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Philip Doddridge (1684-1750)

2001 marks the 250th anniversary of the death of Philip Doddridge. He was a life long friend of Dr Samuel Clark, the minister of the old chapel in Dagnal Lane. Doddridge was born in 1702 into a well-to-do family. In 1715 his father died and he was sent to a tutor in St Albans. Shortly after this his mother died and then the trustee of the family fortune lost it through speculation.

Samuel Clark took the boy on, arranging for his education and then sponsoring him into the Christian ministry. In 1723 he became minister at Kibworth and in 1729 he was called to the pastorate of Castle Hill Northampton where he stayed, founding his academy for training men for the ministry.

In 1745 he published, "The Rise and Progress of Religion in the Soul", a project he was given by his friend Isaac Watts who was too unwell to undertake it. This book enjoyed a wide circulation and did much to establish his reputation. His greatest work was "The Family Expositor" a five volume paraphrase and commentary on the New Testament, which did much to popularise the study of the scriptures. He was held in high regard by many including, John and Charles Wesley, George Whitefield and the Moravian, Nicholas von Zinzendorf.

In December 1750 he visited St Albans to preach at the funeral of his old friend Samuel Clark. He caught a chill and remained unwell. The following year he was advised to take a voyage for his health and in September he sailed with his wife to Portugal. Two weeks after he arrived in Lisbon he died on 26 October 1751.

Today Doddridge is best remembered for his hymns, a few of which have endured to the present, for example:

• 0 happy day that fixed my choice...'
• '0 God of Bethel by whose hand...'
• `Hark the glad sound...'
• 'My gracious Lord I own thy right...'