author
Peter Annet
1693–1769
A sharp-tongued English deist and schoolmaster, he became known for challenging religious orthodoxy in the eighteenth century. His bold pamphlets and public debates made him a memorable voice in the early freethought movement.
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About the author
Born around 1693 and said to be from Liverpool, Peter Annet was an English deist, freethinker, and schoolmaster. He became known for attacking orthodox theologians and for taking part in the Robin Hood Society, a lively debating group in London where religious and philosophical questions were argued in public.
His writing pushed readers to examine scripture and belief through reason rather than authority. Accounts of his life describe him losing his teaching post after outspoken attacks on Christian apologists, yet he continued to lecture and publish, building a reputation as one of the more combative critics of established religion in his day.
Annet died on January 18, 1769. Though not widely read now, he remains an interesting figure in the history of English freethought because his career shows how risky public dissent could be in the eighteenth century.