author
Samuel Wesley
1662–1735
An Anglican clergyman, poet, and sharp-minded prose writer, he is best remembered today as the father of John and Charles Wesley. His own life was full of strong convictions, religious controversy, and years of work as rector of Epworth.
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About the author
Born in Dorset in December 1662, he was the son of a dissenting minister but eventually left that tradition and joined the Church of England. He studied at Oxford, was ordained, and went on to build a career as a clergyman and writer.
He served for many years as rector of Epworth in Lincolnshire. Alongside parish work, he wrote poetry, devotional pieces, and argumentative prose, showing a lively, combative style and a serious interest in religion, politics, and public life.
He died in 1735, but his place in history grew even larger through his family. As the husband of Susanna Wesley and the father of John and Charles Wesley, he stands close to the beginnings of the movement that became Methodism, even though his own identity was firmly rooted in the Church of England.