William Enfield

ENFIELD, William.  b. Sudbury, Suffolk, 29 March 1741; d. Norwich, 3 November 1797. Enfield came from a poor family, but was encouraged and taught by the local minister, William Hextal (or Hextall), who secured his entry to a Dissenting Academy at Daventry. He became pastor of a Presbyterian chapel at Liverpool (1763-70), and then at Warrington (1770-85), where he taught belles-lettres at the celebrated Warrington Academy. He was minister of the Octagon Chapel, Norwich (then still Presbyterian, later Unitarian), from 1785 until his death. He received the degree of Doctor of Laws from the University of Edinburgh in 1774. Enfield was something of a polymath. During his time at the Warrington...