Gifford, Andrew (1700-08-17 - 1784-06-19)

Andrew Gifford was born on 17 August 1700 in Bristol to Emmanuel Gifford (1673-1723), a Baptist minister, and his wife Eleanor Lancaster (1662-1738). He was educated at Samuel Jones’s academy in Tewkesbury before leaving in 1719 to study at Gresham College with Dr. John Ward from 1720. He served as Baptist minister in Nottingham from 1726-6 and assisted Bernard Foskett at Broadmead, Bristol from 1727. In 1730 he became Baptist minister at Little Wild Street, London. He was accused of sodomy by a member of the congregation in 1735; while the charge was never proved, Gifford lost the support of many London Baptists. He formed a new congregation at Eagle Street in 1736 with a continent of former members of the Little Wild Street congregation. He served as chaplain to Sir Richard Ellys and later his wife Lady Ellys from 1731 to 1745. In 1754 he was created D.D. from Marischal College, Aberdeen. A renowned numismatist whose collection was purchased by George II for his own cabinet, Gifford was a fellow of the Society of Antiquaries and was appointed assistant librarian in the British Museum in 1757. Gifford died on 19 June 1784 at his home in London, and was buried in Bunhill Fields on 2 July 1784. He was predeceased by his first wife Martha Ware (m.1729, d.1732), his second wife Grace Paynter (m.1737, d.1762), and three children who died in infancy.