author
Thomas Jackson
1798–1873
A self-taught Methodist minister who rose from farm work and carpentry to become a respected scholar, editor, and church leader. Best remembered for preserving Methodist history, he wrote widely and helped shape the movement’s literature in the 19th century.
1 Audiobook
About the author
Born in Sancton, Yorkshire, in December 1783, Thomas Jackson left school young and worked first on a farm and then as a carpenter. Despite limited formal education, he became a dedicated reader, joined the Methodist movement, and entered the Wesleyan ministry in the early 1800s.
Over the course of a long career, he served as a preacher, editor, theological tutor at Richmond College, and eventually president of the Methodist Conference. He was known not only for preaching and teaching, but also for his steady work as a scholar who helped organize, edit, and publish important Methodist writings.
Jackson wrote and edited many books, including memoirs, biographies, and editions of John Wesley’s works and journals. His own Recollections of My Own Life and Times, published at the end of his life, offers a vivid window into Methodism in 19th-century Britain and shows why he remains an important figure in its history.