Clare Hall; but, partly owing to his father’s advanced age, and partly on account of his elder brother having important work in London in connection with the Virginia Plantation Company, Nicholas Ferrar determined to settle there with them. Here he soon attracted much attention for his many eminent qualities, reports of which had, indeed, been received from abroad, and before long Sir Edwyn Sandys and Lord Southampton, both of them governors of the Virginia Company, having discovered for themselves his great worth, proposed him as King’s Counsel for the Plantation. He thus became deeply engaged in public business; and as his work was continually produced in open court, his reputation increased more and more. Two or three years later his powers were still further tested, for the Spanish party exerted all their influence to overthrow the Company; and as Nicholas Ferrar was at this time the deputy-governor, the chief burden of the defence fell on his shoulders. His efforts were, however, all in vain, and before long the patent or charter was withdrawn, and the Company was dissolved, owing to the false accusations brought against the managers and directors.
Ferrar was now elected Member of Parliament,
and was able to bring before the House and the public more fully the iniquity of these proceedings, and by his skilful management cleared the directors, and brought their opponents to justice and punishment.
This was the concluding act of Ferrar’s public life, and we shall now turn to a scene of a vastly different nature. But it has been necessary to say thus much to exhibit in its true light the force of character, the wonderful diligence and activity of the man, who (as we shall now see) decided on devoting the rest of his life to religious exercises, to works of charity and usefulness, but living apart and without interruption from the busy world.
There is evidence to show that this had long been his wish, in fact, that from his earliest years some such ideas had been in his mind; but until now he had not seen his way to carry them out.
The first and most necessary step was to find a place suitable for his purpose, and hearing that the lordship of Little Gidding was for sale, he went to inspect it.
It was in an obscure part of the county of Huntingdon, a large manor house and a cottage for shepherds the only buildings, with the exception
of a dilapidated church used as a barn. The air was healthy, and the whole estate lay in pasture.
The spot seemed admirably adapted to his designs, and was accordingly bought; and after settling his own business and also his brother’s, he moved to Little Gidding in the year 1625.
He now gathered round him a very large family party. His father was dead, but his mother, his brother, and his sister, who was married to a Mr. Collett, with the children of both families, all joined under the one roof. When the establishment was completed and in proper working order, it is said that they numbered forty persons, including schoolmasters and servants.