Walter T P Wolston

Early Life and Worldly Beginnings

Walter Thomas Prideaux Wolston was born at Brixham, Devon, on 6th September, 1840. Looking back upon his early years, he frankly acknowledged that before his conversion he was “a most thorough-going young worldling,” deeply immersed in the pleasures and sins of the world. Educated locally, he left school to enter a lawyer’s office in his native town, intending to pursue a legal career.

On 4th December, 1860, he left his home in Devonshire for London, where he hoped to advance his legal studies. His plan was to return home at Christmas, as he had various worldly engagements to fulfil—especially in connection with a glee band, of which he was a prominent member. But God had other plans, and before Christmas arrived his entire life had been transformed.

Conversion in London

The first Sunday after arriving in London, a fellow-lodger suggested that they attend Surrey Theatre to hear Richard Weaver, the well-known collier preacher, whose fervent Gospel preaching was drawing great crowds. That evening Wolston was deeply convicted of sin, though he did not yet find peace.

On the following Sunday evening, he heard Charles Stanley preach the Gospel. That night, light broke into his soul, and Walter Wolston entered into peace with God through faith in Christ. From that moment he came out decisively for the Lord.

Recognising that “a promise is a debt,” and that every Christian should honourably discharge his obligations, he immediately wrote to the conductor of the glee band. He explained that since leaving home he had been converted, that the Lord had put a new song into his mouth, and that while he was willing to fulfil legitimate commitments, he could now only sing of the Saviour who had done so much for him. As might be expected, he was promptly relieved of his obligation.

Love for the Gospel and Call to Scotland

From the outset of his Christian life, Wolston dearly loved the Gospel. No matter what subject he addressed to believers, he was never content to conclude without preaching salvation through Christ.

In 1864, under a strong and distinct impression that the Lord had called him to work in Scotland, he left London—despite the prospect of considerable advancement—and settled in Edinburgh. There he was appointed House Surgeon to the Old Infirmary, and afterwards established himself as a physician in the Scottish capital.

Physician and Evangelist in Edinburgh

As a doctor, Walter Wolston quickly acquired a large and successful practice, being universally acknowledged as a skilful, kind, and sympathetic Christian physician. In him were combined ability, personality, and grace. Yet in the midst of his busy professional life, he always found time to tell out “the old, old story” of salvation.

He frequently rented halls and theatres for Gospel preaching, and for many years few men in Scotland—especially few engaged in business or professional life—were privileged to preach the Gospel so widely or so continuously. He exercised a remarkable influence over young men, and regularly lectured to students in Edinburgh, addressing them on spiritual and eternal themes with clarity, warmth, and appeal.

Editor, Author, and Evangelical Writer

Dr. Wolston’s influence extended far beyond the spoken word. For forty-five years he was editor of the magazine God’s Glad Tidings, later renamed The Gospel Messenger. Through this periodical, and through the countless tracts and booklets that flowed from his pen, he became a means of blessing to thousands of saints and sinners.

His Gospel pamphlets—many issued in the well-known Gospel Messenger Series—were marked by simplicity, directness, and a burning desire to reach souls. Alongside these shorter writings, he produced a number of substantial volumes on spiritual and prophetic subjects, among them:

• Simon Peter: His Life and Letters

• Young Men of Scripture

• Another Comforter

• Night Scenes of Scripture

• Behold the Bridegroom

• The Forty Days of Scripture

• Seekers for Light

• The Church: What Is It?

Through the printed page, Dr. Wolston’s ministry reached places and people his voice could never have touched, and his writings continue to speak long after his death.

Later Years and Final Testimony

In 1909, Dr. Wolston gave up his medical practice, thus fulfilling a long-cherished desire to visit Australia and New Zealand. He later made two visits to Norway, continuing to minister wherever the Lord opened doors.

During his second visit to Norway, in February 1915, he was suddenly stricken with paralysis. He was brought back to Weston-super-Mare, where he lay helpless for two years. Throughout this prolonged period of physical suffering and dependence, his spirit remained serene. He was happy in the Saviour’s love, and never once was he heard to murmur or complain.

A few weeks before the end, a further seizure rendered him unconscious to earthly surroundings. Yet it was evident to his devoted wife that he was in constant and uninterrupted communion with the Lord whom he had loved and served so faithfully.

On 11th March, 1917, at the age of seventy-six, Walter Thomas Prideaux Wolston passed quietly into the presence of the King.

Legacy

Dr. Wolston stands as a striking example of a man who combined professional excellence with whole-hearted devotion to Christ. As physician, evangelist, editor, and author, he laboured untiringly for the glory of God and the salvation of souls. Through his preaching, his writings, and his long stewardship of The Gospel Messenger, he left a legacy of Gospel light that continues to bless many, truly illustrating the Scripture: “He being dead yet speaketh.”