Henry Byam

son of Laur. Byam of Luckham alias East Luckham near Dunster in Somersetshire Clerk, was born there on the last of Aug. 1580 and in Act term 1597 was sent to Exeter Coll. where he continued in the condition of a sojourner till he was elected a Student of Ch. Ch. 21. Dec. 1599. In both which houses, he, by the advantage of an ingenious and liberal education, joyned with his own diligence and industry, soon became one of the greatest ornaments of this University and the most noted person there for his excellent and polite learning: which being seconded with judgment and experience, when he began to serve at the altar, made him like a burning and shining light, and to be looked upon as the most acute and eminent preacher of his age. Much about the time that he took the degree of Bach. of Div. an. 1612 he was called home into his own Country, and succeeded his Father in the rectory of Luckham before mention’d, and Will. Fleet in that of Selworthy adjoyning. From which time till the rebellion broke out, nothing occurs memorable of him, only that about the year 1636 he became Prebendary of Exeter, and when a Parliament afterwards was conven’d, he was, by the unanimous consent of the Clergy of the Diocess wherein he liv’d, elected to be their Clerk in convocation. In the beginning of the Civil War he was the first person that was seised on, in the parts where he lived, by Rob. Blake then a Captain of Dragoons, afterwards General at Sea under Oliver; from whom, after some time of imprisonment, making an escape, he fled to the King at Oxon, where, among many Loyalists, he was actually created Doct. of Divinity. Before that time he had raised both men and horse for his Majesty, and then, or after, had engaged his five Sons in that just quarrel (of which four were Captains) exposing all his estate, whether spiritual or temporal (which was not inconsiderable) to rapine, plunder and sequestration, his children to distress and danger, and himself to many grievous shifts and exigencies. His wife and daughter also that were left at home, were so much troubled by the Rebels, that they endeavouring to avoid their cruelties by flight over the Sea into Wales, were both drowned. All these sufferings our author Dr. Byam patiently endured, that he might keep a good conscience, not out of any base or greedy desire of reward, but meerly out of generous and religious principles. When the Prince of Wales (afterwards K. Ch. 2.) fled from England, this our author went with him, first to the Island of Scilly, and afterwards to that of Jersey, where the Prince left him, as his Chaplain, to preach in his Chappel in the Castle called Elizabeth, and there he remained till that garrison was taken by the Parliament forces. From which time till the Kings return, he lived in a poor and obscure condition; but as soon as that glorious star appeared in the British firmament, he was made Canon of Exeter and Prebendary of Wells: And then when he might have obtained what he would have asked, he contented himself only with what his Majesty was pleased freely to bestow upon him. However had not his own modesty stood in the way, ’tis well known his Maj. bounty towards him had not rested here, but he must have died a Bishop. Which honorable function he really deserved not only for sanctity of life but for learning, charity and loyalty, scarce to be equall’d by any in the age he lived. His works are these.

Thirteen Sermons, most of them preached before his Maj. K. Ch. 2. in his exile. Lond. 1675. in oct. They were deliver’d before the K. in the Island of Scilly and Jersey, at which time this worthy Dr. was Chapl. in Ord. to his Majesty, who was his constant Auditour, admiring equally his learning and his loyalty. Among them are these two lat. sermons. Osculum pacis: concio ad clerum habita Exoniae in trien. visitat. D. Jos. Hall Episc. Exon, in S. Marc. cap. 9. ver. ult. And Nativitus Christi; conc. in ad. S. Mar. Ox. habita pro gradu an. 1612, in Matth. cap. 1. ver. 18. Also, if I mistake not, is his Sermon entit. A return from Argier, preached at Minhead in Somers. 16. Mar. 1627, at the readmission of a relapsed Christian into our Ch. on Rev. 2. part of the 5. vers. Lond. 1628. qu. All which 13 Sermons were published by Hamnet Ward M. D. Vicar of Sturmister-Newton-Castle in Dorsetshire. He the said Dr. Byam hath other elaborate pieces that were fairly written with his own hand and ready for the press, if the Executor will oblige posterity so far as to publish them: but these I have not yet seen. At length after he had lived to a great age, and had seen many changes in the world, concluded his last day on the 16. of June, and was buried in the Chancel of the Church at Luckham, 1669. on the 29 of the same month, in sixteen hundred sixty and nine. On the wall near to his grave, is a comely monument fastned. with this inscription thereon, made by Dr. Ward before mention’d. Non procul hinc sub marmore congenito, sepultum jacet corpus Henrici Byam ex antiquiss. Byamorum familiâ oriundi, SS. Theologiae Doctoris insignissimi, hujus ecclesiae & proximae Selworthianae Rectoris, Pastorisꝫ vigilantissimi, ecclesiae Cath. Exon. Canonic [•] , ecclesiaeꝫ Wellensis Prebendarii, sereniss. Majestatis Car. II. Regis Capellani & Concionatoris ordinarii, necnon ejusdem saeviente illâ tyrannide & semper execrandâ Phanaticorum rebellione, terrâ marique comitis, exulisꝫ simul. Ex meliore luto ejus constructum corpus post annos tandem octoginta & novem, an sal. Millesimo sexcentesimo sexagesimo nono, morti non triumphanti quam invitanti placide cessit. Sed extat adhuc viri hujus optimi celebrius multo hoc & ornatius monumentum non marmore perituro, sed typis exaratum perpetuis, scripta scilicet ejus plane divina; ubi animi vires & summum ejus ingenii acumen intueberis simul & miraberis. Lugubrem hunc lapidem honoris & reverentiae indicem posuit filius ejus obsequentiss. Franciscus Byam.