William Dodd

Rev. William Dodd (29 May 1729 - 27 June 1777) was an English poet, an Anglican clergyman, and a man of letters. He lived extravagantly, and was nicknamed the "Macaroni Parson". He dabbled in forgery in an effort to clear his debts, was caught and convicted, and, despite a public campaign for a Royal pardon, was hanged at Tyburn.

Execution of Willlim Dodd (1729-1777) at Tyburn. Courtesy Wikimedia Commons.

William Dodd
Born	29 May 1729 Bourne, Lincolnshire
Died	27 June 1777 (aged 48) Tyburn, London
Occupation	British writer and clergyman

Life

Youth and education

Dodd was born in Bourne in Lincolnshire, the son of the local vicar.

In 1745 he was admitted as a sizar, to Clare Hall, Cambridge, where he earned a B.A. in 1750. On leaving the university he married a young woman of a more than questionable reputation, whose extravagant habits helped to ruin him.

Career

In 1751 Dodd was ordained deacon, and in 1753 priest, and he soon became a popular and celebrated preacher. His earliest preferment was the lectureship of West-Ham and Bow. In 1754 he was also chosen lecturer of St Olave’s, Hart Street; and in 1757 he earned an M.A. at Cambridge, subsequently becoming LL.D.

He was a strenuous supporter of the Magdalen hospital (founded in 1758), and soon afterwards became preacher at the chapel of that charity. In 1763 he obtained a prebend at Brecon, and in the same year he was appointed a king’s chaplain,—soon after which the education of Philip Stanhope, afterwards earl of Chesterfield, was committed to his care.

In 1768 he had a fashionable congregation and was held in high esteem, but indiscreet ambition led to his ruin. On the living of St George’s, Hanover Square, becoming vacant in 1774, Mrs. Dodd wrote an anonymous letter to the wife of the lord chancellor, offering 3,000 guineas if, by her assistance, Dodd were promoted to the benefice. This letter having been traced, a complaint was immediately made to the king, and Dodd was dismissed from his office as chaplain.

After residing for some time at Geneva and Paris, he returned to England in 1776. He still continued to exercise his clerical functions, but his extravagant habits soon involved him in difficulties. To meet his creditors he forged a bond on his former pupil Lord Chesterfield for £4200, and actually received the money.

He was detected, committed to prison, tried at the Old Bailey, found guilty, and sentenced to death. Samuel Johnson was very zealous in pleading for a pardon, and a petition from the city of London received 23,000 signatures. However, in spite of numerous applications for mercy, he was executed at Tyburn on the 27th of June 1777.

Johnson's quip

Dodd's sermon The Convict's Address to his Unhappy Brethren was largely written by Samuel Johnson to be used as Dodd's own. When a friend of Johnson's doubted the authorship, Johnson, in order to protect Dodd, made his famous remark "Depend upon it Sir, when a man knows he is to be hanged in a fortnight, it concentrates his mind wonderfully". James Boswell gives Johnson's explanation of the circumstances in his Life of Samuel Johnson:

Johnson disapproved of Dr. Dodd's leaving the world persuaded that The Convict's Address to his unhappy Brethren was of his own writing. 'But, Sir, (said I,) you contributed to the deception; for when Mr. Seward expressed a doubt to you that it was not Dodd's own, because it had a great deal more force of mind in it than any thing known to be his, you answered, --"Why should you think so? Depend upon it, Sir, when a man knows he is to be hanged in a fortnight, it concentrates his mind wonderfully."' JOHNSON. Sir, as Dodd got it from me to pass as his own, while that could do him any good, there was an IMPLIED PROMISE that I should not own it. To own it, therefore, would have been telling a lie, with the addition of breach of promise, which was worse than simply telling a lie to make it be believed it was Dodd's. Besides, Sir, I did not DIRECTLY tell a lie: I left the matter uncertain. Perhaps I thought that Seward would not believe it the less to be mine for what I said; but I would not put it in his power to say I had owned it.'

Writing

Dodd was a voluminous writer and possessed considerable abilities, but with little judgment and much vanity. He wrote some comedies, and his Beauties of Shakespeare, published in 1752, was long a well-known work; while his Thoughts in Prison, a poem in blank verse, written between his conviction and execution, naturally attracted much attention. He published a large number of sermons and other theological works, including a Commentary on the Bible (1765-1770). A list of his 55 writings and an account of the writer is included in the Thoughts in Prison.

Publications

Poetry

• Diggon Davy's Resolution, on the Death of his Last Cow: A pastoral. Londn: J. Oliver, for M. Cooper, 1747.
• The African Prince when in England, to Zara; and Zara's answer. London: J. Payne & J. Bouquet, 1749; London: Waller / Ward, 1755.
• A new book of the Dunciad. London: J. Payne & J. Bouquet, 1750; Dublin: James Esdall, 1750.
• An Elegy on the Death of the Prince of Wales. London: B. Dod, 1751.
• A Day in Vacation at College: A burlesque poem. London: W. Owen / Cambridge, UK: T. Merrill, 1751.
• An Epistle to a Lady: Concerning truths in religion. London: privately published, 1753.
• Thoughts on the Glorious Epiphany of Christ: A poetical essay. London: W. Faden, for E. Dilly, 1758.
• Ode to the Marchioness of Granby. 1759.
• Hymn to Good Nature. 1760.
• Poems. London: privately published, printed by Dryden Leach, 1767.
• "A journey from Margate to Brighelmstone, in the year 1763," in A collection of Miscellaneous Poetry (edited by F.G. Waldron). London: Knight & Compton, or Lackington, Allen, 1802.
• Moral Pastorals, and other poems. Edinburgh: H.S. Baynes, 1824.

Novel

• The Sisters; or, The history of Lucy and Caroline Sanson. (2 volumes), London: T. Waller, 1754.

Non-fiction

• A sermon preached ... before the president and governors of the city lying-in hospital. London: Charles Say, 1754.
• The Sinful Christian Condemned by His Own Prayers. London: T. Waller / E. Dilly, 1755; London: W. Faden, 1770.
• The Easiness of Christ's Yoke: A sermon. London: T. Waller / W. Owen / W. Faden / E. Dilly, 1756.
• The Nature and Necessity of Fasting. London: E. Dilly, 1756.
• Discourses on the Miracles and Parables. 4 volumes, . London: T. Waller / W. Faden / E. Dilly, 1757-1758.
• A Sermon Preached ... before the Governors of the Magdalen House. London: L. Davis & C. Reymers / W. Faden, 1759.
• Unity Recommended in a Sermon. London: W. Faden, for L. Davis & C. Reymers, 1759.
• A Sermon ... preached at the Chapel of the Magdalen House. London: W. Faden, for L. Davis & C. Reymers, 1760.
• The Wisdom and Goodness of God in the Vegetable Kingdom: A sermon. London: L. Davis & C. Reymers / W. Bristow, 1760.
• Account of the Magdalen Charity. London: W. Faden, for the Magdalen Charity, 1761.
• A Conference between a Mystic, an Huchinsonian ... and others. London: L. Davis & C. Reymers, 1761.
• The Wisdom and Goodness of God in the Vegetable Kingdom: Farther considered in a second sermon. London: L. Davis & C. Reymers / W. Bristow, 1761.
• The Wisdom and Goodness of God in the Vegetable Kingdom: Farther considered in a third sermon. London: W. Faden / W. Bristow, 1762.
• A Familiar Explication of the Poetical Works of Milton. London: J. & R. Tonson, 1762.
• The Frequency of Capital Punishments: Inconsistent with justice, sound policy, and religion. London: W. Faden / B. Law / E. & C. Dilly, 1762; Dublin: William Hallhead, 1777.
• A Sermon [preached before] the governors of the Magdalen Charity. London: W. Faden, for the Magdalen Charity, 1762.
• Youth Dissuaded from Vice; in a discourse. London: 1763.
• Reflections on Death. London: J. Newberry, 1763; Dublin: Hulton Bradley, 1763.
• Comfort for the Afflicted ... with suitable devotions. London: Edward & Charles Dilly, 1764; Dublin: James Potts, 1772.
• A Commonplace Book to the Bible. London: T. Osborne / W. Johnston / et al, 1766.
• Mutual Knowledge in a Future State ... in a sermon. London: W. Faden, 1766.
• The practice of inoculation recommended. A sermon. London: W. Faden, or the Small-pox Hospitals, [1767?]
• Popery Inconsistent with the Natural Rights of Man in General, and of Englishmen in particular: A sermon. London: W. Faden, 1768.
• Cautions against Methodism ... in a sermon. London: W. Faden, 1769.
• A Sermon on Zechariah ... preached before the ... governors of the Magdalen Hospital. London: W. Faden, for F. Newbery, 1769.
• Sermons to Young Men. (3 volumes), London: J. Knox / T. Cadell, 1771.
• The Prisoner Released: A sermon. London: W. Faden, for E. & C. Dilly / W. Brown & J. Knox / S. Leacroft / et al, 1772.
• Compassion to infants enforced, in a sermon. London: S. Leacroft, 1773.
• An oration delivered at the dedication of Free-Mason's Hall. London: G. Robinson, 1776.
• An Account of the Magdalen Hospital. London: W. Faden, for the Magdalen Hospital, 1776.
• A Sermon ... before the Humane Society. London: Humane Society, 1776.
• The Convict's Address to his Unhappy Brethren (with Samuel Johnson). London: G. Kearsly, 1777; Dublin: W. Spotswood, 1777.
• Thoughts in Prison: In five parts. London: Edward and Charles Dilly / G. Kearsly, 1777.
• The Beauties of History; or, Pictures of virtue and vice. London: Vernor & Hood / E. Newbery / Darton & Harvey, 1795.
• Thoughts in Prison, and other miscellaneous pieces. London: C. Cooke, 1796.

Translated

• Callimachus, The Hymns of Callimachus Translated. London: T. Waller, 1755.

Edited

• William Shakespeare, The Beauties of Shakespeare: Regularly selected from each play. (2 volumes), London: T. Waller, 1752.
• Joseph Hall, Contemplations on the histories of the New Testament. (2 volumes), London: B. Law, 1759.
• The Christian's magazine: or a treasury of divine knowledge. London: J. Newbery / J. Coote, 1760-1767.
• The Visitor; by several hands (2 volumes), London: Edward & Charles Dilly, 1764; Dublin: James Williams, 1768.
• The Holy Bible; with a commentary and practical improvements. (3 volumes), London: W. Davis, 1765-70.

Journals

• Occasional Papers, by the late William Dodd (edited by Samuel Johnson). London: G. Kearsley, 1777.

Except where noted, bibliographical information courtesy WorldCat.

See also

• List of British poets

References

•  Chisholm, Hugh, ed (1911). "Dodd, William". Encyclopædia Britannica. 8 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 367-368. . Wikisource, Web, Mar. 26, 2020.
• Boswell, James, Life of Johnson, 1777 passim, for more information on Johnson's work in behalf of Dodd. ISBN 978-0-14-043662-4 (and several other editions with different ISBNs, as well as various public domain editions)
• Brack, O.M., The Macaroni Parson, Life of William Dodd
• Howson, Gerald, The Macaroni Parson: A Life of the Unfortunate Dr. Dodd. London, Hutchinson, 1973 ISBN 0-09-115170-8

External links

Poems

• "Goddess how you bent the silver bow" at Poetry Nook
• William Dodd at the Eighteenth-Century Poetry Archive (4 poems)
• Rev. William Dodd (1729-1777) info & 13 poems at English Poetry, 1579-1830

About

• Dodd, William in the Dictionary of National Biography
• Dr William Dodd from the Newgate Calendar
• Dr. Dodd, the publisher
• Full record of Dodd's trial at the Old Bailey Online

 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain, the 1911 Edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica.. Original article is at Dodd, William