Born: William Romaine was born on 25th September 1714 at Hartlepool. He was the second son of William Romaine who was a corn merchant and a member of Hartlepool Corporation. The Romaines were French Huguenot refugees who came to England in 1685. William had one brother and three sisters.

Educated: He was educated at the grammar school at Houghton-le-Spring and Christ Church College, Oxford. He became an M.A. in 1737.

Married: William Romaine married Mary Price in 1755.

Family: William and Mary had two sons and a daughter.

Home: He went to live in London in 1741. From 1764 until his death he lived in Blackfriars, London

Known for: William Romaine was admitted to holy orders in 1736 and in 1741 he became chaplain to the Lord Mayor of London. He also held several lectureships in London parishes. Romaine became widely known as an evangelical preacher in several London churches, and people would travel some distance to hear him. It was said that well-to-do people travelled to London to see Garrick act and hear Romaine preach. He is also known for three books on Christian spirituality. These are “The Life of Faith” (1763), “The Walk of Faith” (1771) and “The Triumph of Faith” (1795). For a short period he was Professor of Astronomy at Gresham College.

Died: William Romaine died on 26th July 1795 at his home in Blackfriars and was buried in the nearby church of St. Andrew by the Wardrobe. Large crowds lined the streets.

Further Information:  “A History of Hartlepool” Cuthbert Sharp (1816)

Dictionary of National Biography