Wills, Samuel, Dd

Wills, Samuel, D.D.

an English Baptist minister, youngest son of Reverend Alexander Wills, of Ashley, was born at Salisbury in April 1808. He united with the John Street Church, London, at seventeen. In early manhood he was engaged for several years in preaching in the neighborhood of London; in 1833 opened a boys' boarding-school in Dorking, Surrey, preaching on the Sabbath, chiefly at Mortlake; in 1840 became pastor of a Church in Gosport, remaining till 1846, and then returned to London; in 1847 emigrated to the United States, and in New York established an open-communion church, of which he was the pastor for a time. Besides his ministerial work, he prepared several volumes for the press, which had a large circulation in this country. Among these were, Daily Meditations (4 volumes); The Seven Churches in Asia: — Christian Ordinances: — A Commentary on the Prophet Daniel. In 1853 he returned to Engarn, and was pastor at Upper Norwood, then at Vernon Chapel, King's Cross, and of West Row, Suffolk. His last settlements, which was of brief duration, were at Winchester and Milford, Hants. Resigning his pastoral work, he retired to Thornton Heath, Surrey, where he died, April 12, 1873. See (Lond.) Bapt. Hand-book, 1874, page 296. (J.C.S.)