The Rev. William Jay (6 May 1769 – 27 December 1853) was an English nonconformist divine who preached for sixty years at Argyle Chapel in Bath. He is considered to be one of the most eminent English Congregationalist preachers of Regency England; one of the first Independents or Congregationalists to articulate the Great Awakening or Religious Revival championed by George Whitfield and John Wesley.
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William Jay was born at Tisbury in Wiltshire. He adopted his father's trade of stonemason and worked with him on alterations to Fonthill House, but gave it up in 1785 in order to enter the Rev. Cornelius Winter's school at Marlborough. During the three years that Jay spent there, his preaching powers were rapidly developed. Before he was twenty-one he had preached nearly a thousand times, and in 1788 he had for a while occupied Rowland Hill's pulpit at the Surrey Chapel in London. Wishing to have time for self-education or scholarly interests, he accepted the humble pastorate of Christian Malford near Chippenham where he remained about two years. This was followed by one year at the more demanding Hope Chapel, Clifton.
On 30 January 1791 Rev. Jay was called to the ministry of the Independent or Congregationalist chapel with which he became most firmly connected, Argyle Chapel in Bath. Here he followed revivalist principles by preaching to all people willing to listen, regardless of religious denomination or social rank; attracting note as a populist pulpit orator, religious author and scholar, and a friendly counsellor. Sheridan praised his oratorical skills. Wiliam Jay's long and honorable connection with Argyle Chapel came to an end in January 1853, and he died on the 27th of December following.
Amongst the best-known of his works are his Morning and Evening Exercises; The Christian Contemplated; The Domestic Ministers Assistant; and his Discourses. He also wrote a Life of Rev. Cornelius Winter, Memoirs of Rev. John Clarke and Female Scripture Characters, along with Jay's Works (first published in the early 1840s, and again in 1856, followed by a new edition in 1876).
One of William Jay's sons, William Jay (1792/3-1837), became a noted architect, continuing the family's interest in stonemasonry and building design. His designs for Surrey Chapel Almshouses were exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1814, and he designed Dr. Fletcher's Albion Chapel in London, laying the foundation stone the following year. He moved to the United States for four years where became a noted architect in Savannah. William Jay's daughter, Anne, married Robert Bolton and, among their children was William Jay Bolton, who became an early artisan of stained glass in America.