VaPriestley vakadzokera kuBurmingham vachibva vanogara kuLower Clapton, mudunhu reHackney, kuMiddlesex, kwavakapa hurukuro dzezvakaitika kare uye uzivi hwepanyama paDissenting academy, iyo New College kuHackney. Shamwari dzakabatsira vaviri ava kuvakazve hupenyu hwavo, vachipa mari, mabhuku, nemidziyo yemarabhoritari. Priestley akaedza kuwana kudzoserwa kubva kuhurumende nekuda kwekuparadzwa kwepfuma yake yeBirmingham, asi haana kuzombodzoserwa zvizere. Akaburitsawo An Appeal to the Public on the Subject of the Riots in Birmingham (1791), iyo yaipomera vanhu veBirmingham mhosva yekubvumira kuti mhirizhonga iitike uye "kutyora nheyo dzehurumende yeChirungu".
kupa mari, mabhuku, uye zvokushandisa zvomuraibhurari