W. J. (William John) Knox-Little

Born in Stewartstown, County Tyrone, on December 1, 1839, William John Knox-Little was educated at the Royal Grammar School in Lancaster and at Trinity College, Cambridge. He was ordained in 1863 and first worked as a schoolmaster before moving into parish ministry.

He became especially well known as a preacher in the Church of England. After serving in several curacies, he was rector of St Alban's, Manchester, from 1873 to 1880, where his sermons drew wide attention. He later held posts in Leicester and London, and in 1890 he became a canon of Worcester Cathedral.

Knox-Little also wrote extensively. His books include devotional works, sermons, fiction, and studies of figures such as Saint Francis of Assisi. Much of his writing reflects the Anglo-Catholic spirit of his time, but it remains approachable and energetic, shaped by a clear desire to make faith feel vivid and immediate.