Vincent Perronet

Vincent Perronet (1693–1785) was an Anglo-Swiss clergyman of the Church of England, vicar of Shoreham and an early Methodist.

Life Perronet was born in London on 11 December 1693, the youngest son of David Perronet and Philothea Perronet. His father was a native of Château-d'Œx, then under Bernese rule but now in the canton of Vaud. David was a descendant of the prominent Huguenot family de Saussure and the protestant Diodati family of Lucca through his mother Suzanne Mestral des Vaux. David Perronet came to England in about 1680 shortly before the revocation of the Edict of Nantes, was naturalised by act of parliament in 1708 and married Philothea Arther (or Arthur). David Perronet died in 1717. One of his elder brothers, Christian, was grandfather of the French engineer Jean Rodolphe Perronet.

Vincent Perronet, after receiving his earlier education at a school in the north of England, entered The Queen's College, Oxford, where he graduated B.A. on 27 October 1718; in later life, he was described as M.A. Having taken holy orders, he became curate of Sundridge, Kent, where he remained for about nine years. In 1728 he was presented to the vicarage of Shoreham in the same county and was chaplain to the Earl of Stanhope.

On 14 February 1744 he had his first interview with John Wesley, who was impressed by his piety. Both the Wesleys visited him and preached in his church in 1746. When Charles Wesley preached there a riot took place, and he was defended by one of Perronet's sons, Charles. The Wesleys looked to Perronet for advice and support: he was a close friend. He attended the Methodist conference of 15 June 1747. A letter from him in February 1751 led John Wesley to decide on marrying. A Second Vindication of Mr. Locke, 1738. A defence of Locke against Joseph Butler and Isaac Watts. In so doing he reiterated a distinction of Locke between "human" and "person". Some Enquiries chiefly relating to Spiritual Beings, in which the opinions of Mr. Hobbes … are taken notice of, 1740. Against the materialism of Thomas Hobbes.

Perronet's portrait was engraved by J. Spilsbury in 1787 (Bromley), and is given in the Methodist Magazine, November 1799. Of Perronet's two daughters, Damaris was born on 25 July 1727, and died unmarried on 19 September 1782; and Elizabeth married, on 28 January 1749, William Briggs, of the custom-house, the Wesleys' secretary or "book-steward".

Elizabeth and Edward alone survived their father. Of all Perronet's children, Elizabeth alone had issue, among whom was a daughter, Philothea Perronet, married, on 29 August 1781, at Shoreham, to Thomas Thompson, merchant of Hull. From the marriage of Elizabeth Perronet to William Briggs was descended their grandson Henry Perronet Briggs.