Background
He was born on 4 February 1788 at Exeter, the eldest son of Timothy Kenrick, Unitarian minister, and his first wife, Mary, daughter of John Waymouth of Exeter. He was educated at the local grammar school run by the Review Charles Lloyd and later at the nonconformist academy conducted by his father and the Review
Joseph Bretland.
Career
In 1807, Kenrick matriculated at Glasgow University. He graduated Master of Arts in 1810. Later that year, Kenrick became classics tutor at Manchester College, New York
In 1819, he was given leave of absence to spend a sabbatical year in Germany, reading history at Göttingen.
He returned to York in 1820 and began translating German classical works, including August Wilhelm Zumpt"s Latin Grammar, Rost and Wusteman"s Introduction to Greek Prose Composition and Matthiae"s Greek Grammar. In 1840, when the college returned to Manchester, Kenrick became professor of history, a post he held until his retirement in 1850.
He continued to live in York, and travelled to Manchester to deliver lectures. Several of his pupils became celebrated for their writing, most notably John James Tayler (1797–1869), James Martineau (1805–1900), and George Vance Smith (1816–1902).
Kenrick died on 7 May 1877 and was buried in York Cemetery.
Kenrick married, on 13 August 1821, Laetitia Wellbeloved (1795-1879), daughter of the principal of Manchester College, York, Charles Wellbeloved. They had no children.