William Henry Withrow was a prominent Canadian Methodist minister, journalist, and author active during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Born in Toronto, Upper Canada, in 1839, he initially trained in architecture before pursuing higher education. He attended the Toronto Academy, Victoria College in Cobourg, and the University of Toronto, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in 1863. Ordained as a minister in Hamilton in 1864, Withrow served various congregations across Ontario and Quebec, including Montreal, Niagara, and Toronto. Initially associated with the New Connexion Methodist body, he joined the Wesleyan Conference in 1867 and became a strong proponent of Methodist union.
In 1874, Withrow transitioned into a significant editorial role, becoming the editor of the Canadian Methodist Magazine and various Sunday School periodicals, a position he held for over three decades until 1906. Alongside his editorial duties, he was a prolific writer of both non-fiction and fiction. His scholarly interests in early Christianity and history culminated in works such as The catacombs of Rome and their testimony relative to primitive Christianity (1874) and History of the Dominion of Canada. He also penned several popular religious and historical novels, including Valeria, the Martyr of the Catacombs and Neville Trueman, the Pioneer Preacher.
Withrow's contributions to Canadian letters and education were widely recognized. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada in 1883 and served on the senates of several academic institutions, including the University of Toronto, Victoria University, and the Wesleyan Theological College in Montreal. He remained active in historical and religious circles until his death in 1908.
