Dennis Hird

Who was Dennis Hird?

James Dennis Hird was a British clergyman, educator and author.

Hird was born in Ashby, Lincolnshire to Robert and Fanny Dennis Hird née Kendall. He was the second of five sons, though only three survived to adulthood. In later life he became known by his middle name, Dennis, this being the maiden name of his maternal grandmother, Fanny Kendall. The Kendall family, who was well known in Ashby, was credited as the main instigators in bringing Primitive Methodism to the hamlet. Six of Dennis's maternal uncles were ordained ministers in this faith, along with a cousin, Holliday Bickerstaffe Kendall. The Hird family were also Methodists and well known in the hamlet. Robert Hird was a grocer and Hird Terrace was once named after the family. Primitive Methodism was a big influence in Dennis's early life and may be the spark for his socialist tendencies, as it was more favoured by the working classes of the time.