Savage, Henry

, an English divine, was born about 1604, of a good family, in the parish of Eldsfield, Worcestershire. He entered of Baliol college, Oxford, as a commoner in 1621, took the degree of B. A. in Nov. 1625, in 1628 was made probationer fellow, and in 1630 completed his master’s degree. On the commencement of the rebellion, he travelled into France with William lord Sandys, whose sister, the lady Mary, he afterwards married. Soon after his return he obtained the mastership of his college, Feb. 20, 1650, being at that time bachelor of divinity, and next year took his doctor’s degree in the same faculty. Notwithstanding this compliance with the usurping powers, he was, on the restoration, made chaplain in ordinary to his majesty, prebendary of Gloucester in 1665, and rector of Bladon near Woodstock in Oxfordshire. He died, master of Baliol college, June 2, 1672, and was buried in the chapel.

Dr. Savage had a controversy with John Tombes, on infant baptism, and with Dr. Cornelius Burges on churchreformations, which produced some pamphlets of little consequence now; his principal work was his history of Balliol college, entitled “Balliofergus, or a commentary upon the foundation, founders, and affairs of Balliol college,1668, 4to. Wood says, he had no natural geny for a work of this kind, and has committed many blunders; and it may be added, that his style is uncommonly vague, diffusive, and pedantic. His aim was to appear great in little things, and the gravity with which he discusses the origin, derivation, &c. of the name Katherine, whether it should be spelt with a K or a C, at what time the letter k was introduced, and the double / in Balliol, is truly wonderful. By his wife, lady Mary Sandys, he left issue Henry, Edwin, John, Katherine, and Thomas, and had buried two daughters in 1670 and 1671, in St. Mary Magdalen’s church, Oxford. His widow died in an obscure house in St. Ebbe’s parish, between the church and Westgate, May J5, 1683, and was buried in St. Mary Magdalen’s church. 1

1

Ath. Ox. vol. II. Chalmers’s Hist, of Oxf, Wood’s Mss. in Mus. Ashmole.