William Booth was born on 10 April 1829 in Nottingham, England, the only son of the four surviving children of Samuel Booth and Mary Moss Booth. Because his father was rather unsuccessful as a building contractor, the family was poor, and Samuel assigned his son to a pawnbroker when William was only 13. As a result, his schooling remained sketchy, but he read much, training himself in writing and later in speech. Since his father died in 1832, young William was responsible for the family, working as a pawnbroker’s assistant, first in Nottingham, then, after 1849, in London, sending as much money home as possible.
In Nottingham, the weavers very much felt the impact of the “hungry years” after the Battle of Waterloo. Among these poor, Methodism was strong, and ministers were
1014 words
Citation: Spies, Marion. "William Booth". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 16 March 2001 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=485, accessed 24 November 2024.]
