William Tyndale (c.1494-1536)

William Tyndale, c. 1530  © Tyndale was a scholar and theologian whose translation of the New Testament was the first to be printed in English. His simple, clear style was a model for subsequent English translations of the bible.

William Tyndale was born in Gloucestershire and educated at Oxford and Cambridge where he became a strong supporter of church reform. He was ordained as a priest in around 1521 and returned to Gloucestershire to serve as a chaplain to a member of the local gentry.

Tyndale's controversial opinions attracted the attention of the church authorities, so in 1523 he moved to London. His intention was to translate the New Testament into English, which was strictly forbidden. He believed passionately that people should be able to read the bible in their own language, but such translations were by this time closely associated with Martin Luther and other Protestant religious reformers.

In 1524, Tyndale left England for Germany where he hoped to continue his translation work in greater safety. He visited Luther at Wittenberg. Printing of his English New Testament began in 1525 and by the following year copies were being smuggled into England. The work was denounced by the Roman Catholic church authorities and Tyndale was accused of heresy. He went into hiding, where he began work on a translation of the Old Testament from Hebrew into English.

In 1534, Tyndale moved to Antwerp (in modern Belgium) and began to live more openly. He was betrayed, arrested for heresy and imprisoned in Vilvoorde Castle. On 6 October 1536, he was strangled and then burned at the stake. His translation of the Old Testament remained unfinished at his death, but formed the basis of the 'King James' version of the bible.