Henry Savage

son of Francis Sav. was born of a gentile Family at Dobs hill in the Parish of Elderfield commonly called Eldsfield in Worcestershire, became a Communer of Ball. Coll. in the year 1621 aged 17 years or thereabouts; and taking the degree of Bach. of Arts in Nov. 1625, was three years after made Probationer Fellow of the said Coll. and two years after that, (1630) he was compleated Master of his faculty. In the beginning of the grand rebellion, he travelled into France with William Lord Sandys (whose Sister the Lady Mary he afterwards married) and by the opportunity of that journey, he not only learned the Language of that Country, saw the fashions of their Clergy and Universities, but learn’d to shake off the morosity and rusticity which commonly attends severe Students. Soon after his return, he obtained the Mastership or Headship of his House, and in the year following was admitted Doctor of Divinity. After the restauration of K. Ch 2, and a submission to the Powers in the time of Usurpation, he became Chaplain in Ord. to his Majesty, Prebendary of Glocester, an. 1665, and Rector of Bladon near Woodstock in Oxfordshire on the death of Dr. Matth. Griffith. He hath written and published,

Quaestiones tres in novissimorum comitiorum vesperiis Oxon. discussae, an. 1652. viz. An Paedobaptismus sit licitus? aff. &c. Oxon. 1653. qu. Soon after, these questions were answer’d by John Tombes of Magd. Hall.

Thesis Doctoris Savage, nempe Paedobaptismum esse licitum confirmatio, contra refutationem Mri. Tombes nuper editum, &c. Oxon. 1655. qu.

Vindicatio ejus à calumniis Mri. Tombes. Printed at the end of Thesis Confirmatio, &c.

Reasons shewing that there is no need of such reformation of the publick, 1. Doctrine, 2. Worship, 3. Rites and Ceremonies. 4. Church Government, and 5. Discipline as is pretended, &c. Lond. 1660 qu. This small piece, as likewise another of Dr. John Pearson, (since B. of Chester, the very learned Author of the much commended book on the Creed, of the Vindiciae Epistolarum S. Ignatii &c.) entit. No necessity, &c. which came out in qu. much at the same time with this of our author Savage, were wrot against a Pamphlet called Reasons shewing the necessity of reformation, &c. Lond. 1660. qu. See in Corn. Burges, an. 1665. Which, tho in the title, it is said to have been wrot by divers Ministers of sundry Counties in England; yet Mr. Baxter saith ((a))((a)) In Dr. Jo. Hinkley’s book entit. Fasciculus, Literarum, &c. Lond. 1680. oct. p. 34. that Dr. Corn. Burges was the Person that penned The necessity of reformation, &c. meaning, I conceive, the said Reasons, which so much, as he farther affirms, offended the Episcopal party. This is yet further rendred the more probable, because, that besides a reply made by Will. Hamilton Gent. to Dr. Pearsons No necessity, &c. Cornel. Burges (as possibly judging himself more concern’d than any body else in the success of these Reasons, &c.) in a Postscript to a Treatise of his, annexed a brief answer to Dr. Pearson; who not long after in a short piece vindicated himself from what was said in the said Postscript against his No necessity, &c. The said Reasons shewing, &c. were answer’d again more fully in the Retractions of John Ellis. Dr. Savage hath also written,

The dew of Hermon which fell upon the hill of Sion: or, an answer to a book entit. Sions groans for her distressed, &c. Offered to the Kings Majesty, Parliament and People. Lond. 1663. qu. Some copies of the impression of this book (The dew, &c.) have this title Toleration with its principal objections fully confuted: or, an answer to a book entit. Sions groans, &c.

Balliofergus: or, a Commentary upon the foundation, founders and affairs of Balliol College; gathered out of the records thereof and other antiquities, &c. Oxon. 1668. qu. But the author having had no natural genie to the study of Antiquities and History, neither a timing head, nor indeed record enough from his Coll. (for there is no Register of Acts of the Society above the year 1520 (12. Hen. 8.) nor no antient rolls of Accompts wherein the state of the Coll. is every year represented, as also the names of the Fellows) he hath committed many foul errors therein, especially in this respect that he hath made the said Coll. of Ball. Father or Parent to many eminent men, which never studied, or were conversant with the muses, therein; as Joh. Duns Scotus, Dr. Tho. Gascoigne, Steph. de Cornubia, &c. while in the mean time he hath omitted others that have studied there and have been of great fame in their time, as Richard Son of Ralph sometimes Archb. of Armagh, commonly called by Writers Ricardus Armachanus, Tho. de Wylton, Rich. Rotheram, Cardinal Joh. Moreton Archb. of Cant. Cuthb. Tonstall B. of Durham, &c.

Natalitia Collegii Pembrochiani Oxonii, 1624. Printed with Balliofergus, &c. This Dr. Savage died in Ball. Coll. on the second day of June in sixteen hundred seventy and two,1672. and was buried in the Chappel belonging thereunto, next below the steps leading to the altar, being the first that was ever known, to have received sepulture therein. In his Headship of Ball. Coll. succeeded Dr. Thom. Good, whom I shall mention elsewhere.