Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Jemmat, William
JEMMAT, WILLIAM (1596?–1678), puritan divine, born about 1596, and a descendant of a well-to-do family settled at Reading, Berkshire, was, according to Wood, the son of a former mayor of the town. No Jemmat, however, appears as mayor of Reading before 1661. His mother, Elizabeth Grove, who was buried, at the age of eighty-one, in the churchyard of St. Giles, Reading, on 22 March 1649–50 (register), is described in the register as the ‘pious mother of three Jemmats, vicars of the parish successively.’ Educated at Reading school, William proceeded to Magdalen College, Oxford, in 1610, and there graduated B.A. on 23 May 1614. Before he commenced M.A., 25 Feb. 1617, he transferred himself to Magdalen Hall, and soon afterwards took holy orders. He signs the dedication to his collection of five sermons by Thomas Taylor (1576–1632) [q. v.], which he called ‘a mappe of Rome’ (1620), as ‘your servant in the Gospel of Christ, Reading, 1619.’ He remained at Reading until at least 1621, probably acting as an assistant to Thomas Taylor. From Reading he removed to Lechlade in Gloucestershire, where he describes himself as preacher of God's word; he probably remained there during 1624 and 1625. In 1632–3 he was a licensed lecturer at Isleworth, Middlesex, and was still holding the post in 1648, although Wood asserts that he only held it for fourteen years. He contrived to combine with his work at Isleworth the duties of a lecturer at Dunstable and Kingston, and in the neighbourhood of Faversham, offices to which he was appointed by the House of Commons, in the first two cases in 1642, and in the last about 1643 (Commons' Journals, ii. 788; Watchword for Kent). He was also, according to Wood, for a time chaplain to the Earl of Northumberland. In 1644 he describes himself as ‘pastor of Nettlestead,’ and signs the register there in that and the following years. He became vicar of St. Giles's, Reading, by grant of the House of Lords under the great seal, 20 Dec. 1648 (Lords' Journals, x. 635). The former vicar, Jemmat's elder brother John, had been buried in the church on 10 Dec. 1648 (register). Jemmat appears to have conformed at the Restoration, and retained his benefice till his death at Reading on 28 Jan. 1677–8. He was buried in the chancel of St. Giles's Church on 31 Jan. On 11 Oct. 1619 he married Anne Pocock at St. Giles's Church, Reading. Besides separate sermons published respectively in 1623, 1624, 1627, 1628, 1643, 1644, Jemmat issued: 1. ‘A Spiritual Trumpet exciting and preparing to the Christian Warfare, sounded first in the utmost parts of the Lord's Camp to one Wing of the Army, now in the midst for the benefit of all. By Wm. Jemmat, M.A., preacher of God's Word at Lechlade in Gloucestershire,’ London, 1624, 12mo. 2. ‘A Watchword for Kent, exhorting God's People to stir themselves up out of Security,’ London, 1643. 3. ‘The Rock, or a settled Heart in unsettled Times … being the Heads of some Sermons preached lately by William Jemmat, pastor of Nettlestead, co. Kent,’ London, 1644, 12mo. 4. ‘A Practical Exposition of the Historical Prophecy of Jonah,’ London, 1666. 5. ‘Now and Ever,’ London, 1666, 4to. He also edited several works of Thomas Taylor; abridged Dr. Preston's works in 1648; and edited Paul Baynes's ‘Commentary upon the whole Epistle of Paul to the Ephesians,’ London, 1656. ‘Mr. Jemmat hath also translated into Latin some part of Dr. Thos. Goodwin's works, which were printed at Heidelberg in 1658, with his name there set, in the title Interprete Guilielmo de magno conventu (= Gemote or Jemmat)’ (Wood).
[Wood's Athenæ Oxon. ed. Bliss, iii. 1147; Fasti, ii. 356; Lords' Journals; Hist. MSS. Comm. 11th Rep. pt. vii. pp. 192, 195; Commons' Journals; Coates's Hist. of Reading; Watt's Bibl. Brit.; information from the Rev. W. F. Cobb, rector of Nettlestead.]