author
Robert Aitkin Bertram
1836–1886
A Victorian Congregational minister and religious writer, he is best remembered for practical reference works that helped preachers find illustrations, commentary, and poetic examples for sermons. His books reflect a busy ministry shaped by church work in England, Wales, and St Helena.
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About the author
Born in Staffordshire on November 8, 1836, Robert Aitkin Bertram was the son of Rev. J. M. Bertram, D.D. He studied at Owen's College in Manchester and went on to serve as a Congregational minister in places including St Helena, Manchester, Barnstaple, Nottingham, and Llanelly.
Bertram wrote and edited several substantial works for the pulpit. He is especially associated with A Dictionary of Poetical Illustrations and A Homiletic Encyclopaedia of Illustrations in Theology and Morals, books designed to give ministers ready access to examples, quotations, and practical material for preaching.
He died in London on November 14, 1886. Although not widely known today, his books remained useful enough to be preserved and reissued, which suggests the steady value they offered to preachers and religious readers.