author

John Hayward

1781–1869

Known for compact, practical reference books, this 19th-century compiler helped readers navigate New England and the wider United States through geography, statistics, and local description. His works gathered a remarkable amount of information into accessible volumes meant for everyday use.

1 Audiobook

The Book of Religions Comprising the Views, Creeds, Sentiments, or Opinions, of All the Principal Religious Sects in the World, Particularly of All Christian Denominations in Europe and America, to Which are Added Church and Missionary Statistics, Together With Biographical Sketches

The Book of Religions Comprising the Views, Creeds, Sentiments, or Opinions, of All the Principal Religious Sects in the World, Particularly of All Christian Denominations in Europe and America, to Which are Added Church and Missionary Statistics, Together With Biographical Sketches

by John Hayward

About the author

Working in the first half of the 19th century, John Hayward was an American compiler and editor of popular reference works on geography, statistics, religion, and law. He is especially associated with gazetteers and descriptive surveys that organized large amounts of regional information for general readers.

Among his best-known books is The New England Gazetteer, first published in the late 1830s and expanded in later editions. He also produced works such as A View of the United States: Historical, Geographical and Statistical, reflecting a strong interest in making practical knowledge clear and easy to consult.

Hayward's books belong to a period when readers relied on carefully assembled print references to understand towns, counties, landscapes, and institutions. Even now, his compilations offer a useful snapshot of how Americans described their regions in the decades before the Civil War.