childless Sarah (d. 1764) and John Keighley at the Old Hall, Heckmondwike, 3 mi from Fieldhead.

Priestley was a precocious child--at the age of four, he could flawlessly recite all 107 questions and answers of the Westminster Shorter Catechism--and his aunt sought the best education for him, intending him to enter ministry. During his youth, Priestley attended local schools, where he learned Greek, Latin, and Hebrew.

Around 1749, Priestley

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