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Nicholas Ferrar, the London Merchant whose family founded the religious community at Little Gidding, is said to be related to the Halifax family. If so, it must have been through a grandparent, or an earlier generation. His grandfather, John Farrer, linen draper, of All Saints, Hertford, made his will in 1555 and gave his house to his wife Elizabeth for life. Afterwards, it was to pass to his son Nicholas, who was under age. Elizabeth was also given his market stall place for life, which also was to pass to his son, Nicholas. Nicholas grew up to be a vigorous, forthright man, scrupulously honourable, stern and somewhat quick tempered. He married Mary Woolnoth, and they had six children. As his business activities grew he became a successful merchant in the City of London, a member of the East India and the Virginia Companies. During the early colonisation of America, the Virginia Company was founded and provided with a charter giving it full responsibilities for feeding, clothing and supplying all necessities of the colonists. Nicholas was in partnership with Sir Thomas and Sir Hugh Middleton and his friends included the famous English mariners, Hawkins, Drake and Raleigh. They were often entertained in his London house. He lived in St. Sithe's Lane, close to Walbrook and Cannon Street, and there he brought up his children and taught them to read the Scriptures. He made his will in 1619 and described himself as a citizen and skinner of St Benet Sherehog, London. He left £300 for the education of ten Infidel children at a College which was then being founded in Virginia, and he made bequests to his daughter Susan, her husband John Collet, and he gave £500 to their daughter, Mary, when she reached the age of 21. His house in Hertford called the Bell was given to his son Nicholas, and other bequests were made to his sons, John and Richard, who were also London merchants. His son, Erasmus had died before the will was made. He like his brother, William, had been trained as a barrister. Nicholas Junior was born in 1592 and entered Clare Hall, Cambridge at the age of fourteen. He was elected a Fellow in 1612 and afterwards spent five years travelling in Europe. His father still attended meetings of the Virginia Company at the age of 72. Shortly after Nicholas returned from Europe, he joined his brother, John, in running the firm. Eventually, he was appointed its Deputy Treasurer. In 1624 he became an MP. But the Virginia Company was about to collapse. Charges of misconduct were made against the company by James I, and he appointed a commission to bring about a new constitution for Virginia. In the spring of 1624 Nicholas was ordered to surrender all patents, books and other documents relating to the Company. Fortunately he had spent several months making copies of the documents which now form the basis of the Colony's early history. Within a year Nicholas renounced his career and worldly ambitions and with his mother, brother, married sister and other family members, founded a religious community at Little Gidding, a tiny hamlet in Huntingdonshire. Nicholas took charge of the group which practised such crafts as needlework and bookbinding. The also set up a school and set apart part of the house for use of the poor of the neighbourhood. Above all it was a community devoted to religion. Each hour of the day a short service was held in the house and three times each day the whole family walked in procession to the little church for matins, singing of the litany and for evensong. The reputation of the community grew and a constant stream of friends and visitors went to see them at Little Gidding. King Charles visited the family there on three occasions, and they presented him with beautifully bound Harmonies of the Gospel. Nicholas died in December 1637 and his brother John continued to run the community until it was dissolved. References:
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