This Day in History October 26, 1751

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Today we celebrate the Puritan hymnwriter of Grace Tis a Charming Sound and O Happy Day--Philip Doddridge.  He was born in London, England June 26, 1702--the youngest of 20 children!  Yikes!  He was not expected to live when he was born, and he struggled with health issues all of his life.  Amazingly, only he and his sister survived infancy. And he was orphaned at the age of 13 when his parents both died in the same year.

To make a long story short, he chose to be a noncomformist minister instead of staying with the Church of England. He was good friends with Isaac Watts and George Whitfield.  He received a Doctor of Divinity Degree from the Univeristy of Aberdeen in 1736.   He died of tuberculosis on this date in 1751.

For more information, check out these sites:
http://www.christianity.com/ChurchHistory/11630258/
http://www.hymnsandcarolsofchristmas.com/Hymns_and_Carols/Biographies/philip_doddridge.htm

His best-known hymn: