Background
He was born in London on 19 July 1721.
He was born in London on 19 July 1721.
Savage was related to Hugh Boulter. Through the influence of Isaac Watts he entered the Fund Academy, under John Eames. Meanwhile, in December 1747, Savage became assistant minister at Duke"s Place, Bury Street, Street Mary Axe, to the independent congregation of which Watts had been pastor.
He was ordained there as co-pastor to Samuel Price in 1753, and became sole pastor on 2 January 1757.
He was Friday lecturer (1761-1790) at Little Saint Helen"s, and afternoon preacher (1769-1775) at Clapham. On the death of David Jennings, the Coward trustees moved the academy to a house in Hoxton Square, formerly the residence of Daniel Williams.
Kippis resigned in 1784. Savage, who had been made Bachelor of Divinity by King"s College, Aberdeen, on 28 April 1764, and Doctor of Divinity by Marischal College, Aberdeen, in November 1767, held on until midsummer 1785, when the Hoxton academy was dissolved.
He resigned his congregation at Christmas 1787.
His ministry, though prolonged, had not been popular. A bookish man, he avoided society, and buried himself in his ample library. He died on 21 February 1791 of a contraction of the œsophagus.
Unable to take food, he starved to a skeleton.
He was buried in Bunhill Fields. Savage married first, in 1752, the only daughter (d 1763) of George Houlme, stockbroker, of Hoxton Square.
Secondly, in 1770, Hannah Wilkin, who survived him.