William Booth
William Booth (1829-1912), British founder of the Salvation Army. The son of a Nottingham builder, he underwent a religious conversion at 15, first becoming a Methodist and later an independent revivalist preacher. In 1847 he moved to London and established the Christian Mission, later known as the Salvation Army, in White chapel. It was dedicated to religious and social work among the most poverty-stricken people. In Darkest England and the Way Out (1890) set out Booth’s plans for rehabilitating the poor. Although Booth’s emotional revivalist approach was at first distrusted, the Salvation Army spread to the US, Australia, and other countries and its social rescue work gradually came to be appreciated and supported. In 1904 Booth was received by King Edward VII, who encouraged his work. The Salvation, Army remains a thriving charity to this day.
