Matthew Henry

He tied the nuptial knot to Katherine, only daughter of Samuel Hardware of Bromborough, Cheshire on July 19, 1687.

The unison did not last long as she died while giving birth to their first child, a daughter Katherine on February 14, 1689.

He then married Mary, daughter of Robert Warburton of Hefferstone Grange, Cheshire. With her, he was blessed with a son Philip and eight daughters, of which three died during infancy

Matthew Henry was the second son born to Philip Henry at Broad Oak, in the farmhouse of Iscoyd, Flintshire Wales.

At the time of his birth, his father was ejected due to the Act of Uniformity 1662. However, unlike sufferers, his father possessed other source of income as well and hence was able to raise the children comfortably.

Though his health was deteriorating during childhood, intellectually he was brilliant and quite bright. Young Henry gained much of his early education at home. He was tutored by his father and teacher, William Turner.

In 1680, he enrolled at the academy of Thomas Doolittle later on gaining admission at Islington until 1682. Following the advice of Rowland Hunt of Boreatton, he began to study law and gained admission at Gray’s Inn in 1685.

No sooner he gave up on legal education to train himself in theology. He started preaching at his father’s neighbourhood. In 1687, he moved to Chester due to work. It was while he was preaching at the private house that he accepted an offer to serve as a pastor of a Presbyterian congregation at Chester

It was on May 9, 1687 that he was ordained by six ministers at the house of Richard Steel. He started his ministry on June 2, 1687 and within a couple of years, the communicants went past 250.

He devoted himself completely to pronouncing the Gospel, which he thought was the work that God assigned for him in the world. He proclaimed the gospel at every opportunity.

While his work assigned included conducting two services on Sunday and two meetings during the week, he even preached to the prisoners of Chester’s Castle. Additionally, he held monthly services in five neighbouring villages.

The growing numbers of communicants and increasing work led to the construction of a meeting house in 1699. Same year, he declined offer from London congregations at Hackney and Salters' Hall. He even rejected the offer from Manchester and Silver Street and Old Jewry London.

He was an English Presbyterian minister who came up with the work, ‘Exposition of the Old and New Testaments’.