who was william booth
William Booth. William Booth (April 10, 1829 â August 20,1912) was the founder and first General (1878-1912) of The Salvation Army. Originally a Methodist lay preacher, William Booth saw tremendous need not being fulfilled by mainstream churches in Victorian England.n his honor, Vachel Lindsay wrote the poem General William Booth Enters Heaven, and Charles Ives, who had been Booth's neighbor, set it to music. William Booth was succeeded by his son, Bramwell Booth, who became the second General of the Salvation Army, serving from 1912 to 1929.