John Bastwick was born
in Essex in 1593. When he finished his education at Emmanuel College,
Cambridge, he took a medical degree at Padua.
Bastwick was a
Puritan
and he was imprisoned several
times for his controversial writings. Bastwick became friendly with
John
Lilburne who
helped him get his books and pamphlets published in Holland.
In 1637 Bastwick, Henry
Burton and William Prynne had their
ears cut off for writing pamphlets attacking the religious views of
the William Laud, the Archbishop
of Canterbury.
Bastwick was released from
prison in 1640 and during the Civil War
served in the Parliamentary army. After the war Bastwick, a Presbyterian,
advocated the persecution of other Puritan
groups such as the Anabaptists,
Quakers and Congregationalists.
When his old friend,
John
Lilburne, complained,
Bastwick arranged for him to be arrested.
John Bastwick died in 1654.
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