▁of ▁Liverpool ▁and ▁Manchester , ▁where ▁Bar ba uld ' s ▁father ▁had ▁been ▁offered ▁a ▁teaching ▁position . ▁Some ▁of ▁the ▁found ers ▁of ▁the ▁a cademy ▁were ▁members ▁of ▁Oct agon ▁Chap el , ▁whose ▁cre ed less ▁and ▁liberal ▁" L iver pool ▁Lit ur gy " ▁formed ▁a ▁starting ▁point ▁for ▁her ▁belief s ▁and ▁writ ings ▁ ▁The ▁Academy ▁drew ▁many ▁l umin aries ▁of ▁the ▁day , ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁natural ▁phil os opher ▁and ▁Un itar ian ▁the olog ian ▁Joseph ▁Pri est ley , ▁and ▁came ▁to ▁be ▁known ▁as ▁" the ▁Ath ens ▁of ▁the ▁North " ▁for ▁its ▁stim ulating ▁intellectual ▁atmosphere . ▁Another ▁instruct or ▁may ▁have ▁been ▁the ▁French ▁revolution ary ▁Jean - Paul ▁Mar at . ▁School ▁records ▁suggest ▁he ▁taught ▁French ▁there ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 7 7 0 s . ▁He ▁may ▁also ▁have ▁been ▁a ▁su itor ▁to ▁Bar ba uld ▁– ▁he ▁alleg edly ▁wrote ▁to ▁John ▁A ik in ▁declaring ▁his ▁intention ▁to ▁become ▁an ▁English ▁citiz en ▁and ▁marry ▁her . ▁Arch ib ald ▁Hamilton ▁Row an ▁also ▁fell ▁in ▁love ▁with ▁Bar ba uld , ▁describing ▁her ▁later ▁as ▁" poss essed ▁of ▁great ▁beauty , ▁distinct ▁traces ▁of ▁which ▁she ▁retained ▁to ▁the ▁latest ▁of ▁her ▁life . ▁Her ▁person ▁was ▁sl ender , ▁her ▁complex ion ▁ex quis it ely ▁fair ▁with ▁the ▁blo om ▁of ▁perfect ▁health ; ▁her ▁features ▁regular ▁and ▁elegant , ▁and ▁her ▁dark ▁blue ▁eyes ▁be