William John Townsend
William John Townsend (20 January 1835 – 7 March 1915) was a British minister of the Methodist New Connexion. He wrote on theology and the history of Methodism, writing biographies of Robert Morrison and Alexander Kilham. He also wrote a book on scholastic philosophy. Life. William John Townsend was born in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, the son of Joseph and Mary Townsend. He was educated at Percy Street Academy in Newcastle. He worked in business for several years, before studying at Ranmoor College in Sheffield and becoming a minister of the Methodist New Connexion in 1860. He was President  of the Methodist New Connexion Conference in 1886, and edited the "Methodist New Connexion" from 1893 to 1897. "The Great Schoolmen of the Middle Ages" (1881) tried to provide "a fairer and higher estimate of the great Schoolmen" than as "solemn triflers [...] or as mere metaphysical gymnasts", and sketch a "rationale of Scholasticism":