William Patteson Nicholson (3 April 1876 – 29 October 1959[1]) was a Presbyterian preacher and evangelist born in Bangor, County Down, Northern Ireland.
Nicknamed "the Tornado of the Pulpit",[2] Nicholson spent his early years on his father's cargo ship. He began to preach Christianity in 1899 at the age of 23 and was known for his "men-only" meetings. Nicholson used straightforward language which communicated to the common man.
In the Belfast shipyard of Harland & Wolff, a shed, named "the Nicholson shed", was erected to house stolen tools that newly converted workers were returning as a result of Nicholson's preaching.