Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Addington, Stephen
ADDINGTON, STEPHEN, D.D. (1729–1796), independent minister, born at Northampton on 9 June 1729, was the son of Samuel Addington. He was educated under Doddridge, whose academy he entered in 1746. He settled in the ministry at Spaldwick, Huntingdonshire. In 1752 he married Miss Reymes, and removed to a congregation at Market Harborough. In 1758, on the removal of Dr. John Aikin to Warrington, he began to take pupils to board. Hence he was led to produce a good many school-books; an ‘Arithmetic,’ a ‘Geographical Grammar,’ a ‘Greek Grammar,’ 1761, and other similar works. In 1781 he removed to London, to a congregation in Miles Lane, Cannon Street. In 1783 he became also tutor in the Mile End Academy. In theology he belonged to the conservative section of dissent. He was afflicted with palsy, and died on 6 Feb. 1796. A list of twenty of his publications is given in the ‘Gentleman's Magazine,’ 1796, p. 348. Most worthy of note are: 1. ‘A Dissertation on the Religious Knowledge of the Antient Jews and Patriarchs, containing an Enquiry into the Evidences of their Belief and Expectation of a Future State,’ 1757. 2. ‘A Short Account of the Holy Land,’ 1767. 3. ‘The Christian Minister's Reasons for baptizing Infants,’ 1771. 4. ‘An Enquiry into the Reasons for and against inclosing Open Fields,’ 1772. 5. ‘The Life of Paul the Apostle, with critical and practical remarks on his Discourses and Writings,’ 1784 (a poor performance).
[Prot. Diss. Mag. vol. iii. (portrait); Wilson's Dissenting Churches.]