John Bunyan

1874. Sculptor: Sir Joseph Boehm
Location: St Peter' s Green crossroads (northern end of High Street)

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John Bunyan (1628-1688) is Bedford' s most famous son, known around the world as a Protestant Christian preacher and writer. He was active in the late 1600s but his book The Pilgrim' s Progress (first published 1678) is still published today and has never been out of print. This is a remarkable achievement for a poor itinerant brazier, or tinker, who grew up in the village of Elstow, just outside the town. At a time when only Anglican parsons were allowed to preach, he refused to stop preaching in the open air to whoever would listen, driven by a strong personal belief in Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit to speak to him as he read the Bible. As a result of this he was imprisoned in the County Gaol, then in Silver Street, for twelve years from 1660 to 1672. This gave him the time and opportunity to write many of the writings which subsequently made him famous. He later, during a more tolerant period, was able to become full-time minister of the congregation which met at the Congregational chapel now known as the Bunyan Meeting in Mill Street. He died on a visit to London and is buried in Bunhill Fields Burial Ground.

The statue was paid for by the Duke of Bedford and presented to the town. Its unveiling on 10 June 1874, was watched by a crowd of 10,000 people.

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The Sculptor

Sir Joseph Edgar Boehm (1834-1890) was a Hungarian but studied as an artist in Paris and Rome before coming to England and becoming a most successful figurative sculptor of busts, particularly favoured by the aristocracy, including Queen Victoria. He was created a baronet in 1889. His many other works include statues of Benjamin Disraeli, Thomas Carlyle, William Tyndale, the Duke of Wellington and Queen Victoria, all in London. Elsewhere, one can see his statue of Sir Francis Drake in Plymouth.