 He was born in the town of Ardsley in Yorkshire.In 1642 he joined the Parliamentarian army, and served as quartermaster under John Lambert until 1650.After experiencing what he described as the voice of God calling him from work in his fields, Nayler gave up his possessions and began seeking a spiritual direction, which he found in Quakerism after meeting the leader of the Quaker Friends movement, George Fox in 1652.