ABSTRACT
The son of a tea merchant from London, Twining was born at Twickenham in 1735 and originally intended for his father’s business. Nevertheless, Twining became a revered classical scholar and critic and a knowledgeable and talented musician. He first attended a small school at Twickenham, but upon showing great aptitude for scholarship he was sent to Colchester’s Grammar School to prepare for the university. In 1755 he entered Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge, where fellowship followed scholarship and led to an M.A. degree in 1763 and to holy orders in 1764. He spent the remainder of his quiet, studious life at the parsonage of Fordham and Colchester, where he died in 1804.
