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Who was John Bunyan? Preacher and prose writer. Date and Place of Birth: November 1628, Elstow, Bedfordshire, England. Family Background: Son of Thomas Bunyan, a traveling tinker and Margaret Bentley. Education: Learned to read and write at a local school. Chronology: 1640: Worked as a tinker. 1644: Conscripted into the Parliamentary Army during the English Civil War, joining at the Newport Pagnell garrison. 1645: Death of his mother. 1650: Birth of his blind daughter Mary. 1653: Joined a Christian Fellowship and became a preacher. 1654: Birth of his daughter Elizabeth. 1655: Moves to Bedford and becomes deacon of St John's Church. 1656: Began to discuss religion with the followers of George Fox, the founder of the Quaker movement, which led to his first book "Some Truths Opened" which was a violent attack on Fox. 1657: Formally recognised as a preacher. 1660: (12th November) He was arrested while preaching at a farmhouse in Ampthill, Bedfordshire for "devilishly and perniciously abstaining from coming to Church to hear Divine Service, and for being a common upholder of several unlawful meetings and conventicles, to the great disturbance and distraction of the good subjects of this kingdom, contrary to the laws of our sovereign lord and king." He was imprisoned for twelve years in Bedford County Gaol where he wrote many other books. 1672: He was released from prison after the Declaration of Indulgence. 1675: Re-imprisoned for a further six months during which time he wrote the first part of the book for which he is chiefly remembered "The Pilgrim's Progress". After he was released once more he became a pastor at Bedford until his death. 1684: He wrote the Second part of "The Pilgrim's Progress" which tells the story of Christiana and her children. Written Works: 1656: “Some Gospel Truths Opened”. 1657: "A Vindication of Gospel truths Opened". 1661: "Profitable Meditations". 1663: "I Will Pray with the Spirit". 1665: “The Holy City”. "The Resurrection of the Dead". 1666: “Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners”. 1671: “Confession of my Faith”. 1678: “The Pilgrim's Progress, from this World to that Which is to Come”. 1679: "A Treatise of the Fear of God". 1680: “The Life and Death of Mr Badman”. 1681: "Come and Welcome to Jesus Christ". 1682: “The Holy War”. "The Greatness of the Soul"."The Barren Fig Tree". 1684: “Pilgrim's Progress Part Two”. "Seasonable Counsel". 1686: “A Book for Boys and Girls”. 1688: "The Water of Life". "The Jerusalem Sinner Saved" (1692): “Of Antichrist and his Ruin, Works”. Marriage: 1648: 1. To an orphan girl. (died 1655) 2. 1659: To Elizabeth. (died 1692) Places of Interest: BEDFORD: John Bunyan Museum. Date and Place of Death: 31st August 1688, London, England after catching a chill riding from Reading in the rain. Age at Death: 60. Site of Grave: Bunhill Fields Burial Ground, City Road, Finsbury, London, England.