Background
David Simpson was born at Ingleby Arncliffe, near Northallerton, Yorkshire, the son of Ralph Simpson, a farmer. He was expected to follow his father"s occupation but as a boy received a calling to the ministry.
David Simpson was born at Ingleby Arncliffe, near Northallerton, Yorkshire, the son of Ralph Simpson, a farmer. He was expected to follow his father"s occupation but as a boy received a calling to the ministry.
He was educated at Scorton Grammar School and then at Street John"s College, Cambridge where he graduated Bachelor of Arts in 1769 and Master of Arts
12 October 1745 – 24 March 1799) was an Anglican priest who spent most of his career in Macclesfield, Cheshire, England. In 1772. His theology was evangelical and this was to cause problems during his career. In September 1769 Simpson was ordained deacon and worked as a curate in Ramsden Bellhouse, Essex.
In 1771 he was ordained priest and became curate at Buckingham.
However he was forced to leave this position within one year because of his evangelical preaching. He was invited to move to Macclesfield by Charles Roe, a local evangelical industrialist, and was appointed assistant curate at Street Michael"s Church.
His subsequent promotion to prime curacy was opposed by a group of parishioners and Roe built a new church for him, Christ Church. Simpson was licensed in 1779 and he continued as minister of this church until his death in 1799.
In addition to his ministry at Christ Church he was also an itinerant preacher locally.
He founded friendly societies, charity schools and Sunday schools and attracted large congregations. He was a pioneer of congregational hymn-singing and published a collection of hymns in 1776. He was a prolific author, publishing over 30 works, which included sermons, tracts, essays, and volumes of apologetic.
Some of his collected writings are held in the library of Street John"s College, Cambridge.