Billy Bray
William Trewartha Bray (1 June 1794 – 25 May 1868), known as Billy Bray, was an unconventional Cornish preacher.
Biography
Billy Bray was born in 1794 in
In 1823, he had a close escape from a mining accident and later said that he was converted in November of that year by reading
Bray died in 1868 and is buried at the Saint Michael and All Angels parish church in Baldhu, where a granite obelisk marks his grave. In 1984, the 'Three Eyes' chapel, the only one of the three he built that is still standing,[3] was dedicated to his memory.[1]
Legacy
F. W. Bourne wrote a biography of Bray entitled The King's Son which, after its first publication in 1871, went through many editions under several titles for over a hundred years.[b] According to this biography, one of Bray's favourite sayings, which he used when people complained about his enthusiastic singing and shouting, was
If they were to put me in a barrel, I would shout glory out through the bunghole! Praise the Lord![4]
Billy Bray in His Own Words by Chris Wright was published in 2004; it is based on the previously unpublished journal of Bray, written in his handwriting, that had lain untouched since the nineteenth century.[7] Bray's life was celebrated by the Devon folk songwriter Seth Lakeman in the song "Preacher's Ghost" on his 2010 album Hearts and Minds.
Michael Bentley wrote a children's book about him, published in 2012.[8][9]
Notes
- ^ Bourne (1872), p. 4, and Martin (2009). The book referred to as being by Bunyan is now known to have been written by the publisher George Larkin and was first published in 1711 under the title The world to come; or, The glories of heaven and the terrors of hell lively displayed under the similitude of a vision. "A prospect of heaven; A prospect of hell." See, for instance, The visions of John Bunyan; being his last remains... National Library of Australia. 1795.
- ^ A number of these editions and variant titles are listed in the Copac catalogue here. Several early editions of the work are available online, such as this 25th edition (1887) at the Internet Archive.
References
- ^ ISBN 978-1-906474-03-4.
- ^ Sheila Bird Heroes of Cornwall 2004
- ^ a b "Billy Bray's 'Three Eyes' Kerley Downs Chapel, Baldhu". Methodist Heritage. Retrieved 11 August 2012.
- ^ Bourne, F. W. (1872). The King's Son; or, A Memoir of Billy Bray. Compiled chiefly from his own memoranda (6th ed.). London: Bible Christian Book-room. p. 34.
- ^ James, William (1902). The Varieties of Religious Experience. Longmans, Green, & Co. pp. 249, 256, 290. Retrieved 12 August 2012.
- Packer, James (1993). Knowing God. InterVarsity Press. p. 39. Retrieved 6 December 2023.
- ISBN 1-897913-73-7.
- ^ Bentley, Michael (2012). Billy Bray: Saved from the Deepest Pit. Christian Focus Publications. p. 176. Retrieved 4 August 2017.
- ^ Retired minister's debut children's book is a true story