Introduction

Biography

William was the hus­band of Jane Grif­fies, and fa­ther of Jane Ros­coe Horn­blow­er.

Though he had lit­tle school­ing, he worked for an at­tor­ney and sub­se­quent­ly prac­ticed law in Li­ver­pool un­til 1796.

He then turned to his first love, li­te­ra­ture. He was a strong an­ti-sla­ve­ry ad­vo­cate, and Mem­ber of Par­lia­ment from Li­ver­pool in 1807.

Works

He con­trib­ut­ed eight hymns and the con­clud­ing an­them to the Uni­ta­ri­an Se­lec­tion of Psalms and Hymns for Pub­lic and Pri­vate Wor­ship, 1818.

His other works in­clude:

• Mount Plea­sant, 1773
• The Wrongs of Af­ri­ca, 1787, 1788
• Ode to the Peo­ple of France, 1789
• Life of Lo­ren­zo dé Me­di­ci, 1796
• Life and Pon­ti­ficate of Leo the Tenth, 1805
• The But­ter­fly’s Ball and the Grass­hop­per’s Feast, 1807
• Illustrations of the Life of Lo­ren­zo dé Me­di­ci, 1796