Famous British Preachers

Charles Spurgeon was an English Particular Baptist preacher who was a powerful figure in the Reformed Baptist tradition. Hailed as the "Prince of Preachers", he was well respected by Christians of various denominations. He was pastor of the congregation of the New Park Street Chapel for almost four decades. He was the author of several books, sermons, and commentaries. 

John Bunyan, the noted author of The Pilgrim’s Progress, was known for his belief in Puritanism. The son of a brazier, he initially quit school to join his father’s trade. He was later inspired by chapbooks, to write his iconic works and has also become a preacher.

Hailed as the Prophet of the Poor, William Booth was the co-founder and the first the General of the Salvation Army, a Christian church known for its world-wide charitable work. Initially a Methodist preacher, he was moved by the plight of the poor and formed the Salvation Army, aiming to deliver salvation by meeting both their physical and spiritual needs.

William Brewster was an English official. He was among the passengers that traveled in Mayflower from England to the New World. When the ship landed at Plymouth Colony, William Brewster was accepted as the senior elder and hence became the religious leader of the colony. Eventually, he ended up serving as an adviser to Governor William Bradford.

A prominent leather seller, Praise-God Barebone later became known as a sectarian preacher and was known for his support of infant baptism. After the dissolution of the Rump Parliament by Oliver Cromwell, Barebone sat as a representative of London in the new parliament, which came to be known as Barebone's Parliament.

English Protestant martyr and bishop Nicholas Ridley had an illustrious career as a scholar at Cambridge. Named a master of Pembroke Hall, he converted Cambridge into a Reformist seminary for Protestantism. He ended up being accused of heresy and was burned at the stake at Oxford, thus becoming one of the Oxford Martyrs.

Bishop of Chichester Richard de Wych, or Richard of Chichester, was also a chancellor of Oxford. He also served St. Edmund Rich, or Edmund of Abingdon, and propagated his ideals. He is still revered as a patron saint of coachmen and of Sussex, and is depicted with a chalice at his feet.

English diplomat Sir George Downing, 1st Baronet was the person who lent his name to the iconic Downing Street in London. One of the first to graduate from Harvard, he was initially a preacher and then a military leader. An MP under Oliver Cromwell, he, however, supported the Stuart restoration later.

British moral-philosopher Richard Price is best-remembered for significantly editing Bayes–Price theorem. He edited An Essay towards solving a Problem in the Doctrine of Chances, a major-work of his deceased friend Thomas Bayes. It appeared in Philosophical Transactions and included Bayes' Theorem. His work on legacy of Bayes, led Price to get elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society.

Initially named the bishop of Elmham, Stigand later became the bishop of Winchester and, eventually, the archbishop of Canterbury. Some historians also believed he was probably English king Canute’s priest. He was excommunicated and eventually deposed for holding the bishoprics of Winchester and Canterbury simultaneously. He died in prison.

Works of English Benedictine monk and chronicler Thomas Walsingham forms significant source of information of reigns of Kings Richard II, Henry IV and Henry V, as also of careers of Wat Tyler and John Wycliff. Much of Walsingham’s life was spent at St Albans Abbey, where he served as superintendent of scriptorium. His works include Chronicon Angliæ and Ypodigma Neustriæ.

Puritan clergyman Thomas Goodwin, also known as the Elder, had served as a chaplain to Oliver Cromwell. He had a major role in drafting the Savoy Declaration and was also made the president of Magdalen College, Oxford. His written works include five volumes of his sermons, published posthumously.

Frederick William Robertson, also known as Robertson of Brighton, was a 19th-century Anglican clergyman. Born to an army captain, he initially wished to serve in the military. His sermons dismissed the theological ideas existing back then and focused on the reform concepts of the 1848 Revolution instead.

Born to an engineer father, British missionary Alfred Saker had built a small steam engine by 16. Intelligent and well-read, he later departed on a mission to Africa, eventually setting up the city of Victoria, now known as Limbe, in Cameroon. He is also credited with translating the Bible into Douala.