Henry Grattan Guinness (1835-1910), grandson of Arthur founder of the brewery, was born in Dublin in the year of Halley’s Comet. Both his mother and father had been widowed. His mother’s first husband was killed in a duel with Daniel O’Connell. His father, John Guinness, was converted late in life through the Wesleyan Methodists. He was the first in the family to abstain from alcohol. As a result of his conversion he withdrew from his partnership in the brewery. The young family moved to Cheltenham in England. At 14 years of age after the death of his father, Henry Grattan turned to drink in association with evil company to drown his sorrows. At 17, after a night of wrestling with God, he was converted to Christ. Three years later in the spring of 1855, he moved to county Tipperary as an assistant to a farmer. He spent much time in the woods seeking God in prayer. He began to preach in market places, fields and street corners. He stirred up the anger of the local priest who threatened him and preached against him.
He returned to his mother in Cheltenham and went to Bible College in January 1856 but continued to spend every spare moment preaching and witnessing on street corners. After college he travelled England and was soon preaching to great crowds as an itinerant evangelist. He embarked on a three year preaching tour which took him half way round the world. In Wales at just one meeting 10,000 people responded to the call of repentance. In England and Scotland he preached in the pulpits of Whitefield, McCheyne and Haldane. Alongside C.H. Spurgeon and D.L. Moody, he was considered one of the greatest preachers of that generation.
In February 1858 he arrived in Dublin and preached to great crowds which included ministers and members of parliament. His pointed gospel statements were published on the front page of the city’s newspapers. Then in Belfast he preached to great crowds with dynamic effect. The following year (1859) he was back in Belfast preaching in the open-air to crowds of 20-30,000 people. That was the year of the great Ulster revival when 100,000 souls turned to Christ. During the ’60s they lived in Limerick where Henry caused riots when he preached on the streets and was once beaten half to death. In 1872, he started a missionary institute in Dublin with just six students. After three years he had over 100 students and moved to London. In the first 30 years of the Institute 1500 young people were trained and sent out to the foreign mission-field. He started several different mission societies, wrote a number of classic books and raised a family of children who served God faithfully.
He returned to his mother in Cheltenham and went to Bible College in January 1856 but continued to spend every spare moment preaching and witnessing on street corners. After college he travelled England and was soon preaching to great crowds as an itinerant evangelist. He embarked on a three year preaching tour which took him half way round the world. In Wales at just one meeting 10,000 people responded to the call of repentance. In England and Scotland he preached in the pulpits of Whitefield, McCheyne and Haldane. Alongside C.H. Spurgeon and D.L. Moody, he was considered one of the greatest preachers of that generation.
In February 1858 he arrived in Dublin and preached to great crowds which included ministers and members of parliament. His pointed gospel statements were published on the front page of the city’s newspapers. Then in Belfast he preached to great crowds with dynamic effect. The following year (1859) he was back in Belfast preaching in the open-air to crowds of 20-30,000 people. That was the year of the great Ulster revival when 100,000 souls turned to Christ. During the ’60s they lived in Limerick where Henry caused riots when he preached on the streets and was once beaten half to death. In 1872, he started a missionary institute in Dublin with just six students. After three years he had over 100 students and moved to London. In the first 30 years of the Institute 1500 young people were trained and sent out to the foreign mission-field. He started several different mission societies, wrote a number of classic books and raised a family of children who served God faithfully.
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