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William Frend (reformer)
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William Frend (reformer)
William Frend FRAS (22 November 1757 – 21 February 1841) was an English clergyman (later Unitarian), social reformer and writer. After a high-profile university trial in Cambridge, which deprived him of his residency rights as fellow of his college, he became a leading figure in London radical circles.
He was born on 22 November 1757 at Canterbury, the second son of George Frend, a tradesmen, alderman, and twice its mayor. His mother was buried in the cloister yard on 7 February 1763, and his father married at the cathedral, on 25 September 1764, Jane Kirby. Frend was educated at The King's School until 1771; among his companions were his cousin Herbert Marsh, and Charles Abbott. His father intended him for business, and he was sent to Saint-Omer in the Pas-de-Calais to learn French, and then to a mercantile house (trading company) in Quebec, where he remained for a few weeks. During his time there he served as a volunteer at the beginning of the troubles with the American colonies.
On his return home Frend expressed a wish to train for the ministry within the Church of England, and on the recommendation of Archbishop of Canterbury John Moore he entered Christ's College, Cambridge, on 18 December 1775, where William Paley was one of the college tutors. After gaining various college prizes he took the degree of B.A. in 1780, being second wrangler and winning Smith's Prize. Having gained the notice of Lynford Caryl, Master of Jesus College, he migrated there, becoming a Fellow and tutor in 1781.
At the end of 1780 he was admitted deacon in the Church of England, and advanced to the priesthood in 1783, when he was presented to the living of Madingley, near Cambridge, where he officiated zealously until June 1787. During this period of his life the post of tutor to the Archduke Alexander of Russia was offered to him, but he declined it.
In 1787 Frend left the Church of England, in which he had been ordained, to become a Unitarian. At that time, candidates for the Master of Arts had to "subscribe to" (state their belief in—the literal meaning is "sign below") the Thirty-nine Articles, the historically defining statements of doctrines of the Church of England with respect to the controversies of the English Reformation. Frend published his 'Address to the Inhabitants of Cambridge' in favour of his new creed, and he supported vigorously a proposal introduced into the senate house (i.e. the governing body of the university) on 11 December 1787 that would render this statement of belief no longer necessary.
Frend was removed by Richard Beadon from the office of tutor by an order dated 27 September 1788, and his appeal was dismissed by the visitor, the Bishop of Ely, by a decree dated 29 December 1788.
He took, in company with an old schoolfellow called Richard Tylden, a lengthy tour in France, the Low Countries, Germany, and Switzerland. When he returned home he resumed the study of Hebrew. Joseph Priestley devised in 1789 a plan for a new translation of the scriptures, with Frend, Michael Dodson and Theophilus Lindsey; and through 1790 Frend was engaged on translating the historical books of the Old Testament. He also became close to the Baptist Robert Robinson, who died in 1790, and he corrected Robinson's posthumous volume of Ecclesiastical Researches.
In 1793 Frend wrote a tract entitled Peace and Union recommended to the Associated Bodies of Republicans and Anti-republicans, in which he denounced abuses and condemned much of the liturgy of the church of England. On 4 March certain members of the senate met on the invitation of the vice-chancellor, Dr. Isaac Milner, and resolved that Frend should be prosecuted in the vice-chancellor's court. They deputed a committee of five to conduct the proceedings, one of the leaders being Thomas Kipling. On 23 April a summons was issued by that official requiring Frend's presence in the law schools on 3 May to answer the charge of having violated the laws and statutes of the university by publishing the pamphlet. After several sittings and a long defence by Frend, the vice-chancellor and heads gave their decision on 28 May that the authorship had been proved and that Frend had offended against the statute 'de concionibus.'
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William Frend (reformer)
William Frend FRAS (22 November 1757 – 21 February 1841) was an English clergyman (later Unitarian), social reformer and writer. After a high-profile university trial in Cambridge, which deprived him of his residency rights as fellow of his college, he became a leading figure in London radical circles.
He was born on 22 November 1757 at Canterbury, the second son of George Frend, a tradesmen, alderman, and twice its mayor. His mother was buried in the cloister yard on 7 February 1763, and his father married at the cathedral, on 25 September 1764, Jane Kirby. Frend was educated at The King's School until 1771; among his companions were his cousin Herbert Marsh, and Charles Abbott. His father intended him for business, and he was sent to Saint-Omer in the Pas-de-Calais to learn French, and then to a mercantile house (trading company) in Quebec, where he remained for a few weeks. During his time there he served as a volunteer at the beginning of the troubles with the American colonies.
On his return home Frend expressed a wish to train for the ministry within the Church of England, and on the recommendation of Archbishop of Canterbury John Moore he entered Christ's College, Cambridge, on 18 December 1775, where William Paley was one of the college tutors. After gaining various college prizes he took the degree of B.A. in 1780, being second wrangler and winning Smith's Prize. Having gained the notice of Lynford Caryl, Master of Jesus College, he migrated there, becoming a Fellow and tutor in 1781.
At the end of 1780 he was admitted deacon in the Church of England, and advanced to the priesthood in 1783, when he was presented to the living of Madingley, near Cambridge, where he officiated zealously until June 1787. During this period of his life the post of tutor to the Archduke Alexander of Russia was offered to him, but he declined it.
In 1787 Frend left the Church of England, in which he had been ordained, to become a Unitarian. At that time, candidates for the Master of Arts had to "subscribe to" (state their belief in—the literal meaning is "sign below") the Thirty-nine Articles, the historically defining statements of doctrines of the Church of England with respect to the controversies of the English Reformation. Frend published his 'Address to the Inhabitants of Cambridge' in favour of his new creed, and he supported vigorously a proposal introduced into the senate house (i.e. the governing body of the university) on 11 December 1787 that would render this statement of belief no longer necessary.
Frend was removed by Richard Beadon from the office of tutor by an order dated 27 September 1788, and his appeal was dismissed by the visitor, the Bishop of Ely, by a decree dated 29 December 1788.
He took, in company with an old schoolfellow called Richard Tylden, a lengthy tour in France, the Low Countries, Germany, and Switzerland. When he returned home he resumed the study of Hebrew. Joseph Priestley devised in 1789 a plan for a new translation of the scriptures, with Frend, Michael Dodson and Theophilus Lindsey; and through 1790 Frend was engaged on translating the historical books of the Old Testament. He also became close to the Baptist Robert Robinson, who died in 1790, and he corrected Robinson's posthumous volume of Ecclesiastical Researches.
In 1793 Frend wrote a tract entitled Peace and Union recommended to the Associated Bodies of Republicans and Anti-republicans, in which he denounced abuses and condemned much of the liturgy of the church of England. On 4 March certain members of the senate met on the invitation of the vice-chancellor, Dr. Isaac Milner, and resolved that Frend should be prosecuted in the vice-chancellor's court. They deputed a committee of five to conduct the proceedings, one of the leaders being Thomas Kipling. On 23 April a summons was issued by that official requiring Frend's presence in the law schools on 3 May to answer the charge of having violated the laws and statutes of the university by publishing the pamphlet. After several sittings and a long defence by Frend, the vice-chancellor and heads gave their decision on 28 May that the authorship had been proved and that Frend had offended against the statute 'de concionibus.'
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