Richard Southgate
Richard Southgate [1]
an English divine, was born at Alwalton, Huntingdonshire, March 16, 1729, and was educated partly at Uppingham, but chiefly at Peterborough, under Rev. T. Marshall. He entered St. John's College, Cambridge, in 1745, and took his degree of A.B. in 1749. Retiring to his father's house, on account of some unpleasant family occurrence, he continued his studies; was ordained deacon September, 1752, and priest September, 1754, by Dr. Thomas, bishop of Lincoln. In the last year he was presented with the rectory of, Woolley, in Huntingdonshire, but resigned it when Mr. Peacock, the patron, took orders. On Jan. 2, 1763, he went to London, and became a subcurate of St. James's, and served that cure until 1766. In December, 1765, he entered upon the curacy of St. Giles's, which he retained throughout his life. He received May, 1783, the small rectory of Little Steeping, in Lincolnshire; and the following year was appointed assistant librarian of the British Museum. In 1790 he was presented with the living of Warsop, Nottinghamshire, and in the same year became a member of the Society for Propagating Christian Knowledge; in 1791, a fellow of the Society of Antiquaries, and afterwards of the Linnean Society. He died Jan. 25, 1795. Mr. Southgate never committed any of his writings to the press, although he was thoroughly qualified, and did make preparations for a new History of the Saxons and Danes in England. He was a distinguished antiquarian, and left a choice and valuable collection of books, coins, medals, shells, etc., which were sold at auction. His Sermons (1798, 2 vols.) were published by Dr. Gaskin. See Chalmers, Biog. Dict. s.v.; Allibone, Dict. of Brit. and Amer. Authors, s.v.
