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John Bunyan

People > Bunyan, John

John Bunyan the author of 'The pilgrim's progress' and other religious works was born at Elstow, near Bedford.   He left school to follow his father's trade as a brasier until joining the Parliamentary army in 1644 to serve in the Civil War.  For the next two years he served as a soldier and was garrisoned in Newport Pagnell.

Bunyan returned to Elstow in 1647 following his discharge from the army and resumed his trade as a tinker. It seems he suffered some form of religious crisis after his return home and he became convinced that he was a sinful man destined for hell.  As a result he gave up some of his most enjoyable pastimes such as bell-ringing and dancing and instead began an exhaustive study of the Bible.

Bunyan looked for a church that was in sympathy with his religious views and in 1653 he joined an Independent Church in Bedford.  Within two or three years of joining the church Bunyan began to preach.  His views, which were sometimes in conflict with the regularly ordained clergy, often led to fierce religious debate.  But it was not only with the established church that Bunyan had doctrinal disputes.  His first published works, 'Some gospel-truths opened' (1656) and 'A vindication of some gospel-truths' (1657), were written against the Quakers.

After the restoration of Charles II in 1660 non-conformist preachers began to come under increasing pressure and Bunyan was arrested at a meeting at Lower Samsell in Bedfordshire in November 1660.  He was charged with  preaching without a licence to unlawful assemblies. Bunyan refused to give up preaching and as a result spent most of the next twelve years in Bedford Gaol.  While in gaol he wrote a number of works including 'Profitable meditations' (1661), 'The Holy City' (1665) and 'Grace abounding' (1666). Of his stay in prison he wrote that rather than violate his principles he would stay there "till the moss should grow upon his eyebrows".

Bunyan was released from gaol in 1672 following a royal pardon by Charles II.  He became the pastor of the Bedford congregation and for the rest of his life preached throughout Cambridgeshire, Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire. 

In 1677 Bunyan was arrested again and during this imprisonment he completed his most famous work 'The pilgrims progress' (1678).  It was an instant success.

Bunyan died in August 1688 due to a fever brought on by riding in the rain.  He was buried in Bunhill Fields, London, a famous dissenting burial ground.


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Further Reading:

  • In the steps of John Bunyan, by V. Brittain (Rich & C, 1950)
  • John Bunyan: his life, times and work, by J. Brown (Hulbert Pub, 1928)
  • John Bunyan: his life and times, by V. Evans (Book Castle, 1988)
  • John Bunyan of Bedfordshire, by J. Godber (Beds County Council, 1972)
  • John Bunyan: a story of his life, by F. Mott Harrison (Banner of Truth Trust, 1964)
  • John Bunyan: conventicle and parnassus, tercentenary essays, by N.H. Keeble (Clarendon Press, 1988)
  • John Bunyan in context, by M. Mullett (Keele UP, 1996)

Page last updated: 23rd January 2014