B. G. (Bennett George) Johns

Born in 1820 and dying in 1900, B. G. Johns—short for Bennett George Johns—was an English educator and author remembered for practical, wide-ranging writing. Sources describe him as a minister as well as a teacher, including service as chaplain to the School for the Indigent Blind and as headmaster of Dulwich Grammar School.

His books reflect that broad public-minded interest. He edited The Book of Poetry, wrote historical and religious works such as Stories from the History of the Reformation, and is also known for Blind People: Their Works and Ways, a study of blind lives and accomplishments. Much of his writing seems aimed at informing and encouraging general readers rather than writing for specialists.

Johns was also the brother of Charles Alexander Johns, another well-known writer and naturalist. For modern readers, his appeal lies in that Victorian mix of moral purpose, education, and curiosity about the wider world.