This is a list of
dissenting academies,
English and
Welsh educational institutions run by
Dissenters to provide an education, and often a vocational training as a minister of religion, outside the
Church of England. It runs from the
English Restoration of 1660, which created a parallel educational system as a side-effect, to the end of the 18th century.[note 1]
The
King's Head Society academies (1731-1769).[54] included Samuel Parsons's Academy, Clerkenwell Green (1731–35);[55][56]Abraham TaylorGib's Academy, Deptford (1735–40);[57][58] Stepney Academy (1740–44);[59] (tutors: John Hubbard (1740-1743));[60]Zephaniah Marryat (1743-1744);[61] John Walker (1742-1744)[62] Plaisterer's Hall Academy (1744–54)[63] (Tutors: Walker, Marryatt,
John Conder[64] and
Thomas Gibbons[65]); Mile End Academy (1754–69) (Tutors: Condor, Gibbons & Walker);[66] The King's Head Society purchase of the estate at Homerton in 1768, with the students in residence by the end of 1769. The name of the institution changed over time; known as Homerton Academy and
Independent College, Homerton.[67] In 1850 the union of Homerton, Coward and Highbury Colleges resulted in the creation of
New College London.[68]
1730-1744-1850
Abraham Taylor,[69] Samuel Parsons, John Hubbard after 1744, Zephaniah Marryat (died 1754), Hubbard and Marryat were strict Calvinists;[17] D.D.,
John Conder who became head at Homerton.[70]
Northampton (see
Daventry Academy for continuity). Migratory, it started at Kibworth under John Jennings, moved to Hinckley, Market Harborough under
Philip Doddridge, and in 1729 to Northampton.[121] After 1752 to Daventry, back to Northampton, Wymondley,
Byng Place, and 1850 merged into
New College, London.
Francis Tallents (died 1708),[145] John Bryan (?) (died 1699), James Owen (died 1706),
Samuel Benion, M.A. (died 1708), John Reynolds (died 1727), Dr Gyles (died 1730?).
1757-1783. Library moved to Manchester New College, 1783; other removals, York (1803), Manchester, London, now represented by
Harris Manchester College, Oxford.
Samuel Benion, who became a tutor. Ebenezer Latham studied under Benion, became a tutor at Caldwell, and later succeeded Hill at Findern.[112] Samuel Lawrence studied under Henry.[212]
Abergavenny. The Congregational Board withdrew their funding from
Carmarthen Academy after an internal split, in 1756, and established one of their own. Migratory (Oswestry, Wrexham, Llanfyllin, Newton),
Brecon College after 1839. The Baptist college founded 1807 is unconnected.[215]
1757-(?).
David Jardine (died 1766),[216] Benjamin Davies, D.D. (died 1817),[217] John Griffiths,[218]Edward Williams merged in his own school and pressed for the 1782 move to Oswestry,[219] Jenkin Lewis, George Lewis, D.D. (died 1822), etc.
Carmarthen (Presbyterian College, Carmarthen; Coleg Presbyteraidd Caerfyrddin). Migratory (Llwynllwyd, Haverford West, etc., Carmarthen, and probably continuation of Brynllwarch). Carmarthen absorbed other academies including Vavasor Griffiths's Academy (1735 to 1741)[221] at Chancefield near
Talgarth.[222] in 1733/34 the Presbyterian board invited Griffiths to succeed Thomas Perrott at Carmarthen Academy.[223]
1700-after 1900.
William Evans (died 1718),[224] Thomas Perrot (under whom were about 150 pupils) (died 1733),[225] Vavasor Griffiths, Evans Davis, Robert Gentleman (1779-1784).[226]George Vance Smith, principal 1876 to 1888,
Walter Jenkin Evans principal 1888 to 1910.[227]
^This list includes the academies (except where otherwise noted) from the first appendix to Irene Parker, Dissenting Academies in England (1914),[1] a work in the public domain. The author comments that
Quaker establishments were excluded from her listing. The notes refer to the Dictionary of National Biography (DNB), and its successor the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (ODNB), to reference and cross-check. Some of the information about dates is uncertain, and details about students are sometimes contentious. The "Surman Index" links are to lists of Congregational ministers trained in academies, made available by The Surman Index Online, Dr Williams's Centre for Dissenting Studies,
http://surman.english.qmul.ac.uk.
^Styles, Philip, ed. (1945),
"Parishes: Alcester", A History of the County of Warwick, vol. 3, Barlichway Hundred, London: Victoria County History, pp. 8–22
^"Hill, Thomas (HL668T)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University of Cambridge. (Tentative identification). The DNB includes Hill in the article about his father, Thomas Hill (1628?–1677?).
^The ODNB says a dissenting academy run by Samuel Birch at
Shilton, Oxfordshire, followed by a Huguenot academy in London.
^The ODNB article on St John mentions that this time at Sheriffhales has been postulated, but says there is no evidence for this, nor for the suggestion he was educated at Eton College; see though final note here.
^ODNB mentions Foley's education at Sheriffhales and Utrecht.
^The ODNB article on Woodhouse by David L. Wykes confirms the attendance of Robert Harley,
Edward Harley (1664–1735), St John and Foley. It also mentions the future ministers Chewning Blackmore,
John Newman,
Benjamin Robinson, and Ferdinando Shaw. The ODNB articles on Matthew Clarke the younger, Thomas Hill, and
Timothy Manlove give them as students at Sheriffhales.
^"Ashe, John" . Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900. He went to Frankland's academy in 1688; the ODNB states that it was at that time in Attercliffe.
This is a list of
dissenting academies,
English and
Welsh educational institutions run by
Dissenters to provide an education, and often a vocational training as a minister of religion, outside the
Church of England. It runs from the
English Restoration of 1660, which created a parallel educational system as a side-effect, to the end of the 18th century.[note 1]
The
King's Head Society academies (1731-1769).[54] included Samuel Parsons's Academy, Clerkenwell Green (1731–35);[55][56]Abraham TaylorGib's Academy, Deptford (1735–40);[57][58] Stepney Academy (1740–44);[59] (tutors: John Hubbard (1740-1743));[60]Zephaniah Marryat (1743-1744);[61] John Walker (1742-1744)[62] Plaisterer's Hall Academy (1744–54)[63] (Tutors: Walker, Marryatt,
John Conder[64] and
Thomas Gibbons[65]); Mile End Academy (1754–69) (Tutors: Condor, Gibbons & Walker);[66] The King's Head Society purchase of the estate at Homerton in 1768, with the students in residence by the end of 1769. The name of the institution changed over time; known as Homerton Academy and
Independent College, Homerton.[67] In 1850 the union of Homerton, Coward and Highbury Colleges resulted in the creation of
New College London.[68]
1730-1744-1850
Abraham Taylor,[69] Samuel Parsons, John Hubbard after 1744, Zephaniah Marryat (died 1754), Hubbard and Marryat were strict Calvinists;[17] D.D.,
John Conder who became head at Homerton.[70]
Northampton (see
Daventry Academy for continuity). Migratory, it started at Kibworth under John Jennings, moved to Hinckley, Market Harborough under
Philip Doddridge, and in 1729 to Northampton.[121] After 1752 to Daventry, back to Northampton, Wymondley,
Byng Place, and 1850 merged into
New College, London.
Francis Tallents (died 1708),[145] John Bryan (?) (died 1699), James Owen (died 1706),
Samuel Benion, M.A. (died 1708), John Reynolds (died 1727), Dr Gyles (died 1730?).
1757-1783. Library moved to Manchester New College, 1783; other removals, York (1803), Manchester, London, now represented by
Harris Manchester College, Oxford.
Samuel Benion, who became a tutor. Ebenezer Latham studied under Benion, became a tutor at Caldwell, and later succeeded Hill at Findern.[112] Samuel Lawrence studied under Henry.[212]
Abergavenny. The Congregational Board withdrew their funding from
Carmarthen Academy after an internal split, in 1756, and established one of their own. Migratory (Oswestry, Wrexham, Llanfyllin, Newton),
Brecon College after 1839. The Baptist college founded 1807 is unconnected.[215]
1757-(?).
David Jardine (died 1766),[216] Benjamin Davies, D.D. (died 1817),[217] John Griffiths,[218]Edward Williams merged in his own school and pressed for the 1782 move to Oswestry,[219] Jenkin Lewis, George Lewis, D.D. (died 1822), etc.
Carmarthen (Presbyterian College, Carmarthen; Coleg Presbyteraidd Caerfyrddin). Migratory (Llwynllwyd, Haverford West, etc., Carmarthen, and probably continuation of Brynllwarch). Carmarthen absorbed other academies including Vavasor Griffiths's Academy (1735 to 1741)[221] at Chancefield near
Talgarth.[222] in 1733/34 the Presbyterian board invited Griffiths to succeed Thomas Perrott at Carmarthen Academy.[223]
1700-after 1900.
William Evans (died 1718),[224] Thomas Perrot (under whom were about 150 pupils) (died 1733),[225] Vavasor Griffiths, Evans Davis, Robert Gentleman (1779-1784).[226]George Vance Smith, principal 1876 to 1888,
Walter Jenkin Evans principal 1888 to 1910.[227]
^This list includes the academies (except where otherwise noted) from the first appendix to Irene Parker, Dissenting Academies in England (1914),[1] a work in the public domain. The author comments that
Quaker establishments were excluded from her listing. The notes refer to the Dictionary of National Biography (DNB), and its successor the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (ODNB), to reference and cross-check. Some of the information about dates is uncertain, and details about students are sometimes contentious. The "Surman Index" links are to lists of Congregational ministers trained in academies, made available by The Surman Index Online, Dr Williams's Centre for Dissenting Studies,
http://surman.english.qmul.ac.uk.
^Styles, Philip, ed. (1945),
"Parishes: Alcester", A History of the County of Warwick, vol. 3, Barlichway Hundred, London: Victoria County History, pp. 8–22
^"Hill, Thomas (HL668T)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University of Cambridge. (Tentative identification). The DNB includes Hill in the article about his father, Thomas Hill (1628?–1677?).
^The ODNB says a dissenting academy run by Samuel Birch at
Shilton, Oxfordshire, followed by a Huguenot academy in London.
^The ODNB article on St John mentions that this time at Sheriffhales has been postulated, but says there is no evidence for this, nor for the suggestion he was educated at Eton College; see though final note here.
^ODNB mentions Foley's education at Sheriffhales and Utrecht.
^The ODNB article on Woodhouse by David L. Wykes confirms the attendance of Robert Harley,
Edward Harley (1664–1735), St John and Foley. It also mentions the future ministers Chewning Blackmore,
John Newman,
Benjamin Robinson, and Ferdinando Shaw. The ODNB articles on Matthew Clarke the younger, Thomas Hill, and
Timothy Manlove give them as students at Sheriffhales.
^"Ashe, John" . Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900. He went to Frankland's academy in 1688; the ODNB states that it was at that time in Attercliffe.