Nathaniel Ponder

Nathaniel Ponder [called Bunyan Ponder] (1640–1699) was a bookseller from Rothwell, Northamptonshire. His upbringing was Nonconformist, and most of his publishing involves works by nonconformist writers. His father helped found the Rothwell Independent Church in 1656. He began publishing in London in 1668, and among his first titles were works by John Owen, a pattern he continued for nearly thirty years. He served as Owen’s primary publisher, but he also published Bunyan and Marvell. He too got into trouble for publishing Marvell’s The Rehearsal Transpros’d. He was briefly imprisoned in 1676 for publishing another of Marvell’s works. He published The Pilgrim’s Progress in 1678, after which he became known as Bunyan Ponder. He was involved in many lawsuits in the 1690s and his business faltered.