About John Bost
Lived 1817 – 1881 (aged 64). John Bost was a Swiss and French pastor, social reformer and parson.
Jean Antoine Bost (March 4, 1817 in Moutier-Grandval, canton of Bern-1 November 1881) was a French-Swiss Calvinist pastor and musician. His father, Ami Bost, was also a pastor. He learned the piano with Franz Liszt.
In 1840, he gave up his musical career and became a pastor in La Force, village of the Dordogne valley of France. In 1846, he inaugurated there a new temple and decided to build the asylum of his dreams by that temple. 'La Famille' (the Family) was inaugurated on May 24, 1848. It was immediately made available to children, orphans, disabled and incurables. He created 9 asylums during his lifetime. In 1861, he married Eugénie Ponterie.
He was elected a member of the American Philosophical Society in 1864.
The asylum has since flourished to become the John Bost Foundation where over 1000 people with a wide variety of disabilities live.
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Important facts
People in John Bost's life
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Contemporaries
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Frequently asked questions
Who was John Bost?
Swiss musician and painter (1817–1881)
When was John Bost born?
John Bost was born on 4 March 1817 in Moutier.
When did John Bost die?
John Bost died on 1 November 1881 in 6th arrondissement of Paris.
What was John Bost's occupation?
John Bost was a pastor, social reformer and parson.
What nationality was John Bost?
John Bost was Swiss and French.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). John Bost. https://biography.guide/john-bost/
MLA: "John Bost." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/john-bost/.
Chicago: "John Bost." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/john-bost/.
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