▁and ▁num ism at ist . ▁ ▁Life ▁G iff ord ▁was ▁the ▁son ▁of ▁E manuel ▁G iff ord , ▁and ▁grand son ▁of ▁Andrew ▁G iff ord , ▁both ▁Bapt ist ▁minister s ▁at ▁Br istol . ▁He ▁was ▁born ▁on ▁ 1 7 ▁August ▁ 1 7 0 0 , ▁and ▁was ▁sent ▁to ▁the ▁diss ent ing ▁a cademy ▁of ▁Samuel ▁Jones ▁at ▁T ew kes bury . ▁He ▁then ▁studied ▁for ▁a ▁time ▁under ▁Dr . ▁John ▁Ward . ▁ ▁G iff ord ▁seems ▁to ▁have ▁performed ▁minister ial ▁work ▁in ▁Not ting ham ▁in ▁ 1 7 2 5 , ▁and ▁to ▁have ▁been ▁assistant ▁to ▁his ▁father ▁at ▁Br istol ▁in ▁ 1 7 2 6 , ▁in ▁which ▁year ▁he ▁was ▁invited ▁to ▁become ▁past or ▁of ▁the ▁con greg ation ▁in ▁Dev ons hire ▁Square , ▁London . ▁He ▁decl ined ▁the ▁position , ▁but ▁at ▁the ▁beginning ▁of ▁ 1 7 3 0 ▁he ▁accepted ▁a ▁call ▁from ▁the ▁Bapt ist ▁meeting ▁in ▁E agle ▁Street , ▁London . ▁He ▁was ▁chap lain ▁to ▁Sir ▁Richard ▁El ly s , ▁and ▁after ▁Sir ▁Richard ' s ▁death ▁to ▁Lady ▁El ly s , ▁from ▁ 1 7 3 1 ▁to ▁ 1 7 4 5 . ▁In ▁ 1 7 5 4 ▁he ▁received ▁the ▁degree ▁of ▁D . D . ▁from ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Aber de en . ▁ ▁G iff ord ▁collected ▁co ins , ▁and ▁was ▁a ▁fellow ▁of ▁the