Thomas Bray, Priest, Founder of the SPCK and the SPG, 1730

The SPCK (Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge) has been in existence for over 300 years and still operates as a publisher. It was founded by Thomas Bray and colleagues who were concerned that his absence in America would call a halt to his good works in England. In fact although he did not spend very long in Maryland he still managed to reorganise Anglican education in the colony as well as founding libraries, championing slaves' rights on his return to England, and also founding the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts - now USPG, the more "high church" and liberal of the Anglican missionary societies. He was a very busy man.

SPCK has had a very stormy recent history, as blogged about by our own Dave. I don't currently have access to an SPCK bookshop but in the past I have been heartily grateful for the balance they have brought to the cheesy world of Christian bookselling.