Bunyan, John

Bunyan, John (1628-88), author of Pilgrim's Progress, b. Elstow, near Bedford, England.

John Bunyan was the son of a tinker and he became a tinker himself.

From the age of sixteen, he served for three years as a soldier in Cromwell's Army in the English Civil War.

He married in 1649 and afterwards became interested in religion, joining the Puritan church in Bedford.

Bunyan still worked as a tinker but he also began to preach. At this time, under King Charles II, Puritans were not allowed to preach.

Bunyan was sent to prison and remained there for twelve years. In that time he wrote many books.

He was set free in 1672 but arrested again three years later. This time he was in prison for six months and in that time started to write The Pilgrim's Progress.

Afterwards he was allowed to preach. He was pastor of the church in Bedford but he often traveled to London to preach there.

Large crowds turned out to listen to him. Pilgrim's Progress is one of the most famous books ever written. It has been translated into hundreds of languages.