Person
Francis Stone
1738–1813
Rector of St. Stephens parish in Cold Norton, Essex, and a radical English clergyman who championed religious and political liberty.
Stone actively petitioned against forced conformity. He strongly backed American independence, the French Revolution, and anti-slavery efforts. In 1806, he preached an openly Unitarian sermon, sparking a landmark trial that led to his conviction for heresy and the loss of his ministry in 1808.