William Bell (theologian)
William Bell (1731–1816) was an English Church of England minister, theologian, writer and benefactor. He is remembered for his vigorous involvement in the theological debates of his day, his writings on religion, and his generosity to Cambridge University and other causes.
He was born in Greenwich, Kent. His father was also named William Bell. After schooling at a private Latin and Greek academy, he began at Magdalene College, Cambridge in 1749. He earned a BA in 1753, placing eighth in the university exams, and was elected a fellow of Magdalene. He was ordained a deacon in 1754 and a priest in 1755, and he gained an MA in 1756. His MA thesis on what makes a nation populous and how population affects trade won a prize funded by Charles Townshend and was published; it helped establish his reputation as a serious thinker and politician of university life. The published work was later translated into German.
Around 1765 Bell left Cambridge to serve as Domestic Chaplain to Princess Amelia, sister of King George III, at Gunnersbury House. Through Princess Amelia’s influence he became a Prebendary at Westminster Abbey in 1765, and he likely earned the Doctor of Divinity degree around 1767. In 1776 he became Vicar of St Bride’s Church in central London, a position he held until 1780 when he became rector of Christchurch, Newgate Street, remaining there until 1799. He also held a position at St Paul’s Cathedral and was noted for his charitable character.
In 1800 Bell donated £15,200 in 3% government bonds to Cambridge University to create a trust funding eight undergraduate scholarships for sons orphans of Church of England clergy whose families could not fully fund their education. The scholars were to be chosen from outside King’s College and Trinity Hall.
Bell’s most influential work was his 1780 treatise, An attempt to ascertain and illustrate the authority, nature, and design of the institute of Christ commonly called the communion of the Lord's supper (with a 1781 second edition). The book argued for a scriptural foundation of church beliefs and criticized the doctrine of Transubstantiation. It also attacked Bishop William Warburton’s approach as too close to Anglo-Catholicism. The work sparked controversy and, in 1790, he published a new edition with a longer supplement defending his positions.
William Bell died on 29 September 1816 in Westminster, where he had long served as a prebendary at Westminster Abbey. He left a legacy as a thoughtful writer who defended biblical authority and as a generous benefactor to Cambridge University.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 14:43 (CET).