John Berridge

John Berridge (1 March 1716 − 22 January 1793) was an Anglican evangelical revivalist and hymnist. J. C. Ryle wrote that as one of “the English evangelists of the eighteenth century” Berridge was “a mighty instrument for good.”

John Berridge was born in Kingston, Nottinghamshire, on 1 March 1716. His father (also John Berridge) was a wealthy farmer and grazier at Kingston on Soar, who married a Miss Sarah Hathwaite, in the year 1714. Berridge was his eldest son; he had three brothers.

Berridge spent much of his childhood living with an aunt and attending a nearby school.

At age fourteen, Berridge returned home. His father's plan was for Berridge to learn how to operate the family farm. However, the son had “no aptitude whatever for farming,” but he was interested “in spiritual matters”. Berridge’s father honored his son’s interest and in 1734 sent him to study theology at Clare College, Cambridge.”

Knowledge of his “fallen state”
Berridge wrote in the epitaph on his tomb his stages of religious development. The first stage was “Remained ignorant of my fallen state till 1730". This stage referred to the fact that at age fourteen, Berridge came to believe that “he was a sinner, and must be born again”.

Cambridge
Berridge’s father sent him to Cambridge. He matriculated in 1735 where he entered Clare College on 12 June. He graduated BA in 1739 and MA in 1742. Berridge was elected an Exeter Fellow of his college in 1740, then as a Diggons fellow in 1743. Berridge became a foundation fellow in 1748. This allowed him to live in Clare College until 1757. Thus, he lived there throughout his first curacy in Stapleford and for two years into his vicarship at Everton. He gave up his fellowship on 1 June 1764.

Berridge had a “reputation in the University as a thorough scholar”.

Berridge was ordained Deacon in the Church of England on 10 March 1744 and Priest on 9 June 1745. However, he postponed beginning parish duties until 1750. After that, he served as Curate of Stapleford, Cambridgeshire (with Tetworth, Huntingdonshire) 1750-1755 and Vicar of Everton, Bedfordshire and Tetworth, Huntingdonshire 1755-93, that is until his death.

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