William Winterbotham

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For other uses, see Frederick William Winterbotham.

Portrait of Rev. William Winterbotham, made by John Ponsford of Devon, Summer 1828

Rev. William Winterbotham (December 15, 1763 - March 31, 1829) was a British Baptist minister and a political prisoner. He wrote some books introducing general information about China and the United States.

[edit] Biography

William Winterbotham was born in Little Minories, Aldgate, London on 15 December 1763. He is a son of John Winterbotham and Miss Elizabeth Hyett.^[1]

Because he expressed too liberal views in his sermons, Winterbotham was put into jail in Newgate Prison in 1793 ^[2] and released in 1797 ^[1].

When he was in prison, he wrote An Historical, Geographical and Philosophical View of the Chinese Empire (1795),^[1] which provides general information about China, and An Historical, Geographical, Commericial, and Philosophical View of the American United States (4 vols, London, 1799) ^[3].

In 26th November 1797, he married Mary Brend and had children. (4 sons and 3 daughters) and finally died in 31st March 1829 in Stroud, Gloucestershire.

[edit] Notes

^ ^a ^b ^c Susan J. Mills, "Winterbotham, William (1763–1829)", Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 (http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/29771, accessed 28 January 2007).
^ "An Historical, Geographical, Commercial, and Philosophical View of the Americas" Bulletin of the Business Historical Society, Vol.1, No.7, (May - June, 1927), pp.6-7.
^ B.B. Ashcom, "A Note on George Washington and Lexicographers", American Speech, Vol.35, No.2, (May, 1960), pp.131-135, at p.134.