Warrington Academy

It was called "the cradle of Unitarianism" by Arthur Aikin Brodribb writing in the Dictionary of National Biography, who went on to say that it "formed during the twenty-nine years of its existence the centre of the liberal politics and the literary taste of the county of Lancashire". It was planned in 1753, to replace other training schools in northern England having funding from the English Presbyterians: Caleb Rotheram of the Kendal academy died in 1752, and Ebenezer Latham of the Findern and Derby academy in 1754. It was not, however, formally constituted until June 1757, when funds had been raised by John Seddon of Warrington, associated with the Octagon Chapel, Liverpool. The first site was the Cairo Street Chapel; subsequently the building was a large red brick house. Three tutors were chosen initially: John Taylor taught divinity; John Holt, natural philosophy (i.e. science); and John Aikin, classics. ==Buildings==

In 1981, the listed Academy building on Bridge Street was lifted from its foundations and moved 19 m north. It was subsequently demolished and rebuilt with no original features retained. ==Alumni, staff, supporters==

When the academy was dissolved in 1786, 393 pupils, many of whom entered the legal and medical professions, had been on the books. People associated with it include: ;Students • Thomas Barnes • William Bruce • John Prior Estlin • John Goodricke • Samuel Heywood • Thomas Malthus • Thomas Percival • Francis Peirson • Archibald Hamilton Rowan • John Simpson (Unitarian) • Georg Forster • William Vaughan ;Staff In addition to those mentioned above: • Joseph Priestley • Gilbert Wakefield • Anna Laetitia Barbauld and her brother John Aikin were the children of the tutor John Aikin • Johann Reinhold Forster ;Financial supporters • Thomas Bentley, Trustee • William Russell ==Notes==