Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Leifchild, John
LEIFCHILD, JOHN (1780–1862), independent minister, son of John Leifchild by his wife Miss Bockman, was born at Barnet, Hertfordshire, 15 Feb. 1780. He was educated at the Barnet grammar school, and from 1795 to 1797 worked with a cooper at St. Albans. From 1804 to 1808 he was a student in Hoxton academy; from 1808 to 1824 was minister of the independent chapel in Hornton Street, Kensington; from 1824 to 1830 was minister of the church in Bridge Street, Bristol; and from 1831 to 1854 at Craven Chapel, Bayswater, London. His last charge was eminently successful, and his powerful sermons were widely appreciated. He formally retired from the ministry in 1854; but for a little more than one year, 1854–6, he preached at Queen's Square Chapel, Brighton. He died at 4 Fitzroy Terrace, Gloucester Road North, Regent's Park, London, on 29 June 1862.
His first wife died in 1804, and he married secondly, 4 June 1811, Elizabeth, daughter of John Stormouth, a surgeon in India; she died at Brighton 28 Dec. 1855, aged 78 (A Memoir of Mrs. E. Leifchild, 1856).
He was author of: 1. 'The Case of Children of Religious Parents considered, and the Duties of Parents and Children enforced,' 1827. 2. 'A Christian Antidote to Unreasonable Fears at the present, in reply to the Speech of W. Thorp against Catholic Emancipation.' 1829. 3. 'A Help to the Private and Domestic Reading of the Holy Scriptures,' an arrangement of the books of the Old and New Testament in chronological order, 1829. 4. 'Memoir of the late Rev. J. Hughes, M.A.,' 1835. 5. 'Observations on Providence in relation to the World and the Church,' 1836. 6. 'The Plain Christian guarded against some popular Errors respecting the Scriptures.' 1841. 7. 'Original Hymns, edited by J. L.,' 1842; another edit. 1843. 8. 'Directions for the right and profitable Reading of the Scriptures.' 1842. 9. 'Christian Union, or Suggestions for Promoting Brotherly Love among the various Denominations of Evangelical Protestants.' 1844. 10. 'The Sabbath-day Book, or Scriptural Meditations for every Lord's Day in the Year.' 1846. 11. 'Hymns appropriated to Christian Union, selected and original.' 1846. 12. 'The Christian Emigrant, containing Observations on different Countries, with Essays, Discourses, Meditations, and Prayers.' 1849. 13. 'Christian Experience, in its several Parts and Stages.' 1852. 14. 'Remarkable Facts, illustrative and confirmatory of different portions of Scripture.' 1867. The sixth edition was entitled 'Brief Expositions of Scripture illustrated by Remarkable Facts.' 1879. Leifchild also printed many addresses, lectures, and single sermons, and with the Rev. Dr. Redford edited 'The Evangelist.' a monthly magazine, from May 1887 to June 1839.
[J. R. Leifchild's John Leifchild, D.D., 1863, with portrait; Graham's Thoughts on Life of the Rev. J. Leifchild, 1862; Congregational Year-Book, 1863, pp. 235-9; James B. Brown's John Leifchild, 1862.]