Bedford, Bunyan Memorial And Church Green c.1955
Photo ref:
B51023
More about this scene
Undoubtedly Bedford's most famous son - if only because of his imprisonment as a result of religious intolerance - John Bunyan was born into a tinker's family and lived something of the high life before becoming a Nonconformist preacher. In 1660 he was arrested for his beliefs and spent the next 12 years in prison. Released in 1672, when King Charles II issued the Declaration of Religious Indulgance, he was later returned to gaol when the Declaration was rescinded. The significant and most famous outcome of Bunyan's hardships was the writing and publication, on 18th February 1677, of a religious parable - 'Pilgrim's Progress'. It became one of the most successful books ever written, being published in over 200 languages. Historical theory has it that it is possible to link Pilgrim's journeying to various locations within Bedfordshire, and the recent establishment of the John Bunyan Trail attempts to add substance to the possibility.
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A Selection of Memories from Bedford
For many years now, we've been inviting visitors to our website to add their own memories to share their experiences of life as it was, prompted by the photographs in our archive. Here are some from Bedford
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