Edward Bury was an English ejected minister.

Early Life

Bury was born in Worcestershire

Worcestershire

Worcestershire is a non-metropolitan county, established in antiquity, located in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire" NUTS 2 region...

 in 1616. According to Walker, he was originally a tailor, and was put into a home in Great Bolas

Great Bolas

Great Bolas is a small village in rural Shropshire, England, north-west of the town of Newport, in between the rivers Meese and Tern. It is part of the civil parish of Waters Upton...

, Shropshire, in place of a deprived rector. Calamy says that Bury was a man of learning, educated at Coventry Grammar School and at Oxford, and that before obtaining the rectory of Great Bolas be had been chaplain in a gentleman's family and assistant to an aged minister. He received presbyterian ordination. The date at which he began his ministry at Great Bolas was before 1654.

Ministry

In the parish records he signs himself 'minister and register' till 1661, when, consequence of the act for confirming possession of benefices, he signs 'rector.' His entries show that he was somewhat given to astrology

Astrology

Astrology consists of a number of belief systems which hold that there is a relationship between astronomical phenomena and events in the human world...

. Ejected in 1662, Bury, who remained at Great Bolas in a house he had built, was subjected to great privations. On 2 June 1680, Philip Henry gives him 4l. from a sum left at his disposal by William Probyn of Wem

Wem

Wem is a small market town in Shropshire, England. It is the administrative centre for the northern area committee of Shropshire Council, which has its headquarters at Edinburgh House in the centre of Wem. Wem railway station is on the Shrewsbury to Crewe railway line...

. Henry's diary, 22 July 1681, has an account of the distraint of Bury's goods (he is here called Berry) for taking part at a private fast on 14 June. After this he was a good deal hunted about from place to place. In later life his circumstances were improved by bequests. He became blind some years before his death, which occurred on 5 May 1700, owing to a mortification in one foot.

Family

By his wife Mary, he had at least five children:

• Edward, b. 1654;
• Margarit (sic), b. 12 Feb. 1655;
• John, b. 14 March 1657;
• Mary, b. 13 Aug. 1660;
• Samuel.

Works

• 'The Soul's Looking-glass, or a Spiritual Touchstone,' &c., 1660.
• 'A Short Catechism, containing the Fundamental Points of Religion,' 1660.
• 'Relative Duties.'
• 'Death Improv'd, and Immoderate Sorrow for Deceased Friends and Relatives Reprov'd,' 1675; 2nd edit. 1693.
• 'The Husbandman's Companion, containing an 100 occasional meditations, &c., suited to men of that employment,' 1677.
• 'England's Bane, or the Deadly Danger of Drunkenness.'
• 'A Sovereign Antidote against the Fear of Death,' 1681, 8vo (in Dr. Williams's library).
• 'An Help to Holy Walking, or a Guide to Glory,' 1705.