Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Kenrick, Timothy
KENRICK, TIMOTHY (1759–1804), unitarian commentator, third son of John Kenrick of Wynne Hall in the parish of Ruabon, Denbighshire, by Mary, daughter of Timothy Quarrell of Llanfyllin, Montgomeryshire, was born at Wynne Hall on 26 Jan., and baptised on 6 Feb. 1759. His ancestor, Edward Kenrick, was owner of the Talbot Inn, Wrexham, in 1672. In 1774 he entered Daventry academy under Caleb Ashworth, D.D. [q. v.], succeeded in 1775 by Thomas Robins. While yet a student he was chosen assistant-tutor in classics; during one session he read lectures for Robins, who lost his voice, and on Robins's resignation (1781) he continued under Thomas Belsham [q. v.] as classical and afterwards as mathematical tutor. In January 1784 he became colleague to James Manning at George's Meeting, Exeter, and was ordained there on 28 July 1785. The two pastors worked well together, though Manning was an Arian, while Kenrick followed Belsham in theology, and drew up (1792) the preamble of the Western Unitarian Society, excluding Arians.
In 1798 he declined an invitation to the divinity chair in the Manchester Academy (now Manchester New College, Oxford). In the summer of 1799 he opened a nonconformist academy at Exeter, having Joseph Bretland [q. v.] as his coadjutor. He followed the Daventry model, and had the use of a library formed for the academy carried on (1690–1720) by Joseph Hallett (1656–1722) [q. v.], and revived (1760–71) under Samuel Merivale. In Kenrick's academy, which was finally closed on 25 March 1805, eleven students, including James Hews Bransby [q. v.], received the whole, and four others, including Kenrick's eldest son, a part of their training. Kenrick died suddenly while on a visit to Wrexham, on 22 Aug. 1804. He was buried on 26 Aug. in the dissenters' graveyard at Rhosddu, near Wrexham, where there is an inscription to his memory. He married, first, in 1786, Mary (d. 1793), daughter of John Waymouth of Exeter, who died in giving birth to her sixth child; John [q. v.], the eldest son, is separately noticed. He married secondly, in 1794, Elizabeth (d. 1819), second daughter of James Belsham, and sister of his former tutor, but had no issue by the second marriage.
He published four single sermons (1788–1795), and there appeared posthumously:
- ‘Discourses on Various Topics,’ &c., 1805, 8vo, 2 vols.
- ‘An Exposition of the Historical Writings of the New Testament,’ &c., 1807, 8vo, 3 vols. (with ‘Memoir’ by John Kentish [q. v.]), a work of great ability, which well represents the exegesis of the older unitarian school.
Kenrick, George (1792–1874), fourth son of the above, born at Exeter on 28 Oct. 1792, became a pupil of Lant Carpenter, LL.D. [q. v.], studied at Glasgow College (1808–10) and Manchester College, York (1810–13), and was unitarian minister at Chesterfield (1813–1814), Hull (1815–21), Maidstone (1822–6), Hampstead (1829–45), and Battle (1845–7). He was a trustee of Dr. Williams's foundations, 1833–60. In 1860 he retired in enfeebled health to Tunbridge Wells, where he died on 2 Dec. 1874. He married, first, in 1817, the youngest daughter of Richard Hodgson, unitarian minister at Doncaster; secondly, Lucy, sister of Sir John Bowring [q. v.]; thirdly, Sarah (d. 1888), daughter of Thomas Walters. He published sermons and contributed to the ‘Monthly Repository’ and other periodicals.
[Memoir prefixed to Exposition, 1807 (reprinted in Monthly Repository, 1808, pp. 87 sq.); Monthly Repository, 1818 p. 230, 1822 pp. 197, 557 sq.; Murch's Hist. Presb. and Gen. Bapt. Churches in West of England, 1835, pp. 406 sq., 507 sq.; Inquirer, 12 Dec. 1874; Jeremy's Presbyterian Fund, 1885, pp. 202 sq.; Palmer's Older Nonconformity of Wrexham [1889], p. 76.]