Richard Francis Weymouth

Born near Devonport, England, in 1822, Richard Francis Weymouth was educated at University College London and went on to build a career as both a teacher and a scholar. He taught in private schools before becoming headmaster of Mill Hill School, and he was also active as a Baptist layman rather than an ordained minister.

Weymouth is especially known for his work on the text and translation of the New Testament. He produced a respected Greek text, The Resultant Greek Testament, and his English translation, later published as The New Testament in Modern Speech, was one of the early attempts to present the New Testament in modern, readable English instead of traditional church language.

That mix of philology, teaching, and religious commitment shaped everything he wrote. He died in 1902, but his name has lasted because his books were made for ordinary readers as well as serious students—careful in scholarship, yet always aiming to be understood.