Background
Bury was born in Worcestershire in 1616.
Bury was born in Worcestershire in 1616.
University of Oxford.
According to Walker, he was originally a tailor, and was put into a home in Great Bolas, Shropshire, in place of a deprived rector. Calamy says that Bury was a man of learning, educated at Coventry Grammar School and at Oxford, and that before obtaining the rectory of Great Bolas be had been chaplain in a gentleman"s family and assistant to an aged minister. The date at which he began his ministry at Great Bolas was before 1654.
In the parish records he signs himself "minister and register" till 1661, when, as a consequence of the act of confirming possession of benefices, he signs "rector." His entries show that he was somewhat given to astrology.
Ejected in 1662, Bury, who remained at Great Bolas in a house he had built, was subjected to great privations. On 2 June 1680, Philip Henry gives him 4 ₤ from a sum left at his disposal by William Probyn of Wem.
Henry"s 22 July 1681 diary entry has an account of the distraint of Bury"s goods (he is here called Berry) for taking part at a private fast on 14 June. After this he was a good deal hunted about from place to place.
In later life his circumstances were improved by bequests.
He would also become blind some years before his death. He died on 5 May 1700, from a mortification in one foot. Edward, b. 1654;
Margarit (sic), b.
12 February
1655;
John, b. 14 March 1657;
Mary, b. 13 August 1660;
Samuel.