ANNA LS 



OP 



PHILOSOPHY- 



FEBRUARY, 1813. 



Article L 



Biographical Account of Joseph Priestley, LL, £). F.R.S, By 

 Thomas Thompson, M.D. F.R.S. 



Dr. Joseph Priestley was bora in ] 733^ at Fieldhead, about six 

 miles from Leeds^ in Yorkshire. His father, Jonas Priestley^ 

 was a maker and dresser of woollen cloth; and his mother, the 

 only child of Joseph Swift, a farmer in the neighbourhood. Dr. 

 Priestley was the eldest child ; and, his mother having children 

 very fast, he was soon committed to the care of his maternal 

 grandfather. He lost his mother in 17^9, when only six years 

 of age; and was soon after taken home by his father, and sent 

 to school in the neighbourhood. His father being but poor^ 

 and encumbered with a large family, his sister, Mrs. Keighly, a 

 woman in good circumstances, and without children, reheved 

 him of all care of his eldest son, by taking him, and bringing 

 him up as her own. She was a Dissenter; and her house was 

 the resort of all the dissenting clergy in the country. Young 

 Joseph was sent to a public school in the neighbourhood, and at 

 sixteen had made considerable progress in Latin, Greek, and He- 

 brew. Having shown a passion for books and for learning at an 

 early age, his aunt conceived hopes that he would one day be- 

 come a clergyman, which she considered as the first of all pro- 

 fessions; and he entered very eagerly into her views: but his 

 health declining about this period, and being threatened with a 

 consumption, he was advised to turn his thoughts to trade, and 

 to settle aa a merchant in Lisbon. This induced him to apply to 

 the modern languages; and he learned French, Italian, and 

 German, without a master. Recovering his health, he aban- 

 donded his new scheme, and resumed his former plan of 

 becoming a clergyman. In 1752 he was' sent to the academy 

 Vol. L N° II. F 



