E. F. (Enoch Fitch) Burr

Born in Westport, Connecticut, in 1818, Enoch Fitch Burr studied at Yale College, graduating in 1839. After further study in science and theology in New Haven and a period of travel, he accepted the pastorate of the Congregational church in Lyme, Connecticut, in 1850 and remained there for the rest of his life.

Burr became known not only as a minister but also as a lecturer and author interested in the relationship between religion and science. He lectured on the scientific evidences of religion at places including Amherst College, Williams College, and the Sheffield Scientific School, and he wrote across an unusually wide range of subjects.

His books include works such as The Mathematical Theory of Neptune, Evolution, Theism as a Canon of Science, Celestial Empires, and Autumn Leaves from the Mansewood. Taken together, they show a writer who was eager to engage the intellectual debates of his time while still writing for general readers, children, and church audiences.