1740–1778

Introduction

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National Portrait Gallery

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Born: No­vem­ber 4, 1740, Farn­ham, Sur­rey, Eng­land.

Died: Au­gust 11, 1778, Ken­sing­ton, Mid­dle­sex, Eng­land, of tu­ber­cu­lo­sis.

Buried: White­field’s Ta­ber­na­cle, Tot­ten­ham Court Road, Lon­don, Eng­land.

Pseudonym: Mi­ni­mus.

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Biography

Augustus was the son of Ma­jor Ri­chard Top­la­dy and Ca­ther­ine Bate. His fa­ther died in the siege of Car­ta­ge­na (now in Co­lom­bia) short­ly af­ter Au­gus­tus’ birth.

Toplady at­tend­ed West­min­ster School, Lon­don, and Tri­ni­ty Col­lege, Dub­lin.

He was or­dained an Ang­li­can priest in 1762, and served as cur­ate at Blag­don and Far­leigh. In 1766, he be­came vi­car of Broad­hem­bu­ry, De­von­shire.

He left the Ang­li­can church in 1775, moved to Lon­don, and be­gan preach­ing at the French Cal­vin­ist church in Lei­ces­ter Fields.

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