Richard Hurd

Born in Staffordshire in 1720, Richard Hurd was educated at Brewood grammar school and Emmanuel College, Cambridge. He became an Anglican clergyman and gradually rose through the church, eventually serving as Bishop of Lichfield and Coventry before becoming Bishop of Worcester.

Hurd was also a notable man of letters. He wrote criticism, sermons, and political and moral dialogues, and he is especially remembered for Letters on Chivalry and Romance, a work that treated medieval romance and Gothic themes seriously at a time when they were often dismissed. He also edited and commented on classical authors, including Horace, bringing scholarly learning to a broad literary audience.

Part of Hurd's appeal today is the mix of intellect and accessibility in his writing. He moved comfortably between theology, literary criticism, and public debate, and his work offers a clear view of how religion, classical learning, and early Romantic taste met in 18th-century Britain.