John Eames
John Eames was an English dissenting tutor.Life
Eames was born in London on 2 February 1686. He was admitted to Merchant Taylors' School on 10 March 1696–7, and was subsequently trained for the dissenting ministry. He preached only once and seems never to have been ordained.
In 1712 Thomas Ridgley, D.D., became theological tutor to the Fund Academy, in Tenter Alley, Moorfields, an institution supported by the congregational fund board. Eames was appointed assistant tutor, his subjects being classics and science. On Ridgley's death he succeeded him as theological tutor, handing over his previous duties to Joseph Densham, one of his pupils. His reputation as a tutor, especially in natural science, was great; it appears that Thomas Secker attended his classes. He enjoyed the friendship of Sir Isaac Newton, through whose influence he was elected Fellow of the Royal Society, whose Philosophical Transactions he was employed in abridging.
Of his theological work nothing remains; on 13 February 1735 he took part with Samuel Chandler and Jeremiah Hunt, in an arranged debate with two Roman Catholic priests, at the Bell Tavern in Nicholas Lane. Eames, who was unmarried, died suddenly on 29 June 1744, a few hours after giving his usual lecture. He was buried in Bunhill Fields burial ground.Works
He published nothing of his own, but was concerned in the following:
- The Knowledge of the Heavens and Earth made easy, by Isaac Watts, edited by Eames.
- The Philosophical Transactions, from 1719 to 1733, abridged, by John Eames and John Martyn, 2 vols; being vols 6 and 7 of the series.
- A General Index of all the matters contained in the seven vols. of the Philosophical Transactions abridged, :.
