[1][2] Although he was not formally educated, Gadsby was regarded by his contemporaries as an excellent preacher and pastor who championed the cause of social justice and opposed the established Elizabethan Church.

He was born into poverty and only briefly attended Nuneaton church school, starting work as a ribbon weaver at age 13.

After this, he briefly attended an Independent Chapel in nearby Bedworth, however after meeting Pastor John Butterworth and conversing about the point of believer's baptism, he joined the Cow Lane Baptist Church in Coventry where he was baptized the same day on 29 December 1793.

Thanks to donations from his loyal congregation, he began to sell drapery goods from land he bought in Hinckley as well as building a house.

This event not only coincided with Britain's victory at Trafalgar, but also the start of much social discontent in Manchester, of which Gadsby would play a large role.

[1] Just as many other dissident Protestant groups such as the Lollards of the Peasant Revolt and the True Levellers of the English Civil War, Gadsby's ministry showed a deep concern for the issues of social injustice and laissez faire economics.

His Christian socialistic ideas also came from his families continued poverty when he was growing up and the perceived bourgeois attitude of the established Elizabethan Church.

On one occasion, he claimed the mantra of landlordism was "the labouring, the industrious people of England shall not partake of the fruit of the earth, if we can help it, for we are determined to keep the greatest part for ourselves".

According to Strict Baptist Theology, one could not partake in the remembrance of the Lord's Supper unless they had been baptised, a doctrine known as Closed Communion.

[5] Evangelism The Strict Baptists were initially labelled Antinomians in their early years due to their economic isolation from people outside the denomination.

William Gadsby was a renowned political radical and a fiery opponent to what he perceived as the bourgeois attitude of the established Churches and the monarchy.

His political ideas have sometimes been seen as preceding Left Libertarian ideologies, and this caused him to become much despised in upper-class circles but much beloved amongst the workers.

[3][6]This popularity has caused him to be described as the ‘most effective post-war Baptist politician’ as people would 'join his movements for his politics, and stay for his theology.

'[20] He modelled his preaching after Paul the Apostle's methods, writing letters, planting churches and embarking on missionary journeys across northern England, this spread both his theological ideas as well as his political radicalism.

[20] His son, John also rebuked his followers for wrongfully claiming that William supported violent revolution.