author
Hosea Quinby
1804–1878
An early American pastor and educator, he wrote from direct experience and brought a practical, observant voice to religious and social questions. His best-known work on prison chaplaincy offers a rare firsthand look at reform, faith, and life inside a 19th-century prison.
1 Audiobook
The Prison Chaplaincy, And Its Experiences
by Hosea Quinby
About the author
Born in New Hampshire in 1804, Hosea Quinby, also known as Hosea Quimby, became an American Free Will Baptist minister, teacher, and author. He studied at New Hampton Institute and Wolfeboro Academy and graduated from Colby College in 1832.
He went on to serve as president of Parsonsfield Seminary in Maine and Smithville Seminary in Rhode Island, combining religious leadership with a strong commitment to education. Alongside his work as a pastor and school leader, he also wrote on subjects shaped by his own experience.
Quinby is especially remembered for The Prison Chaplaincy, and Its Experiences (1873), a work drawn from his time connected with prison ministry in New Hampshire. He died in 1878, leaving behind writing that still interests readers for its firsthand picture of 19th-century reform and religious life.