Punshon, William Morley

PUNSHON, WILLIAM MORLEY, Methodist minister and author; b. 29 May 1824 at Doncaster, England, the only child of John Punshon and Elizabeth Morley; m. first 22 Aug. 1849 Maria Vickers (d. 1858), and they had at least four children; m. secondly 15 Aug. 1868 Fanny Vickers (d. 1870); m. thirdly 17 June 1873 Mary Foster; d. 14 April 1881 at Tranby Lodge, Brixton, Devon, England.
William Morley Punshon was one of the most highly regarded English religious leaders to serve in Canada during the Victorian period. His public lectures and sermons during his long career achieved widespread popularity throughout the empire while his administrative ability, especially in support of conciliation, church expansion, and missions, served the British Wesleyan connection well for almost 40 years. Punshon also composed poetry of a meditative and devotional nature. All his writing tended to be parabolical in form and moral in intention; unfortunately, it has not aged well. He is now remembered in Canada primarily for his important contributions to the progress of Wesleyanism in the years immediately following confederation.