Vavasor Powell
Encyclopedia
Vavasor Powell (1617 – October 27, 1670) was a Welsh
Nonconformist Puritan
preacher, evangelist, church leader and writer.
, Radnorshire
and was educated at Jesus College, Oxford
. He returned to Wales
as a schoolmaster (1638-9) during which time he was converted to the Puritan
understanding of the Gospel of Jesus Christ under the preaching of the Puritan Walter Cradock
and through the writings of Richard Sibbs (1577-1635) and William Perkins (1558-1602). In about 1639 he became an itinerant
preacher and for preaching in various parts of Wales he was twice arrested. In 1640, however, he was not punished and during the Civil War
he preached in and around London
.
On the 26th December 1641 he was teaching the word of God in Llanyrne Parish Church in Ross when he was forcibly removed by Hugh Lloyd and twelve armed men and imprisoned.In 1646, when Parliament
's victory was certain, Powell returned to Wales having received a "certificate of character" from the Westminster Assembly
, although he had refused to be ordained by the Presbyterians. With a salary granted to him by parliament he resumed his itinerant preaching in Wales.
In 1650 Parliament appointed a commission for the better propagation and preaching of the gospel in Wales with Powell acting as one of the principal advisers of this body. For three years he was actively employed in removing from their parishes those ministers whom he regarded as incompetent. In 1653 he returned to London to preach at St Ann Blackfriars
after the death of their pastor, William Gouge
. Having denounced Cromwell
for accepting the office of Lord Protector
, he was imprisoned.
At the Restoration
in 1660 he was arrested for preaching, after a short period of freedom he was once again seized and incarcerated, remaining in prison for seven years. He was set free in 1667, however, in the following year he was again imprisoned and was in custody until his death on 27 October 1670. Powell is buried at Bunhill Fields
cemetery.
held disputations with popular Arminians of his day.
While remaining a relatively minor figure in seventeenth-century Puritan history since his death, Powell's place in the Puritan movement has been reassessed in recent years. The twentieth-century Welsh theologian R. Tudur Jones
wrote of Powell:
That estimation has been heeded as Vavasor Powell has been the subject of doctoral dissertations as well as several peer reviewed papers and presentations. Vavasor Powell has emerged as a leading case study for the right wing elements of Seventeenth Century English Non Conformity and their relationship to the larger Puritan movement.
Welsh people
The Welsh people are an ethnic group and nation associated with Wales and the Welsh language.John Davies argues that the origin of the "Welsh nation" can be traced to the late 4th and early 5th centuries, following the Roman departure from Britain, although Brythonic Celtic languages seem to have...
Nonconformist Puritan
Puritan
The Puritans were a significant grouping of English Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries. Puritanism in this sense was founded by some Marian exiles from the clergy shortly after the accession of Elizabeth I of England in 1558, as an activist movement within the Church of England...
preacher, evangelist, church leader and writer.
Life
He was born in KnucklasKnucklas
Knucklas and Heyop are two small but inseparable villages in Powys, Wales. They lie off the B4355 road and are served by Knucklas railway station on the Heart of Wales Line...
, Radnorshire
Radnorshire
Radnorshire is one of thirteen historic and former administrative counties of Wales. It is represented by the Radnorshire area of Powys, which according to the 2001 census, had a population of 24,805...
and was educated at Jesus College, Oxford
Jesus College, Oxford
Jesus College is one of the colleges of the University of Oxford in England. It is in the centre of the city, on a site between Turl Street, Ship Street, Cornmarket Street and Market Street...
. He returned to Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
as a schoolmaster (1638-9) during which time he was converted to the Puritan
Puritan
The Puritans were a significant grouping of English Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries. Puritanism in this sense was founded by some Marian exiles from the clergy shortly after the accession of Elizabeth I of England in 1558, as an activist movement within the Church of England...
understanding of the Gospel of Jesus Christ under the preaching of the Puritan Walter Cradock
Walter Cradock
Walter Cradock was a Welsh Anglican clergyman, who became a travelling evangelical preacher. He was a founder of the first Independent church in Wales in 1638, at Llanvaches, with William Wroth and William Thomas, an early Baptist.-Life:He was born at Trefela, near Llangwm, Monmouthshire, and is...
and through the writings of Richard Sibbs (1577-1635) and William Perkins (1558-1602). In about 1639 he became an itinerant
Itinerant
An itinerant is a person who travels from place to place with no fixed home. The term comes from the late 16th century: from late Latin itinerant , from the verb itinerari, from Latin iter, itiner ....
preacher and for preaching in various parts of Wales he was twice arrested. In 1640, however, he was not punished and during the Civil War
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
he preached in and around London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
On the 26th December 1641 he was teaching the word of God in Llanyrne Parish Church in Ross when he was forcibly removed by Hugh Lloyd and twelve armed men and imprisoned.In 1646, when Parliament
Parliament of England
The Parliament of England was the legislature of the Kingdom of England. In 1066, William of Normandy introduced a feudal system, by which he sought the advice of a council of tenants-in-chief and ecclesiastics before making laws...
's victory was certain, Powell returned to Wales having received a "certificate of character" from the Westminster Assembly
Westminster Assembly
The Westminster Assembly of Divines was appointed by the Long Parliament to restructure the Church of England. It also included representatives of religious leaders from Scotland...
, although he had refused to be ordained by the Presbyterians. With a salary granted to him by parliament he resumed his itinerant preaching in Wales.
In 1650 Parliament appointed a commission for the better propagation and preaching of the gospel in Wales with Powell acting as one of the principal advisers of this body. For three years he was actively employed in removing from their parishes those ministers whom he regarded as incompetent. In 1653 he returned to London to preach at St Ann Blackfriars
St Ann Blackfriars
St Ann Blackfriars was a London church of the seventeenth century, situated in the ward of Farringdon Within in Church Entry, Carter Lane. It was near the Blackfriars Theatre, a fact which displeased its congregation...
after the death of their pastor, William Gouge
William Gouge
William Gouge was an English clergyman and author. He was a minister and preacher at St Ann Blackfriars for 45 years, from 1608, and a member of the Westminster Assembly from 1643.-Life:...
. Having denounced Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell was an English military and political leader who overthrew the English monarchy and temporarily turned England into a republican Commonwealth, and served as Lord Protector of England, Scotland, and Ireland....
for accepting the office of Lord Protector
Lord Protector
Lord Protector is a title used in British constitutional law for certain heads of state at different periods of history. It is also a particular title for the British Heads of State in respect to the established church...
, he was imprisoned.
At the Restoration
English Restoration
The Restoration of the English monarchy began in 1660 when the English, Scottish and Irish monarchies were all restored under Charles II after the Interregnum that followed the Wars of the Three Kingdoms...
in 1660 he was arrested for preaching, after a short period of freedom he was once again seized and incarcerated, remaining in prison for seven years. He was set free in 1667, however, in the following year he was again imprisoned and was in custody until his death on 27 October 1670. Powell is buried at Bunhill Fields
Bunhill Fields
Bunhill Fields is a cemetery in the London Borough of Islington, north of the City of London, and managed by the City of London Corporation. It is about 4 hectares in extent, although historically was much larger....
cemetery.
Assessment
Powell wrote eleven books and some hymns but his chief gifts were those of a preacher. During his ministry he preached before the Lord Mayor of London (1649), Parliament (1650) and as an ardent defender of CalvinismCalvinism
Calvinism is a Protestant theological system and an approach to the Christian life...
held disputations with popular Arminians of his day.
While remaining a relatively minor figure in seventeenth-century Puritan history since his death, Powell's place in the Puritan movement has been reassessed in recent years. The twentieth-century Welsh theologian R. Tudur Jones
R. Tudur Jones
R. Tudur Jones was a Welsh Nationalist and a Protestant Christian. He was the most important Christian scholar in Wales during the 20th century and is hailed as the giant of Protestantism in Wales during a century that saw Wales, as a whole, turn against its traditional Reformed Protestant...
wrote of Powell:
"Vavasor Powell deserves better of historians than to be dismissed as a millenarian enthusiast. In many ways, Powell was the most striking personality amongst the Welsh Puritans."
That estimation has been heeded as Vavasor Powell has been the subject of doctoral dissertations as well as several peer reviewed papers and presentations. Vavasor Powell has emerged as a leading case study for the right wing elements of Seventeenth Century English Non Conformity and their relationship to the larger Puritan movement.