author

William John Ferrar

1868–1945

An Anglican priest and learned guide to early religious writings, Ferrar made complex Christian and Jewish texts accessible to general readers. He also turned to historical fiction, bringing medieval Guernsey to life in The Fall of the Grand Sarrasin.

1 Audiobook

The fall of the Grand Sarrasin : being a chronicle of Sir Nigel de Bessin, Knight, of things that happed in Guernsey Island, in the Norman Seas, in and about the year One thousand and fifty-seven

The fall of the Grand Sarrasin : being a chronicle of Sir Nigel de Bessin, Knight, of things that happed in Guernsey Island, in the Norman Seas, in and about the year One thousand and fifty-seven

by William John Ferrar

About the author

William John Ferrar (1868–1945) was an Anglican clergyman, a late scholar of Hertford College, Oxford, and vicar of East Finchley. He combined parish work with a strong interest in church history, biblical studies, and early religious literature.

His books include The Early Christian Books, The Uncanonical Jewish Books, and a translation of The Assumption of Moses. He also wrote The Saints of Cornwall, a concise study of Cornish saints and shrines.

Ferrar's literary side appeared in The Fall of the Grand Sarrasin, a historical adventure set in Guernsey and the Norman seas around the year 1057. His work reflects both careful scholarship and a talent for making the distant past vivid and approachable.