Text Only – A Timeline Chronicling the Life of John Bunyan

Text Only – A Timeline Chronicling the Life of John Bunyan

Acacia John Bunyan – Online Library
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A Timeline Chronicling the Life of John Bunyan
By Judith Bronte

This is not a complete history of John Bunyan. This chronicles some of the events in John Bunyan’s life that can be established by dates, thus giving us a somewhat accurate overview of his extraordinary life.

Events that took place in the same year are not arranged in chronological order.

Date

Age

Event

• November 1628

Birth Born in the parish of Elstow, in Bedfordshire, to Thomas Bunyan and Margaret Bentley (Thomas’s first wife, Anne Pinney, had died the year before without any surviving children).

• November 30, 1644

16 Enlists in the Parliamentary army, joining with the Newport Pagnell garrison, at the regulation age of sixteen.

• 1645

17 Newport Pagnell garrison moves to Leicester. Most probably, it was here that Bunyan’s comrade was shot. "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." – John Bunyan, from "Grace Abounding"

• Margaret Bentley died June 1645 (date approximate)

17 After seventeen years of marriage, Margaret Bentley, John’s mother, dies. Her death is followed within a month by John’s sister Margaret. Two months after his wife’s death, Thomas Bunyan, John’s father, marries his third wife.

• August 1646

18 Order given that the Newport Pagnell garrison is to be disbanded, and the soldiers "employed for the service of Ireland".

• January 17, 1647

19 Irish officer Lieutenant Colonel Charles O’Hara musters troops at Newport, of which Bunyan is a member.

• 1647

19 Returns home.

• 1648

20 Marries first wife, who was an orphan. "I changed my condition into a married state, and my mercy was to light upon a wife whose father was counted godly. This woman and I, though we came together as poor as poor might be, not having so much household stuff as a dish or spoon betwixt us both, yet this she had for her part, The Plain Man’s Pathway to Heaven, and The Practice of Piety, which her father had left her when he died." – John Bunyan, from "Grace Abounding"

• July 20, 1650

22 Mary, his much loved blind daughter and eldest child, is baptized.

• 1653

25 Joins St. John’s church in Bedford, where he meets Mr. Gifford, the pastor.

• 1653 (date approximate)

25 John falls out of a boat into the Bedford river, escaping drowning. "I fell out of a boat into Bedford river, but mercy yet preserved me alive." – John Bunyan, from "Grace Abounding"

• April 14, 1654

26 Mary’s younger sister, Elizabeth, is baptized.

• 1655

27 Moves to Bedford and becomes a deacon of St. John’s church. First wife dies soon after move, leaving John with four motherless children. Mr. Gifford dies in September of the same year.

• 1656

28 Publishes first work entitled "Some Gospel Truths Opened".

• 1657 (year approximate)

29 Publishes second work entitled "Vindication of Gospel Truths".

• 1657

29 Formally recognized as a preacher.

• 1658

30 Indictment is laid against John at the Assizes for "preaching at Eaton Socon". The charge was most likely dropped.

• 1658

30 Publishes third work entitled "A Few Sighs From Hell".

• 1659

31 Marries his second wife, Elizabeth.

• 1659

31 Publishes "The Doctrine of the Law and Grace Unfolded". This is the last book he writes before being placed in prison.

• November 12, 1660

32 On November 12th, John is scheduled to preach at the hamlet of Lower Samsell. Upon his arrival, he is informed that a warrant has been issued for his arrest. After a lengthy interview with Mr. Francis Wingate, and another with Wingate’s brother-in-law, William Foster, (who unsuccessfully tries to persuade Bunyan into a concession), John was placed in Bedford prison. He was charged with "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."

• November 20, 1660 (date approximate)

32 Within approximately eight days of John’s arrest, his wife gives birth, only for the infant to die soon after. "I am but mother-in-law to them, having not been married to him yet full two years. [Elizabeth, John’s second wife, spoke this in 1661.] Indeed, I was with child when my husband was first apprehended; but being young, and unaccustomed to such things, said she, I being smayed at the news, fell into labour, and so continued for eight days, and then was delivered, but my child died." – John Bunyan’s wife, from "A Relation of My Imprisonment"

• August 1661

33 "Whereupon I continued in prison till the next assizes, which are called MIDSUMMER ASSIZES, being then kept in AUGUST, 1661." – John Bunyan, from "A Relation of My Imprisonment" John’s wife goes before the judges, to ask that her husband’s case be considered. She is denied.

• 1662

34 The Assizes of 1662. John endeavors to have his name entered in the calendar of offenders, so his case would come before the judges. However, the Clerk of the Peace alters John’s entry, thus making it possible for Bunyan to remain in prison for the next four years.

• 1662

34 Writes "I Will Pray With the Spirit and With the Understanding Also, or a Discourse Touching Prayer".

• 1663

35 Publishes "A Discourse Touching Prayer".

• 1663

35 Writes "Christian Behavior".

• 1664 (date approximate)

36 Publishes "One Thing Is Needful" on single sheets to be sold by his wife and children, to aid them financially.

• 1665

37 Writes "The Holy City", and "The Resurrection of the Dead and Eternal Judgment" from Bedford prison.

• 1665

37 Writes a poem entitled "Prison Meditations" in response to a letter he received, exhorting him to hold his head above the flood.

• 1666

38 Publishes "Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners". A brief period of freedom follows re-incarceration "He was let out again, 1666, being the year of the burning of London, and, a little after his release, they took him again at a meeting, and put him in the same jail, where he lay six years more." – Charles Doe, A friend and biographer of John Bunyan.

• 1671

43 Released from Bedford prison, after twelve years of imprisonment. His formal pardon is dated September 13, 1672, but he received a royal license to preach five months earlier.

• 1674

46 Publishes "Christian Behavior" as a pocket volume.

• 1675

47 Writes "The Pilgrim’s Progress" during six months of incarceration. After being released the same year, he resumes his pastorate in Bedford.

• 1676

48 Publishes "The Strait Gate".

• February 1678

50 Publishes "The Pilgrim’s Progress".

• 1678

50 (age approximate) Second edition of "The Pilgrim’s Progress" is published in the autumn.

• 1679

51 Publishes "A Treatise of the Fear of God".

• 1680

52 Publishes "The Life and Death of Mr. Badman".

• 1681

53 Publishes "Come and Welcome to Jesus Christ".

• 1682

54 Publishes "The Holy War".

• 1682

54 Publishes the eighth edition of "The Pilgrim’s Progress", and makes last improvements.

• 1682

54 Publishes "The Greatness of the Soul".

• 1682

54 Publishes "The Barren Fig Tree".

• 1684

56 Publishes ninth edition of "The Pilgrim’s Progress".

• 1684

56 Publishes the second part of "The Pilgrim’s Progress".

• 1684

56 Publishes "Seasonable Counsel".

• 1685

57 Publishes tenth edition of "The Pilgrim’s Progress".

• 1685

57 In danger of returning to prison.

• 1688

60 Publishes "The Water of Life".

• 1688

60 Publishes "The Jerusalem Sinner Saved" in a pocket volume of eight sheets.

• July 1688

60 Preaches his last sermon from John 1:13.

• Dies on August 31, 1688

60 Travels through drenching rain on behalf of a young man, whose father was angry with him. After succeeding his mission, he returns to his lodging on Snow Hill. After enduring ten days of violent fever, he dies and is buried in Bunhill Fields.

• 1688

– "The Barren Fig Tree" is reprinted a few months after John’s decease.

• 1691

– "The Jerusalem Sinner Saved" is reprinted.

• 1691

– Charles Doe publishes "An Exposition on the First Ten Chapters of Genesis, and Part of the Eleventh", an unfinished commentary on the Bible, found among John Bunyan’s papers after his death, in his own handwriting.

• 1692

– Elizabeth Bunyan, John’s second wife, dies.

• 1692

– "Of Antichrist and His Ruin", "Christ a Complete Saviour", "A Discourse of the House of the Forest of Lebanon", and "The Saints’ Knowledge of Christ’s Love", are published.

• 1698

– Charles Doe publishes "The Heavenly Footman".

• 1701

– "A Book For Boys and Girls" is first published.
Also see "A Memoir On John Bunyan".