KIPPIS, Andrew, a learned and eminent English nonconformist divine and biographer, was born at Nottingham, on the 28th of March 1725. On the death of his father, he was, at the age of five, removed to Sleaford, in Lincolnshire, where he received his grammatical education, and gave such early proofs of talents and progress as attracted the notice of Mr Merrivale, the pastor of a congregation of dissenters at that place. To this excellent man it was probably owing that young Kippis directed his views to the profession of a dissenting minister, and to those studies in which he afterwards so much excelled. In 1741 he was placed under the tuition of Dr Doddridge in the academy at Northampton, a seminary at that time in high reputation. Of the advantages which this institution afforded him Mr Kippis knew how to make the best improvement; and his regular conduct and proficiency secured him the esteem of his excellent tutor. Having completed his course of studies in five years, he was invited to a dissenting congregation at Dorchester; but he gave the preference to a similar call from Boston, in Lincolnshire, in 1746, where he remained till 1750, removing from thence to Dorking, in Surrey, and, two years afterwards, to Long Ditch, Westminster, in the room of Dr Hughes, deceased. This was in October 1753; in the preceding month he had married Miss Elizabeth Bott, the daughter of a merchant at Boston.

The situation, for which Mr Kippis was eminently qualified by his extensive abilities, being now respectable, introduced him to useful and honourable connections. He became a manager of the presbyterian fund for assisting poor congregations in the country in supporting their ministers; and in 1762 he was chosen a member of Dr Williams’s trust, for nearly similar purposes, together with the doctor’s valuable library, which afforded him opportunities of very extensive usefulness. In 1762, he signified amongst his friends his design of taking private pupils, and was on the eve of entering into engagements with the parents of two or three young gentlemen, when a more honourable though,less lucrative employment was offered him. He was appointed classical and philological tutor in Coward’s academy, an office which he filled for upwards of twenty-five years, with uncommon reputation to himself, and unspeakable advantage to his students. He received the degree of doctor of divinity from the university of Edinburgh, by the unsolicited recommendation of the learned Professor Robertson, in 1767; in 1778 he was made a member of the Antiquarian, and in 1779 a fellow of the Royal Society.

His literary engagements having become extremely numerous, he was, in 1784, obliged to resign his appointment in Coward’s academy, which was discontinued in the subsequent year. In 1786, attempts were made to establish a new academy in the vicinity of London, a design which Dr Kippis exerted all his influence to accomplish; and although his numerous engagements made it extremely difficult for him to fill any department in it, he reluctantly yielded to the wishes of the subscribers, and became a tutor. But the inconvenience arising from the distance of Hackney from his place of residence induced him to resign that office in a few years. His professional duties and private studies occupied his time after this period; and as he enjoyed an uninterrupted state of good health and constitutional vigour, his friends were led to hope that his life and usefulness would be long continued; but, in consequence of a cold which he caught on a journey, he was seized with a fever which no medical skill could subdue, and he died on the 5th of October 1795, in the seventy-first year of his age.

Dr Kippis was distinguished in a high degree for those virtues and accomplishments which are universally allowed to be the chief ornaments of human nature. His temper was mild and gentle, benevolent and candid; his manners and address were easy, polished, and conciliating. Notwithstanding his great reputation, he was void of pride, vanity, and self-conceit; on the contrary, he was humble, modest, affable, and engaging. The powers and vigour of his mind were far above mediocrity; he had a sound judgment, a comprehensive understanding, correct imagination, retentive memory, à refined taste, and he could exert his faculties on any subject with the utmost facility. He was an early riser from his youth, to which his good health may in a great measure be ascribed. He excelled in his acquaintance with the classics, belles-lettres, history, and biography. He was the steady friend and advocate of genuine civil and religious liberty; and, as a divine, he was well acquainted with the different branches of theology, and with those subjects which are subservient to the critical study of the Scriptures. He very seldom introduced controverted topics into the pulpit, but confined himself to such doctrines and duties as have an immediate influence upon the temper and practice.

Of his works, which are numerous and valuable, the following are the principal: 1. Review of the Transactions of the present Reign; 2. The History of Learning, Knowledge, and Taste, in Great Britain; 3. A Vindication of the Protestant Dissenting Ministers, with regard to their late application to Parliament; 4. Considerations on the Provisional Treaty with America, and the Preliminary Articles of Peace with France and Spain; 5. The Life of Sir John Pringle; 6. Six Discourses delivered at the Royal Society, on assigning the Copley Medal; 7. The Life of Captain James Cook, of Dr Lardner, and Dr Doddridge; 8. Sermons preached on public occasions; and, 9. the Biographia Britannica. This last great work, [7:12:732]which he did not live to finish, has assigned him a high rank amongst the learned of his country, and will transmit his name with distinction to posterity.