John Bunyan
Timeline

People > Bunyan, John

1625: King Charles I ascended the throne following the death of his father King James I.

1628: John Bunyan the author of 'The pilgrim's progress' and over 60 other religious works was born at Harrowden, near Bedford. His father was Thomas Bunyan and his mother was Margaret Bentley. He was baptised on the 30th November. The family were of modest status, his father was a brazier who toured the area repairing utensils and cooking implements. As a young man it is likely that John Bunyan would have helped his father. In his autobiography 'Grace Abounding' Bunyan does mention however that he had some form of education "But yet, notwithstanding the meanness and inconsiderableness of my parents, it pleased God to put it into their heart to put me to School, to learn both to Read and Write...". 'Grace Abounding' is described by Christopher Hill, a great Bunyan scholar, as being "an unsatisfactory document for the biographer...The chronology is at best imprecise, at worst chaotic." (Hill, 1989).

1629: King Charles I dissolved Parliament and ruled without a parliament until 1640 (the "Eleven Years' Tyranny"). His advisors were Strafford and Archbishop Laud who persecuted the Puritans (people who wished to eliminate Roman Catholic survivals in church ritual).

1639: "By the time that John was 11, many people of Elstow, including the vicar, the Rev. Christopher Hall, were either 'Puritan' in their beliefs or prepared to accept Puritan principles...(Evans, 1988)

1640: The meeting of the Short Parliament in April is speedily dissolved by Charles I after it refuses to grant money to the King until its grievances have been resolved.

1640: The meeting of the Long Parliament results in the imprisonment of Archbishop Laud and the condemnation of Strafford to death. The Members of Parliament were determined (in the words of their leader John Pym) "to make their country happy by removing all grievances".

1642: After failing to arrest the parliamentary leaders on the 4th January, Charles I declares war on Parliament on the 22nd August by raising his standard at Nottingham. When the Civil War broke out there were few Royalists in Bedfordshire. "It was one of only three English counties where in the Long Parliament all the members, for county and borough alike, were supporters of Parliament. In Bedfordshire, Clarendon said, the King had not "any visible party, nor one fixed quarter"." (Hill, 1988)

1643: Royalist forces raided Ampthill.

1644: John Bunyan's mother and sister both die.

1644: Parliament orders Bedfordshire to provide 225 men for the Parliamentary Army and it is likely that John Bunyan was among the recruits. He was placed under Sir Samuel Luke at Newport Pagnell. It is unlikely that he saw much military action. In his autobiography he mentions the following incident about his time in the army "...when I was a Soldier I with others were drawn out to go to such a place to besiege it; but when I was just ready to go, one of the company desired to go in my room, to which, when I had consented, he took my place; and coming to the siege, as he stood Sentinel, he was shot into the head with a Musket bullet and died...".

1645: Charles I is defeated at the Battle of Naseby by the Parliamentary Army. Most of the people who fought for Parliament were Puritans.

1646: Archbishop Laud executed.

1647: The Parliamentary Army was in Bedford during negotiations with Charles I at Woburn.

1647: Bunyan returns from the army to set up business as a tinker. At some time after his return from military service he marries his first wife. She is generally referred to as 'Mary' because this was the name of their first daughter. It is known that she owned 'The practice of piety' and 'A plain man's pathway to heaven', both Puritan best sellers.

1649: Charles I is tried and condemned to death by Parliament. He was beheaded on the 30th January in front of the Banqueting House in Whitehall, London. At first England was still ruled by the 'Rump' of the Long Parliament but in 1653 Cromwell dismissed the Long Parliament. In December 1653 Cromwell became Lord Protector (ruler) until his death in 1658. Under Cromwell Puritan laws were enforced and Christmas was abolished although people were allowed to worship as they wished in private.

1650: An independent congregation formed in Bedford. Its members included John Easton the elder, John Crew and his wife, Anthony Harrington and his wife, Sister Coventon, Sister Bosworth, Sister Munnes, Sister Fenne, Sister Norton, Sister Spencer and John Gifford. These people were the founder members of the Bunyan Meeting Free Church. John Gifford was chosen to be their pastor, an interesting choice as he was an ex-Royalist Major who had previously led a profligate lifestyle. This was a particularly good time for the church as the county was controlled by people in sympathy with Independent views such as Colonel John Okey of Brogborough, Edward Cater of Kempston and Samuel Browne of Arlesey.

1650: Bunyan's blind daughter Mary's birth is recorded in the Elstow parish registers.

1653: Bunyan seems to have suffered some form of religious crisis 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 the independent congregation in Bedford under John Gifford. In his autobiography he describes how this occurred through a chance meeting of "four poor women sitting at a door in the Sun, and talking about the things of God....". These women were members of Gifford's congregation and it was they who introduced him to the minister. Bunyan was baptised by Gifford in the River Ouse at Bedford. Within two or three years of joining the church Bunyan began to preach.

1653: At the invitation of Bedford town authorities the congregation under John Gifford took over the church and hospital of St. John and John Gifford became rector. Within two years Gifford died and was succeeded by John Burton of Goldington.

1654: John Bunyan's second daughter Elizabeth is born in Elstow.

1655: John Gifford dies.

1655: It is generally thought that Bunyan, his wife Mary and their blind daughter Mary and her sister Elizabeth moved to Saint Cuthbert's Street in Bedford at this time. During the next two years two more children were born, John and Thomas. Bunyan's wife died sometime after Thomas's birth and Bunyan quickly re-married. His new wife was called Elizabeth but her surname is not known.

1656: Bunyan publishes his first book 'Some gospel-truths opened'. The preface was contributed by John Burton, rector of St. John's Church. During this period John Bunyan and John Burton entered into disputes with the Quakers in St. Paul's Church, Bedford and Bunyan also had disputations with Quakers at Pavenham and Bedford Market Cross. These disagreements continued into 1657.

1657: Bunyan publishes 'A vindication of some gospel-truths'.

1658: Bunyan publishes 'A few sighs from Hell'.

1658: Oliver Cromwell dies in September and is succeeded by his son, Richard Cromwell.

1659: Bunyan publishes 'The doctrine of the law and grace unfolded'.

1659: Richard Cromwell abdicates. The Long Parliament is restored.

1660: An amnesty is declared for Charles II and his proclamation on the 8th May marked the restoration of the monarchy. After the restoration of Charles II non-conformist preachers began to come under increasing pressure.

1660: John Burton, Rector of St. John's dies. Permission is withdrawn from the Independent congregation to use St. John's Church. Entries in the Church Book for the following period show that the Church suffered from persecutions and difficulties and were unable to meet as regularly as they wished. In 1662 they appointed Samuel Fenn and John Whiteman for their pastors. After the first months of 1663 there is a gap of 5 years during which no entries were made.

1660: William Foster, a lawyer, and his brother-in-law Francis Wingate, a Justice of the Peace of Harlington, hear that John Bunyan is planning a prayer meeting at Lower Samsell in Bedfordshire. Like many other Anglicans of the time they felt that independent ministers required restraint particularly as they often had little formal education. As a result Bunyan was arrested at the meeting and taken to Harlington Manor. He was charged with preaching without a licence to unlawful assemblies. Bunyan refused to give up preaching and his case was taken to the local justices at the next sessions (then held in the old Swan Inn, Bedford) and as a result he spent most of the next twelve years in Bedford Gaol (which stood on the corner of Silver Street and High Street, not Bedford Bridge as commonly thought).

1661 - 1666: While in gaol Bunyan wrote a number of works including 'Profitable meditations' (1661), 'I will pray with the spirit' (1662), 'Prison Meditations' (1663), 'Christian behaviour' (1663), 'One thing is needful' (1665), 'Ebal and Gerizzim' (1665), 'Of the resurrection of the dead' (1665?), 'The Holy City' (1665) and his autobiography 'Grace abounding to the chief of sinners' (1666). Christopher Hill notes that Bunyan's autobiography says very little about his military service (possibly because he was cautious as an imprisoned subversive that served in the army that defeated Charles I). More interestingly Hill also notes that very little is said about his first marriage, his children or his first wife's death and his re-marriage (Hill, 1989). 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". He was however occasionally let out by his gaoler and kept in close contact with the Bedford Independent congregation.

1662: The Act of Uniformity which required all ordained clergy to follow the book of common prayer along with other regulations led to 13 Bedfordshire clergy loosing their livings. Amongst them were leading independent ministers such as William Wheeler of Cranfield, John Donne of Pertenhall and William Dell of Yelden (Webster).

1668: Sarah Bunyan born to Bunyan's second wife Elizabeth. She grew up to marry William Browne on 19th December 1686.

1668: In September entries in the Church Book of the Bedford Independent congregation begin again after the Church had been driven underground for some 5 years.

1668-9: Figures from the Archdeacons Court in Bedford for these years show 1,400 cases of Puritan prosecutions in Bedford and Bedfordshire. The majority of those prosecuted were from the working classes; prosecutions of Quakers were most numerous (Webster). Samuel Fenn of the Bedford Independent congregation was charged by the authorities with "being a pernicious and seditious man and scheming seditiously, intending to incite and move rebellion and sedition in this realm of England."

1670: On the 15th May the Independent Church was meeting at the house of John Fenn. The preacher was Nehemiah Cox. The service was interrupted by the town constables and the congregation ordered to appear before a magistrate; all were fined.

1671: At the Church meeting of December 21st the congregation appointed John Bunyan to the office of pastor. Samuel Fenn and John Whiteman also remained joint pastors until their deaths in 1681 and 1673 respectively.

1672: Joseph Bunyan born to Bunyan's wife Elizabeth.

1672: Bunyan was released from gaol following a Declaration of Indulgence by Charles II granting freedom of worship to Catholics and to Protestant Dissenters (this was later blocked by Parliament in 1673 and the King was forced to withdraw the Indulgence). "...when in 1672 Charles issued his Declaration of Indulgence to dissenters, twenty four took out licences. The county (i.e. Bedfordshire) had a higher proportion of licensed dissenting congregations in proportion to area than any other in the country." (Hill, 1989)

1672: With 12 others Bunyan purchases an orchard on Mill Street, Bedford, from Josiah Ruffhead, and a barn in the orchard was licensed for preaching. Bunyan then began preaching not only in Bedfordshire but also in the surrounding counties.

1672: Bunyan publishes 'A defence of the doctrine of justification of faith in Jesus Christ'.

1673: Bunyan publishes 'The barren fig tree'.

1675: A warrant issued against Bunyan.

1676: Bunyan publishes 'The strait gate'.

1676: Bunyan arrested again (because he had not taken communion at St. Cuthbert's Church and thereby incurred the old church sentence of excommunication). During this imprisonment he completed his most famous work 'The pilgrims progress' (1678). It was an instant success and sold for 18d.

1677: Two London friends stood surety for Bunyan and obtained his release from gaol.

1677: Elizabeth Bunyan (Bunyan's daughter) marries Gilbert Ashley, the Goldington miller.

1678: Bunyan publishes 'The Pilgrim's Progress'. 'The Pilgrim's Progress' is an allegory that describes the journey of Christian from the City of Destruction to the Celestial City. Along the way he visits the Slough of Despond, a village called Morality, the Interpreter's House, the Hill of Difficulty, the Palace Beautiful, the Valley of Humiliation, the Valley of the Shadow of Death, the Gates of Hell, Vanity Fair, the River of the Water of Life, Doubting Castle and the Delectable Mountains. He meets characters called Obstinate, Pliable, Help, Mr. Worldly Wiseman, Passion, Patience, Backslider, Watchful, Discretion, Prudence, Piety, Charity, Apollyon (a devil with scales like a fish, wings like a dragon and feet like a bear), Faithful, Talkative, Lord Hate-Good, Mr. Blindman, Mr. Hate, Mr. Cruelty, Hopeful, Giant Despair, Diffidence, Ignorance and the Shining Ones.

1678: Bunyan publishes 'Come and welcome to Jesus Christ'.

1680: Bunyan publishes 'The life and death of Mr Badman'. In the early 1680s he also wrote 'Antichrist and his ruin' (Hill, 1989) but did not publish this because of fear of censorship.

1682: Bunyan publishes 'The holy war made by Shaddai upon Diabolus', which looks back at his time as a soldier.

1684: Bunyan publishes 'A holy life', 'Advice to sufferers' and 'Seasonable counsel'.

1685: Bunyan publishes 'Pilgrim's progress, part II' and 'The Pharisee and the publican'. Part II of the 'Pilgrim's Progress' describes the journey of Christian's wife, their four sons and a young girl called Mercy. They are joined by a host of extraordinarily named characters including Mr. Great-heart, Mr. Feeble-mind, Mr. Ready-to-halt, Valiant-for-truth, Mr. Stand-fast, Mr. Honest and Mr. Despondency and his daughter Much-Afraid.

1685: Bunyan executes a deed of gift to his wife of all his possessions to provide for her and his children in case of further imprisonment.

1685: King Charles II dies and is succeeded by his brother, the Roman Catholic, James II.

1686: Bunyan publishes 'A book for boys and girls'.

1686: Sarah Bunyan (Bunyan's daughter) marries William Browne at St. Cuthbert's Church on 19th December.

1687: James II issues a Declaration of Indulgence , this allowed full freedom of worship. A second was issued in 1688.

1688: Bunyan publishes 'Good news for the vilest of men' (later called 'The Jerusalem sinner saved'), Solomon's Temple spiritualiz'd', 'The water of life' and 'The advocateship of Jesus Christ'.

1688: Bunyan dies in August due to a fever brought on by riding in the rain from Reading to London. He died in Snow Hill in the house of Strudwick the grocer and was buried in Bunhill Fields, London, a famous dissenting burial ground. Bunyan was succeeded as pastor of the Church by Ebenezer Chandler whose ministry lasted from 1690-1747. At his death Bunyan left a number of works unpublished although ready for the press, largely due to fear of censorship. An inventory of his property after his death added up to a total of 42 19s.

1688: James II is ousted from the throne due to his unpopularity as a Catholic and also because of the birth of a son to his second Catholic wife thus raising the prospect of a Roman Catholic dynasty. Protestant William of Orange is invited to claim the throne in the name of his wife Mary which he does in November of 1688. William rules until 1702.

1689: Bunyan's 'The acceptable sacrifice' published posthumously.

1689: The Toleration Act passed giving all nonconformists rights of citizenship and greater religious freedom. They were allowed to have their own teachers, places of worship and preachers, although dissenters were officially banned from public office.

1691: Elizabeth Bunyan (Bunyan's wife) dies.

1698: Bunyan's 'The heavenly footman' published posthumously.

Events Following Bunyan's Death

1707: The first purpose built church built on the Mill Street site. This replaced the barn which had been used since the purchase of the land in 1672 by John Bunyan and other church members. This was called the 'Old Meeting' and could seat 700 people. It was built at a cost of 400.

1710: Thirty members of the 'Old Meeting' form the Gamlingay Church.

1724: Ten members of the 'Old Meeting' form the Blunham Church.

1767: John Howard, the prison reformer of Cardington, gave a piece of his garden from his adjoining house to the 'Old Meeting' so that the burial ground could be enlarged. John Howard was closely associated with the Church at this time and had specifically purchased a property next to the church as an occasional residence so that he could attend services. He was a close friend of the pastor Joshua Symonds.

1772: Joshua Symonds told his congregation that he had changed his views on infant baptism and now favoured baptism of adults by immersion. Some members of the congregation felt they could not continue to worship under a Baptist and formed a new church (also in Mill Street), first known as the 'Second Church' and later the 'Howard Church'. John Howard provided 250 and lent another 400 for its establishment.

1776: Branch of the 'Old Meeting' established at Cotton End.

1778: Death of Joshua Symonds.

1811-26: Branch churches of the 'Old Meeting' established at Elstow, Kempston, Goldington and Stagsden.

1849: The Rev. John Jukes preaches his last sermon in the 'Old Meeting' on January 14th after a decision is made to replace the now rotting building. The church was subsequently demolished and the materials sold at public auction by Messrs. Usher and Son. The sale realised the sum of 187 15s and 0d. Jukes had come to Bunyan Meeting in 1840 and his Superintendent of the Sunday School was William White the father of the Bedford writer William Hale White (known as Mark Rutherford). Also among his congregation was John Fitzgerald the brother of Edward, translator of the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam.

1849: Present Bunyan Meeting erected. The corner stones were laid on May 2nd at a service at which 2,000 people were present. The architects of the new building were were J.T. Wing and T.J. Jackson and the builders Berrill, Maxey and Ward. The building was opened on 20th February 1850.

1862: A recumbent effigy of John Bunyan is placed on his tomb in Bunhill Fields by public subscription.

1866: The corner stone laid for new Sunday School buildings at the rear of the Bunyan Meeting.

1874: Bunyan statue unveiled in Saint Peter's Street, Bedford. It was the work of J.E. Boehm and, made of bronze, stands 10ft high. It was cast from cannon and bells from China.

1876: Hastings, Duke of Bedford, gives a pair of bronze doors to the Bunyan Meeting depicting scenes from 'The Pilgrim's Progress'. They are the work of the sculptor Frederick Thrupp and the Church built the portico to house them.

1885: John Brown the pastor of the Bunyan Meeting publishes his first edition of 'John Bunyan (1628-1688), his life, times and work'.

1885: The prison door from the old Bedford gaol is presented to the Bunyan Meeting by T.G.E. Elger from whose lime kiln it was removed.

1886: Alterations carried out in the Bunyan Meeting including the removal of the top gallery and the stained glass windows.

1888: The bi-centenary of Bunyan's death celebrated.

1891: The Guild Room, the Church Parlour, Gifford Library and Primary Room added to the Bunyan Meeting. The new buildings were opened in 1892.

1898: Electric light installed in the Bunyan Meeting.

1900: A Pilgrim's Progress window installed in Southwark Cathedral. It was subsequently destroyed by enemy action in World War II.

1910: A Pilgrim's Progress window installed in Westminster Abbey.

1910: Sir Frederick Howard lays the foundation stone for the Bunyan Memorial Hall at Elstow on May 19th (Bedfordshire Times, cutting no. 100). The site was given by Sir Samuel Whitbread. The estimated cost of the hall was 1,600.

1912: John Bunyan's copy of Foxe's 'Book of Martyrs' 1641 is sold by the Rev. C.F. Farrar to Mr. Pierpont Morgan on behalf of the Bedford General Library for 2,000 (The Times, June 13th, 1912).

1921: A defective copy of a first edition of the 'Pilgrim's Progress' with a note in it saying that it belonged to Thomas Marsom who was with Bunyan in gaol, raised 500 at Sotheby's Auction House (Times, 26th July, 1921). Thomas Marsom was one of those who said "John, print it". This edition was a 'second' issue of the first edition and had a list of Erata of five lines below 'Finis' on the last page 232 (Times, July 27th, 1926).

1928: Dr. Frank Mott Harrison, a leading Bunyan scholar, publishes a revised edition of John Brown's biography of John Bunyan.

1928: The tercentenary of Bunyan's birth. Many celebrations were held in places where Bunyan had connections, these included church services, processions and lectures. November 25th was declared Bunyan Sunday.

1934: An article appears in the Bedfordshire Times of the 16th March by Reginald L. Hine regarding the re-discovery of John Bunyan's iron fiddle. The fiddle was owned by Mr. John Beagarie of Hitchin who also re-discovered John Bunyan's anvil in a marine store dealers in St. Neots.

1938: Dr. Frank Mott Harrison of Hove presents his collection of Bunyan editions to the Borough of Bedford Library. The collection contains over 1,300 books and pamphlets including some English first editions of Bunyan's works. The collection also contains Dr. Harrison's correspondence and his researches into Bunyan matters. The materials are now housed in Bedford Central Library as part of a wider Bunyan collection.

1940: A bell clapper believed to be from the fourth bell at Elstow Abbey (which John Bunyan rang as a boy) is donated to Bedford Central Library where it is still on display.

1941: The Bunyan Meeting received the gift of a Bunyan table.

1944: John Bunyan's cottage at Elstow, where he went to live after his marriage, was partly demolished when a lorry travelling from London crashed into it (Bedfordshire Times, 3rd November 1944).

1951: The George Offor Bunyan collection is bequeathed to Bedfordshire County Council for preservation in Moot Hall. In 1981 this collection was moved for safe keeping to the library service.

1951: Vaughan Williams's opera 'Pilgrim's Progress' is given its first night at Covent Garden on the 256th April as part of the Festival of Britain. Pilgrim was played by Mr. Arnold Matters (The Times, 17th April, 1951).

1952: A special stone is unveiled by the Ald. Sir Thomas Keens D.L. former chairman of Bedfordshire County Council at a service on the 17th May to mark the birthplace of John Bunyan (Bedfordshire Times, 16th May, 1952).

1968: The cottage that Bunyan is reputed to have lived in in Elstow is demolished to make way for a road widening scheme (Bedford Record 24th September 1968).

1974: The Bunyan Free Church renovated and re-furbished.

1977: John Bunyan is considered as a possible addition to the calendar of Anglican Saints (Bedfordshire on Sunday, 17th April, 1977).

1977: Mrs Phyllis Lawrence, chairman of the needlework section of the Bedford Music and Arts Club, considers the idea of presenting a piece of needlework to the town as part of the Queen's Jubilee. It is decided to produce a Bedford tapestry celebrating John Bunyan. The resulting work was supported by Halina Grubert of Cecil Higgins Museum and was designed by the artist Edward Bawden at her suggestion.

1978: The tercentenary of the publication of 'The Pilgrim's Progress' is celebrated in Bedford and the surrounding areas with a civic service at the Bunyan Meeting, lectures, exhibitions, dramas, festivals etc (Bedfordshire Times 27th January 1978)

1978: Baker Bros. (Jewellers Ltd) of St. Peter's Street, Bedford market an international limited edition of 1,000 hallmarked silver John Bunyan figurines, 65mm high at 35 each (Bedfordshire Times, 16 June, 1978).

1980: A stained glass window showing Bunyan writing in his prison cell is unveiled in the Bunyan Meeting. The window cost nearly 2000 and was raised entirely by public subscription (Ampthill News, 1 January, 1980).

1984: A computer game by inventor James Day for the ZX Spectrum is released based on Pilgrim's Progress. The aim of the game was to reach the Celestial City (Bedfordshire Times, 30 August 1984).

1988: The tercentenary of Bunyan's death. The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Robert Runcie took a service at Elstow Abbey and attended a service the Bunyan Meeting where he also dedicated a window donated by Arthur Jones of Pavenham in memory of his grandfather Frederick Shreeves (Bedford Herald, 23rd June 1988).

1988: A service is held at 'Bunyan's Oak' in Harlington where is is believed that he was preaching just before his arrest. To mark the occasion naturalist David Bellamy was invited to plant a new oak to grow along side 'Bunyan's Oak' (Ampthill and Flitwick Times, 28 July 1988).

1988: Terry Waite, the envoy of the Archbishop of Canterbury, receives a postcard depicting a stained glass window of John Bunyan in the Bunyan Meeting, Bedford. It was sent by from Joy and Graham Brodier. The post card was addressed to 'Terry Waite, c/o Hezbollah, Party of God, Beirut, Lebanon'. Mr. Waite was finally released from captivity in 1991after spending four years as a captive.

1998: The re-furbished John Bunyan Museum opened at the Bunyan Meeting Free Church.

The Virtual Library

John Bunyan
Timeline

People > Bunyan, John

Further Reading:

John BunyanTimeline

People > Bunyan, John

Further Reading:

John Bunyan
Timeline