Cornelius Winter

Cornelius Winter (1742–1808) was a Methodist preacher, an understudy of and assistant to George Whitefield, with whom he went to the American colony of Georgia as a catechist to Negro slaves, an educator who established two Dissenting academies for training Dissenting clergy, and “a very influential pastor”.

Winter was born in Gray's Inn Lane, in the parish of St. Andrew, Holborn, on 9 October 1742. He was the ninth and last child of John and Catherine Winter. He was baptized on 16 October 1742 in the parish church.

Winter’s father was born “in, or near, Nottingham” and was an Dissenter. His father’s occupation was a shoe-maker. In the latter part of his life, he became head porter of Gray's Inn, a job that paid sixty pounds per annum. This would be worth £7 ,763.00. in 2014 purchasing power. His father died of consumption when Cornelius was nine months old.

Winter’s mother was born in Guildford in Surrey. She was the second wife of Winter’s father. She died of consumption in 1750. Cornelius with a brother and a sister were only survivors of the nine children.

After the death of his mother, Winter spent his “time in idleness and childish dissipation” until at eight years he was admitted into the charity school of St. Andrew's, Holborn, Holborn.

Winter’s formal education was less than two years in the charity school of St. Andrew's.

Winter’s mother was unable to earn enough by her work as a cleaner and laundress in Gray's Inn to support them, so Winter had to go the workhouse. He remained there until a relative took him away as an apprentice. The relative was a Water-gilder. A water guilder “gilded metal surfaces by applying liquid amalgam, the mercury being afterwards removed by evaporation”. Winter worked in his relatives work-shop and performed domestic services fourteen hours a day until he was twenty-one years old.

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