RIDLEY, Gloster, was of the same family with the preceding. He was born at sea, in the year 1702, on board the Gloucester East Indiaman, from which circumstance he obtained his Christian name. He was educated at Winchester school, and afterwards obtained a fellowship of New College, Oxford, where he took the degree of LL. B. in 1729. He paid his court to the Muses at an early period, and laid the foundation of those solid and elegant acquisitions which afterwards distinguished him as a divine, historian, and poet. During a vacation in 1728, he joined with four friends in composing a tragedy called "The Fruitless Redress," each undertaking an act, agreeably to a plan which they had previously concerted. It was offered to Mr Wilkes, but never acted, and is still in manuscript. Dr Ridley in his youth was extremely attached to theatrical performances. The Redress, and another tragedy called Jugurtha, were exhibited at Midhurst in Sussex; and the actors were chiefly the gentlemen who assisted him in their composition. We are informed that he played Marc Antony, Jaffier, Horatio, and Moneses, with very great applause, which may be readily inferred from his graceful manner of speaking in the pulpit.
During a great part of his life he had only the small college living of Westow in Norfolk, and that of Poplar in
Middlesex, which was the place of his residence. After an interval of some years, his college added to these the donation of Romford in Essex, which left him little or no time for what he considered as the necessary studies of his profession. Yet in this situation he remained in the possession of, and satisfied with domestic felicity, and enjoyed the intimate friendship of some who were equally distinguished for worth and learning.
The eight Sermons which he preached at Lady Moyer's lecture it 1740 and 1741 were given to the public in 1742. In the year 1756 he was invited to go to Ireland as first chaplain to the duke of Bedford, but declined to accept the offer. In the year 1763 he published the Life of Bishop Ridley, in 4to, by subscription, from the profits of which he was enabled to purchase £800 in the public funds. In the year 1765 he published his Review of Philip's Life of Cardinal Pole. In 1767 the university of Oxford conferred upon him by diploma the degree of D.D. In 1768 he was presented by Archbishop Secker with a rich prebend in the cathedral church of Salisbury; the only reward he received from the great during a long and useful life. He was at last worn out with infirmities, and died in 1774, leaving behind him a wife and four daughters. Dr Ridley survived both his sons, who were young men of considerable abilities. The elder, called James, was author of Tales of the Genii, and some other literary performances; and his brother Thomas was sent as a writer to Madras by the East India Company, but he suddenly died of the smallpox.