| known_for = Writing
| known_for = Writing
| education = Gosport Academy
| education = Gosport Academy
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==Life==
==Life==
James was born at [[Blandford Forum]]. After seven years' apprenticeship to a linen-draper in [[Poole]], [[Dorset]], he decided to become a preacher, and in 1802 he went to [[David Bogue]]'s training institution at [[Gosport]] in Hampshire. A year and a half later, on a visit to [[Birmingham]], his preaching was so highly esteemed by the congregation of [[Carrs Lane Church|Carrs Lane Independent chapel]] that they invited him to exercise his ministry amongst them; he settled there in 1805, and was ordained in May 1806. For several years his success as a preacher was comparatively small; but he became suddenly popular in about 1814, and began to attract large crowds. At the same time his religious writings, the best known of which are ''The Anxious Inquirer'' and ''An Earnest Ministry'', acquired a wide circulation.<ref name="b1911">{{EB1911|wstitle=James, John Angell|volume=15|page=144}}</ref> The Anxious Inquirer sold over 500,000 copies in his lifetime and was translated into more than a dozen languages. This was the book which [[D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones]] gave to his wife, Bethan, when she was seeking the Lord. The book was also of great help to [[Charles Haddon Spurgeon]].
James was born at [[Blandford Forum]]. After seven years' apprenticeship to a linen-draper in [[Poole]], [[Dorset]], he decided to become a preacher, and in 1802 he went to [[David Bogue]]'s training institution at [[Gosport]] in Hampshire.<ref name="b1911"/>
A year and a half later, on a visit to [[Birmingham]], his preaching was so highly esteemed by the congregation of [[Carrs Lane Church|Carrs Lane Independent chapel]] that they invited him to exercise his ministry amongst them; he settled there in 1805, and was ordained in May 1806. For several years his success as a preacher was comparatively small; but he became suddenly popular in about 1814, and began to attract large crowds.<ref name="b1911"/>
At the same time his religious writings, the best known of which are ''The Anxious Inquirer'' and ''An Earnest Ministry'', acquired a wide circulation.<ref name="b1911">{{EB1911|inline=y|wstitle=James, John Angell|volume=15|page=144}}</ref>
The Anxious Inquirer sold over 500,000 copies in his lifetime and was translated into more than a dozen languages. This was the book which [[D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones]] gave to his wife, Bethan, when she was seeking the Lord. The book was also of great help to [[Charles Haddon Spurgeon]].


In his autobiography Spurgeon wrote: "In an early part of my ministry, while but a lad, I was seized with an intense desire to hear Mr. John Angell James; and, though my finances were somewhat meagre, I performed a pilgrimage to Birmingham solely with that object in view. I heard him deliver a week-evening lecture, in his large vestry, on that precious text, "Ye are complete in Him." The savour of that very sweet discourse abides with me to this day, and I shall never read the passage without associating therewith the quiet but earnest utterances of that eminent man of God."
In his autobiography Spurgeon wrote: "In an early part of my ministry, while but a lad, I was seized with an intense desire to hear Mr. John Angell James; and, though my finances were somewhat meagre, I performed a pilgrimage to Birmingham solely with that object in view. I heard him deliver a week-evening lecture, in his large vestry, on that precious text, "Ye are complete in Him." The savour of that very sweet discourse abides with me to this day, and I shall never read the passage without associating therewith the quiet but earnest utterances of that eminent man of God."


James was a typical [[Congregational church|Congregational]] preacher of the early 19th century, massive and elaborate rather than original. His doctrine was a moderate form of [[Calvinism]], as had been that of [[Edward Williams (minister)|Edward Williams]], one of his predecessors. He published numerous books on practical subjects of the Christian life, including: The Anxious Inquirer, Pastoral Addresses, an Earnest Ministry, A Help to Domestic Happiness, Female Piety, The Christian Father's Present to His Children, The Young Man's Friend and Guide, and The Widow Directed to the Widow's God. Many of these are still available in print and widely used among Conservative and Reformed Christians in the USA (In England he is largely forgotten). He was one of the founders of the [[Evangelical Alliance]] and of the [[Congregational Union of England and Wales]]. Municipal interests appealed strongly to him, and he was also for many years chairman of [[Spring Hill College, Birmingham]]. He was also an ardent slavery abolitionist, and is portrayed in the huge canvass depicting [[Thomas Clarkson]]'s opening address at the world's first [[World Anti-Slavery Convention|Anti-Slavery Convention]] in 1840, in the [[National Portrait Gallery (United Kingdom)|National Portrait Gallery]], London.<ref name="npg">[http://www.npg.org.uk/live/search/portrait.asp?LinkID=mp00224&rNo=0&role=sit The Anti-Slavery Society Convention] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303165117/http://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/portrait.php?LinkID=mp00224&rNo=0&role=sit |date=3 March 2016 }}, 1840, [[Benjamin Robert Haydon]], accessed April 2009</ref> He was a contemporary of [[William Wilberforce]] and [[Charles Simeon]].
James was a typical [[Congregational church|Congregational]] preacher of the early 19th century, massive and elaborate rather than original. His doctrine was a moderate form of [[Calvinism]], as had been that of [[Edward Williams (minister)|Edward Williams]], one of his predecessors.<ref name="b1911"/> He published numerous books on practical subjects of the Christian life, including: The Anxious Inquirer, Pastoral Addresses, an Earnest Ministry, A Help to Domestic Happiness, Female Piety, The Christian Father's Present to His Children, The Young Man's Friend and Guide, and The Widow Directed to the Widow's God. Many of these are still available in print and widely used among Conservative and Reformed Christians in the USA (In England he is largely forgotten).{{Citation needed|date=June 2024}} He was one of the founders of the [[Evangelical Alliance]] and of the [[Congregational Union of England and Wales]]. Municipal interests appealed strongly to him, and he was also for many years chairman of [[Spring Hill College, Birmingham]].<ref name="b1911"/>
He was also an ardent abolitionist, and is portrayed in the huge canvass depicting [[Thomas Clarkson]]'s opening address at the world's first [[World Anti-Slavery Convention|Anti-Slavery Convention]] in 1840, in the [[National Portrait Gallery (United Kingdom)|National Portrait Gallery]], London.<ref name="npg">[http://www.npg.org.uk/live/search/portrait.asp?LinkID=mp00224&rNo=0&role=sit The Anti-Slavery Society Convention] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303165117/http://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/portrait.php?LinkID=mp00224&rNo=0&role=sit |date=3 March 2016 }}, 1840, [[Benjamin Robert Haydon]], accessed April 2009</ref> He was a contemporary of [[William Wilberforce]] and [[Charles Simeon]].


John Angell James was keenly involved in all missionary endeavours and a supporter of the London Missionary Society. His name frequently appears in the ''[[Evangelical Magazine and Missionary Chronicle]]''. In 1817 it was James who handed Bibles to [[John Williams (missionary)|John Williams]] (of Erromanga) and [[Robert Moffat (missionary)|Robert Moffat]], in the commissioning service which sent them off to their fields of labour. His fellow student at Bogue's Academy, [[Robert Morrison (missionary)|Robert Morrison]], gave him a lifelong interest in missionary endeavours in China and he was the main instigator of an effort to send a million New Testaments to China. In the event they raised enough money for two million copies.
John Angell James was keenly involved in all missionary endeavours and a supporter of the London Missionary Society. His name frequently appears in the ''[[Evangelical Magazine and Missionary Chronicle]]''. In 1817 it was James who handed Bibles to [[John Williams (missionary)|John Williams]] (of Erromanga) and [[Robert Moffat (missionary)|Robert Moffat]], in the commissioning service which sent them off to their fields of labour. His fellow student at Bogue's Academy, [[Robert Morrison (missionary)|Robert Morrison]], gave him a lifelong interest in missionary endeavours in China and he was the main instigator of an effort to send a million New Testaments to China. In the event they raised enough money for two million copies.
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==Works==
==Works==
[[File:Brieven van John Angell James (1785-1859) aan Nicolaas Beets (1814-1903) LTK BEETS A 1.pdf|thumb|page=2|Letters from John Angell James]]
* "The Sunday School Teachers' Guide", 1816
* "Christian Fellowship, or the Church Members' Guide", 1822
* ''The Sunday School Teachers' Guide'', 1816
* "The Christian Father's Present to his Children", 1824
* ''Christian Fellowship, or the Church Members' Guide'', 1822
* "Christian Charity Explained", 1828
* ''The Christian Father's Present to his Children'', 1824
* ''Christian Charity Explained'', 1828
* "The Family Monitor, or a Help to Domestic Happiness", 1828
* "The Anxious Inquirer after Salvation Directed and Encouraged", 1834 (Reprinted by Quinta Press, 2003)
* ''The Family Monitor, or a Help to Domestic Happiness'', 1828
* ''The Anxious Inquirer after Salvation Directed and Encouraged'', 1834 (Reprinted by Quinta Press, 2003)
* "The Christian Professor", 1837
* ''"The Christian Professor'', 1837
* "The Young Man from Home", 1838
* ''The Young Man from Home'', 1838
* "Pastoral Addresses, first series", 1840
* ''Pastoral Addresses, first series'', 1840
* "Pastoral Addresses, second series", 1841
* ''Pastoral Addresses, second series'', 1841
* "The Widow Directed to the Widow's God", 1841
* ''The Widow Directed to the Widow's God'', 1841
* "Pastoral Addresses, third series", 1842
* ''Pastoral Addresses, third series'', 1842
* "An Earnest Ministry the Want of the Times", 1847 (reprinted by Banner of Truth Trust, 1993)
* ''An Earnest Ministry the Want of the Times'', 1847 (reprinted by Banner of Truth Trust, 1993)
* "The Church in Earnest", 1848
* ''The Church in Earnest'', 1848
* "The Young Man's Friend and Guide through Life to Immortality", 1851
* ''The Young Man's Friend and Guide through Life to Immortality'', 1851
* "Female Piety, or the Young Woman's Guide through Life to Immortality", 1852
* ''Female Piety, or the Young Woman's Guide through Life to Immortality'', 1852
* "The Course of Faith, or the Practical Believer Delineated", 1852
* ''The Course of Faith, or the Practical Believer Delineated'', 1852
* "Christian Progress", 1853
* ''Christian Progress'', 1853
* "Christian Hope", 1858
* ''Christian Hope'', 1858
* "The Works of John Angell James" (17 volumes), Hamilton Adams, 1860–64
* ''The Works of John Angell James'' (17 volumes), Hamilton Adams, 1860–64


Biographical Works about John Angell James:
Biographical Works about John Angell James:
* "John Angell James: A Review of his History, Character, Eloquence, and Literary Labours", by John Campbell, 1860 (pp.&nbsp;256).
* ''John Angell James: A Review of his History, Character, Eloquence, and Literary Labours'', by John Campbell, 1860 (pp.&nbsp;256).
* "The Life and Letters of John Angell James", by R.W. Dale, 1861 (pp.&nbsp;633).
* ''The Life and Letters of John Angell James'', by R.W. Dale, 1861 (pp.&nbsp;633).
* "The Autobiography of John Angell James" (with addition by his son), by T.S. James, 1864 (in Vol.XVII of The Works, pp.&nbsp;545).
* ''The Autobiography of John Angell James'' (with addition by his son), by T.S. James, 1864 (in Vol.XVII of The Works, pp.&nbsp;545).
* "John Angell James" (A Heritage Biography), by C.A. Haig, 1961 (pp.&nbsp;23).
* ''John Angell James'' (A Heritage Biography), by C.A. Haig, 1961 (pp.&nbsp;23).


==Family==
==Family==
James married, firstly, to Frances Charlotte Smith (born 1783), on 7 July 1806. Frances, a physician's daughter of independent fortune, resided in Hagley Road, Birmingham, where their family would live. They had four children:
James married, firstly, to Frances Charlotte Smith (born 1783), on 7 July 1806. Frances, a physician's daughter of independent fortune, resided in Hagley Road, Birmingham, where their family would live. They had four children:
* Stillborn (1807)
* Stillborn (1807)
* Thomas Smith James (1809-1874)
* Thomas Smith James (1809-1874) -- see below
* Daughter (1810-1811)
* Daughter (1810-1811)
* Sarah Ann James (1814-1882)
* Sarah Ann James (1814-1882)
Line 73: Line 83:
Frances died 27 January 1819. Her widower remarried, to Anna Maria Neale on 19 February 1822. Anna was the widow of Benjamin Neale (whom she had married in 1812). She had no children.<ref name="DNB">{{cite DNB|wstitle=James, John Angell}}</ref>
Frances died 27 January 1819. Her widower remarried, to Anna Maria Neale on 19 February 1822. Anna was the widow of Benjamin Neale (whom she had married in 1812). She had no children.<ref name="DNB">{{cite DNB|wstitle=James, John Angell}}</ref>


==Thomas Smith James==
'''Thomas Smith James''' (1809–1874) was a solicitor in Birmingham. He edited his father's works (Published in 17 volumes, 1860–64, by Hamilton Adams) in which he also defended his father's view of justification against criticisms made by his co-pastor and successor, R.W.Dale, who published The Life and Letters of John Angell James in 1861. (See Volume XVII of The Works of John Angell James, containing the Autobiography of John Angell James with additions by his son).
Thomas Smith James (1809–1874) was a solicitor in Birmingham. He edited his father's works (Published in 17 volumes, 1860–64, by Hamilton Adams) in which he also defended his father's view of justification against criticisms made by his co-pastor and successor, R.W.Dale, who published The Life and Letters of John Angell James in 1861. (See Volume XVII of The Works of John Angell James, containing the Autobiography of John Angell James with additions by his son).


Thomas Smith James also published ''The History of the Litigation and Legislation respecting Presbyterian Chapels and Charities in England and Ireland'' &c., 1867. Part of this work was earlier issued as ''Lists and Classifications of Presbyterian and Independent Ministers, 1717–31,'' &c., 1866, an 'Addendum' [1868] dealt with the criticisms of John Gordon. The work was inaccurate; it did contain "[[Dr. Evans's List]]" (1715–1729). His first wife died within weeks of marriage. He married a second time and had two daughters. He died on 3 February 1874.<ref name="DNB"/>
Thomas Smith James also published ''The History of the Litigation and Legislation respecting Presbyterian Chapels and Charities in England and Ireland'' &c., 1867. Part of this work was earlier issued as ''Lists and Classifications of Presbyterian and Independent Ministers, 1717–31,'' &c., 1866, an 'Addendum' [1868] dealt with the criticisms of John Gordon. The work was inaccurate; it did contain "[[Dr. Evans's List]]" (1715–1729). His first wife died within weeks of marriage. He married a second time and had two daughters. He died on 3 February 1874.<ref name="DNB"/>
Line 84: Line 95:
* [http://www.quintapress.com/JAJWritings.html - Chronological listing of the writings of John Angell James taken from volume 17 of his works]
* [http://www.quintapress.com/JAJWritings.html - Chronological listing of the writings of John Angell James taken from volume 17 of his works]


;Attribution
'''Attribution:'''
{{DNB|wstitle=James, John Angell}}
* {{DNB|wstitle=James, John Angell}}


{{Authority control}}
{{Authority control}}

Latest revision as of 20:15, 5 June 2024

John Angell James
James portrayed in The Anti-Slavery Society Convention, 1840, by Benjamin Robert Haydon
Born6 June 1785
Blandford Forum
Died1 October 1859
Birmingham, England
Resting placeKey Hill Cemetery, Birmingham, England
NationalityBritish
EducationGosport Academy
Occupation(s)Minister, chaplain
Known forWriting
SuccessorRobert William Dale
Portrait of John Angell James c.1830

John Angell James (6 June 1785 – 1 October 1859), was an English Nonconformist clergyman and writer.

Life

[edit]

James was born at Blandford Forum. After seven years' apprenticeship to a linen-draper in Poole, Dorset, he decided to become a preacher, and in 1802 he went to David Bogue's training institution at Gosport in Hampshire.[1]

A year and a half later, on a visit to Birmingham, his preaching was so highly esteemed by the congregation of Carrs Lane Independent chapel that they invited him to exercise his ministry amongst them; he settled there in 1805, and was ordained in May 1806. For several years his success as a preacher was comparatively small; but he became suddenly popular in about 1814, and began to attract large crowds.[1]

At the same time his religious writings, the best known of which are The Anxious Inquirer and An Earnest Ministry, acquired a wide circulation.[1]

The Anxious Inquirer sold over 500,000 copies in his lifetime and was translated into more than a dozen languages. This was the book which D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones gave to his wife, Bethan, when she was seeking the Lord. The book was also of great help to Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

In his autobiography Spurgeon wrote: "In an early part of my ministry, while but a lad, I was seized with an intense desire to hear Mr. John Angell James; and, though my finances were somewhat meagre, I performed a pilgrimage to Birmingham solely with that object in view. I heard him deliver a week-evening lecture, in his large vestry, on that precious text, "Ye are complete in Him." The savour of that very sweet discourse abides with me to this day, and I shall never read the passage without associating therewith the quiet but earnest utterances of that eminent man of God."

James was a typical Congregational preacher of the early 19th century, massive and elaborate rather than original. His doctrine was a moderate form of Calvinism, as had been that of Edward Williams, one of his predecessors.[1] He published numerous books on practical subjects of the Christian life, including: The Anxious Inquirer, Pastoral Addresses, an Earnest Ministry, A Help to Domestic Happiness, Female Piety, The Christian Father's Present to His Children, The Young Man's Friend and Guide, and The Widow Directed to the Widow's God. Many of these are still available in print and widely used among Conservative and Reformed Christians in the USA (In England he is largely forgotten).[citation needed] He was one of the founders of the Evangelical Alliance and of the Congregational Union of England and Wales. Municipal interests appealed strongly to him, and he was also for many years chairman of Spring Hill College, Birmingham.[1]

He was also an ardent abolitionist, and is portrayed in the huge canvass depicting Thomas Clarkson's opening address at the world's first Anti-Slavery Convention in 1840, in the National Portrait Gallery, London.[2] He was a contemporary of William Wilberforce and Charles Simeon.

John Angell James was keenly involved in all missionary endeavours and a supporter of the London Missionary Society. His name frequently appears in the Evangelical Magazine and Missionary Chronicle. In 1817 it was James who handed Bibles to John Williams (of Erromanga) and Robert Moffat, in the commissioning service which sent them off to their fields of labour. His fellow student at Bogue's Academy, Robert Morrison, gave him a lifelong interest in missionary endeavours in China and he was the main instigator of an effort to send a million New Testaments to China. In the event they raised enough money for two million copies.

In August 1859, at the ceremony for the laying of the foundation stone of The Metropolitan Tabernacle, Charles Haddon Spurgeon said, "Especially must I mention the name of that honoured father of all the Dissenting churches, the Rev. John Angell James, of Birmingham. There is no name I think just now that ought to be more venerated than his. We frequently exchange notes. I had a sweet letter from that eminent servant of God, in reply to one I had written asking him to come to this meeting. He said, 'I would have done so if I had been well enough, but I am unable to travel. My work is almost done, I cannot serve my Master much longer, but I can still do a little for Him. I preach perhaps once on the Sabbath, and I still continue to do what I can with my pen. What a mercy,' he adds 'to have been permitted to serve my Master so long.' I had written to him sometime before expressing my candid opinion concerning him, and my hearty respect; and he told me that I was mistaken in him. I am quite sure that I was not. I know that I could not think too highly of him." John Angell James died less than two months later, at his home in Birmingham, on 1 October 1859.[1] By special permission of the Home Secretary he was permitted to be interred in a vault beneath his pulpit in Carr's Lane Chapel, as had long been his wish. On 15 June 1970, when Carrs Lane Church was being rebuilt, the coffins of John Angell James and his second wife were disinterred and reburied at Witton Cemetery, Birmingham, in an unmarked common grave (Grave No. 147, Section 15).

'In Memoriam' Card for John Angell James

John Angell James's brother, Thomas (1789-1873), also became a pastor, based in London. His brother James was a deacon at Carrs Lane Chapel. His sister Harriet married Rev. Richard Keynes who became pastor of the Congregational church in Salisbury Street, Blandford Forum, where John Angell James had attended as a child.

Works

[edit]
Letters from John Angell James
  • The Sunday School Teachers' Guide, 1816
  • Christian Fellowship, or the Church Members' Guide, 1822
  • The Christian Father's Present to his Children, 1824
  • Christian Charity Explained, 1828
  • The Family Monitor, or a Help to Domestic Happiness, 1828
  • The Anxious Inquirer after Salvation Directed and Encouraged, 1834 (Reprinted by Quinta Press, 2003)
  • "The Christian Professor, 1837
  • The Young Man from Home, 1838
  • Pastoral Addresses, first series, 1840
  • Pastoral Addresses, second series, 1841
  • The Widow Directed to the Widow's God, 1841
  • Pastoral Addresses, third series, 1842
  • An Earnest Ministry the Want of the Times, 1847 (reprinted by Banner of Truth Trust, 1993)
  • The Church in Earnest, 1848
  • The Young Man's Friend and Guide through Life to Immortality, 1851
  • Female Piety, or the Young Woman's Guide through Life to Immortality, 1852
  • The Course of Faith, or the Practical Believer Delineated, 1852
  • Christian Progress, 1853
  • Christian Hope, 1858
  • The Works of John Angell James (17 volumes), Hamilton Adams, 1860–64

Biographical Works about John Angell James:

  • John Angell James: A Review of his History, Character, Eloquence, and Literary Labours, by John Campbell, 1860 (pp. 256).
  • The Life and Letters of John Angell James, by R.W. Dale, 1861 (pp. 633).
  • The Autobiography of John Angell James (with addition by his son), by T.S. James, 1864 (in Vol.XVII of The Works, pp. 545).
  • John Angell James (A Heritage Biography), by C.A. Haig, 1961 (pp. 23).

Family

[edit]

James married, firstly, to Frances Charlotte Smith (born 1783), on 7 July 1806. Frances, a physician's daughter of independent fortune, resided in Hagley Road, Birmingham, where their family would live. They had four children:

  • Stillborn (1807)
  • Thomas Smith James (1809-1874) -- see below
  • Daughter (1810-1811)
  • Sarah Ann James (1814-1882)

Frances died 27 January 1819. Her widower remarried, to Anna Maria Neale on 19 February 1822. Anna was the widow of Benjamin Neale (whom she had married in 1812). She had no children.[3]

Thomas Smith James

[edit]

Thomas Smith James (1809–1874) was a solicitor in Birmingham. He edited his father's works (Published in 17 volumes, 1860–64, by Hamilton Adams) in which he also defended his father's view of justification against criticisms made by his co-pastor and successor, R.W.Dale, who published The Life and Letters of John Angell James in 1861. (See Volume XVII of The Works of John Angell James, containing the Autobiography of John Angell James with additions by his son).

Thomas Smith James also published The History of the Litigation and Legislation respecting Presbyterian Chapels and Charities in England and Ireland &c., 1867. Part of this work was earlier issued as Lists and Classifications of Presbyterian and Independent Ministers, 1717–31, &c., 1866, an 'Addendum' [1868] dealt with the criticisms of John Gordon. The work was inaccurate; it did contain "Dr. Evans's List" (1715–1729). His first wife died within weeks of marriage. He married a second time and had two daughters. He died on 3 February 1874.[3]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d e f  One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the public domainChisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "James, John Angell". Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 15 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 144.
  2. ^ The Anti-Slavery Society Convention Archived 3 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine, 1840, Benjamin Robert Haydon, accessed April 2009
  3. ^ a b "James, John Angell" . Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900.
[edit]

Attribution: