Rowland Hill
(1744-1833)

Died aged c. 89

Rowland Hill A.M. (23 August 1745 – 11 April 1833) was a popular English preacher, enthusiastic evangelical and an influential advocate of smallpox vaccination. He was founder and resident pastor of a wholly independent chapel, the Surrey Chapel, London; chairman of the Religious Tract Society; and a keen supporter of the British and Foreign Bible Society and the London Missionary Society. The famous instigator of penny postage, Rowland Hill, is said to have been christened 'Rowland' after him.

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Commemorated on 1 plaque

In this pulpit Rowland Hill preached the first sermon in Surrey Chapel, June 8, 1783 "We preach Christ crucified" & continued to preach in it until April 2, 1833 nine days before his decease. His successor James Sherman preached in it till 1854 after which Newman Hall occupied it till June 25, 1876 when the congregation & institutions removed to Christ Church. This pulpit was open to faithful preachers of all churches & amongst others was occupied by Venn, Scott & Berridge, amongst Episcopalians & by Chalmers, Robert Hall, Jay, James, Parsons of other churches.

Surrey Chapel, Blackfriars Road, Southwark, London, United Kingdom where they preached (1783-1833)