The Warrington Outors. John Taylor Joseph Priestley Fonter Gilbert Wakefield John Aikin W Enfield Mayton TRANSACTIONS. A HISTORICAL SKETCH OF WARRINGTON ACADEMY. By Henry A. Bright, B.A. (READ 11TH NOVEMBER, 1858.) A few years ago a parcel of papers some letters, some memorandawhich had belonged to the Rev. J. Seddon, the founder of the Warrington Academy, was rescued from the hands of a Liverpool cheesemonger, who was using them for the ordinary purposes of his shop. Among these papers were several letters of Priestley, of Kippis, and of Aikin. There were others of men of lesser note, which were, however, not without an interest, inasmuch as they threw a new light on the history of the Warrington Academy. From these papers, then, at the request of the Council of the Historic Society, I have compiled this brief sketch. In addition to the Seddon papers I have made use of other materials from the following sources: I.—A volume of unpublished papers concerning the Academy, collected by Serjeant Heywood, who is not unknown as the author of the "Vindi"cation of Fox's History." II.-A series of articles in the "Monthly Repository" on the Academy, by the Rev. W. Turner. III.—The Lives of Dr. Priestley, Dr. Aikin, and Gilbert Wakefield, and Dr. Kendrick's "Warrington Worthies."* IV. Some interesting manuscript lectures of Mr. Marsh of Warrington. V.-Information for which I am indebted to Mr. Beamont of Warrington, and Miss Lucy Aikin. * It is owing to the great kindness of Dr. Kendrick that this paper is illustrated with the engravings of the Academy and the Tutors' houses. VI.--The original minute books of the Academy, which were lent to me by the Secretary of Manchester New College, the Rev. R. Brook Aspland. If in the arrangement of this ample material I fail in exciting your interest, the fault, I feel, will rest with me. The history of the Warrington Academy must in itself always have a value for the literary man, for the theologian, and for him to whom the history of Lancashire has any interest. At Warrington Academy were collected some of the noblest literati of their day. Here the free thought of the English Presbyterians first began to crystallize into the Unitarian theology, which they have since maintained. Here for a time was the centre of the liberal politics, and the literary taste of the entire county. Am I exaggerating the importance of this Academy? I do not think so. But if so,— something, perhaps, may be excused to one who is descended from some of the earliest supporters of the Academy, and who owes many of his own highest views to the teaching, which his family first learnt from those old Warrington tutors. In the year 1753 the failure or decay of the several Academies belonging to the English Presbyterian body at Findern and Kendal, and elsewhere, caused no inconsiderable anxiety to the more thoughtful and earnest among the liberal dissenters. Where were they to look for their future supply of ministers? Where could those ministers be educated in a theology unshackled by creed and doctrine? On none did these questions press with greater weight than on John Seddon, the young minister at Warrington. The idea of founding a new Academy took possession of him, and the idea once formed was never dropped until it had been carried out in action. Well might the Rev. Philip Holland in after years bear witness to "the concern which he had ever expressed for its support, “honour, success; the indefatigable pains which he took for this purpose; "the indifference which he shewed to fame or censure, to good or evil "report, so that he might serve the general designs of the institution." Lying before me is a large mass of Mr. Seddon's correspondence relative to the foundation of the Academy. How he worked, and wrote, and explained, and begged! He is never discouraged, though his discouragements are innumerable. He is never down-hearted, though his friends are always suggesting difficulties, and prophesying evil. Mr. Daniel Bayley |