Who was John Bunyan?
Preacher and prose writer.
Date and Place of
Birth:
November 1628, Elstow, Bedfordshire, England.
Family Background:
Son of Thomas Bunyan, a traveling tinker and
Margaret Bentley.
Education:
Learned to read and write at a local school.
Chronology/Biography of John
Bunyan:
1640: Worked as
a tinker.
1644: Conscripted
into the Parliamentary Army during the English Civil War, joining
at the Newport Pagnell garrison.
1645: Death of his
mother.
1650: Birth of his
blind daughter Mary.
1653: Joined a Christian
Fellowship and became a preacher.
1654: Birth of his
daughter Elizabeth.
1655: Moves to Bedford
and becomes deacon of St John's Church.
1656: Began to discuss
religion with the followers of George Fox, the founder of the Quaker
movement, which led to his first book "Some Truths Opened"
which was a violent attack on Fox.
1657: Formally recognised
as a preacher.
1660: (12th November)
He was arrested while preaching at a farmhouse in Ampthill, Bedfordshire
for "devilishly and perniciously abstaining from coming to
Church to hear Divine Service, and for being a common upholder of
several unlawful meetings and conventicles, to the great disturbance
and distraction of the good subjects of this kingdom, contrary to
the laws of our sovereign lord and king." He was imprisoned
for twelve years in Bedford County Gaol where he wrote many other
books.
1672: He was released
from prison after the Declaration of Indulgence.
1675: Re-imprisoned
for a further six months during which time he wrote the first part
of the book for which he is chiefly remembered "The Pilgrim's
Progress". After he was released once more he became a pastor
at Bedford until his death.
1684: He wrote the
Second part of "The Pilgrim's Progress" which tells the
story of Christiana and her children.
Written Works:
- 1656: “Some Gospel
Truths Opened”.
- 1657: "A
Vindication of Gospel truths Opened".
- 1661: "Profitable
Meditations".
- 1663: "I
Will Pray with the Spirit".
- 1665: “The Holy
City”. "The Resurrection of the Dead".
- 1666:
“Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners”.
- 1671: “Confession
of my Faith”.
- 1678:
“The Pilgrim's Progress, from this World to that Which is to Come”.
- 1679: "A
Treatise of the Fear of God".
- 1680:
“The Life and Death of Mr Badman”.
- 1681: "Come
and Welcome to Jesus Christ".
- 1682:
“The Holy War”. "The Greatness of the Soul"."The
Barren Fig Tree".
- 1684:
“Pilgrim's Progress Part Two”. "Seasonable Counsel".
- 1686:
“A Book for Boys and Girls”.
- 1688: "The
Water of Life". "The Jerusalem Sinner Saved"
- (1692):
“Of Antichrist and his Ruin, Works”.
Marriage:
1648: 1. To an orphan
girl. (died 1655)
2. 1659: To Elizabeth. (died 1692)
Places of Interest:
BEDFORD:
John Bunyan Museum.
Date and Place of Death:
31st August 1688, London, England after catching
a chill riding from Reading in the rain.
Age at Death:
60.
Site of Grave:
Bunhill Fields Burial Ground, City Road, Finsbury,
London, England.
