John Bunyan: Dreamer and Writer

Written By: Ernest H. Hayes  |  Posted: Tuesday, August 31st, 2010

John Bunyan entered heaven on this day in 1688 - editor.

In a humble cottage at Elstow, near Bedford, three hundred years ago, grew up a boy who was learning to mend the farmers' tools, the house-pots of the villagers, and to become a tinker, while his father travelled round the district on the same work. John was a queer lad, moody and superstitious, who believed in fiends and hobgoblins, and heard more of grown-up people's talk about religion than was good for him. He called himself a terrible sinner, and thought he was being haunted by demons as a punishment for his sins. At sixteen he was clever with his punch and soldering-iron, popular in the village, good at dancing and playing tip-cat on the green, and at ringing the church bells. Then came the great Civil War, when Cromwell was fighting for the liberty of the people against King Charles, and though only sixteen, John went off to fight on the side of liberty.

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