(John), was born in Southampton street, Covent Garden, London on the 16th of February 1736. He was the eldest son of the Rev. John Jebb, dean of Cashel, in the kingdom of Ireland. He received the elements of his education in different schools, and was admitted, July 7, 1753, pensioner in the university of Dublin, whence he removed, November the 9th 1754, to St Peter's college in Cambridge, where he was likewise a pensioner. In January 1757 he proceeded to the degree of B.A. and his place in the distribution of academical honours was, on that occasion, second wrangler, the late eminent mathematician Dr Waring being the first. In 1758 he obtained the second prize of fifteen guineas, annually given by the university to the authors of the best compositions in Latin prose, being senior or middle bachelors of arts. Dr Roberts, afterwards provost of Eton college, obtained the first.
In the month of June 1760, Mr Jebb was admitted probationer fellow of St Peter's college; and proceeded to the degree of Master of Arts at the commencement in the same year; and on the first of July 1761, was confirmed fellow by Dr Mawson, bishop of Ely.
On the 6th of June 1762, he was ordained deacon at Bugden by Dr John Green, bishop of Lincoln; and on the 25th of September, 1762, he was admitted by the same bishop into priest's orders.
On the 22nd of August, 1764, Mr Jebb was collated by Dr Matthias Mawson, bishop of Ely, to the small vicarage of Gamlingay, near Potton, in Bedfordshire, upon the recommendation of Dr Law, master of Peterhouse. On the 17th of the following October, he was elected by the university into the rectory of Ovington, near Watton, in Norfolk, after a competition with the Rev. Henry Turner, then fellow of St John's college, afterwards vicar of Burwell, in Cambridgeshire. Upon calling up the votes, there appeared to be for Mr Jebb 91, for Mr Turner 73; and accordingly he was instituted into the same the 15th of December following.
On the 29th of the same month, (December 1764) Mr Jebb married Anne, eldest daughter of the Rev. James... James Torington, rector of Little Stukeley, in Huntingdonshire, and of lady Dorothy Sherard, daughter of Philip, second earl of Harborough.
Early in the year 1765, Mr. Jebb, together with the Rev. Robert Thorpe, fellow of Peterhouse, and the Rev. George Woolston, fellow of Sidney college, published, in a small quarto, a comment on those parts of Sir Isaac Newton's Principia which more immediately relate to the system of the world. The title of the joint work of these able and judicious philosophers was, "Excerpta quadam e Newtoni principiis philosophiae naturalis, cum notis variiorum." A work, of which the university of Cambridge continues to bear testimony to the excellence, by the general use of it in the course of academical education.
Mr Chappelow professor of Arabic, dying on the 14th of January 1768, Mr. Jebb offered himself a candidate for the vacant chair; but it was given to Dr. Hallifax, afterwards bishop of Gloucester; a man of deserved celebrity, of whom we regret that it was not in our power to give a biographical sketch.
On July 10, 1769, Mr. Jebb was instituted to the vicarage of Flixton, near Bungay, in Suffolk, on the presentation of William Adair, Esq., of Flixton-hall; and on the 4th of April 1770, was instituted to the united rectories of Homersfield and St Crofs, parishes contiguous to Flixton, upon the same presentation: being also, in the summer of the same year, nominated chaplain to Robert earl of Harborough. In consequence of the accession of these preferments, though not considerable in themselves, he resigned, some time in the month of October 1771, the rectory of Ovington, which he had received from the university; and Mr Sheepshanks, fellow of St John's college, was elected in his place.
Dr Hallifax succeeding to the professorship of civil law, in the month of October 1770, upon the death of Dr Ridlington, Mr. Jebb once more solicited that of Arabic, which Dr Hallifax then vacated; but he had by this time displayed such an innovating spirit in religion, that the university gave the vacant professorship to Mr Craven, a man respected even by Mr. Jebb and his friends.
Early in the year 1771, a design was formed of applying to parliament for relief in the matter of subscription to the liturgy, and thirty-nine articles of the Church of England; and in the prosecution of this design Mr. Jebb took a very active part. He attended different meetings of the discontented clergy, held at the Feathers tavern, London, assisted in the drawing up of their petition, and wrote their circular letter, which gave to the public an account of their aims. He buried himself at the same time in making various attempts to bring about what he called a reformation of the university of Cambridge; but finding them fruitless, he retired, on the 25th of June 1772, to Bungay, where he studied French and Italian, and proceeded in a plan of some political or constitutional lectures.
He had by this time ceased to read the prayers of the church, though he still continued to preach occasionally; and the Archdeacon of Suffolk, holding, this year, his usual visitation of some neighbouring parishes in the church of Flixton, Mr. Jebb preached such a sermon against subscription, as drew upon himself a public rebuke from the Archdeacon, in the presence of the clergy. "Much altercation," (says he) ensued; and for some days I expected a summons to Norwich; but have heard no more of it. I acted thus, with a view to call the attention of the Norwich clergy to our cause; and have in part succeeded."
He acted much more honourably than this, when, in 1775, he resigned all his preferments in the church; which surely he ought not to have retained one day after his conscience would not permit him to read the prayers of the liturgy. He now resolved to become a physician; and after attending St Bartholomew's hospital in London for six months, as the pupil of Dr William Pitcairn, he received, on the 18th of March 1777, a diploma of Doctor of Physic from the university of St Andrews!! He did not, however, commence practice till the 5th of February 1778; and even then he continued to attend the lectures of Dr Hunter, Mr John Hunter, and Dr Higgins. On the 18th of February 1779 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society.
Dr. Jebb, at the breaking out of the American war, had shewn himself at Cambridge a warm partisan of the revolting colonies; and of course a keen advocate for what he called, and we doubt not, thought, the civil liberties of mankind. He now signalized himself by "An address to the Freeholders of Middlesex," assembled at Free mason's tavern in Great Queen-street, on Monday, December the 20th 1779, for the purpose of establishing meetings to maintain and support the freedom of election. Upon this occasion, he communicated to James Townend, Esq., chairman of that meeting, the above address, under the signature of "Salus Publica;" presuming, that if the sentiments appeared to be founded in reason, they would not be the less regarded on account of their being suggested by an unknown individual."
This address was immediately printed, and very soon passed through three editions, each being enlarged by the addition of fresh matter; and in 1782, followed the fourth edition corrected, which also bore our author's name in the title page.
About the end of February 1782, Dr. Jebb was appointed by the committee of the county of Huntingdon, one of their deputies, to attend a meeting in London of representatives from certain other petitioning counties, in order to concert measures for the more effectual reform of the present constitution of the house of commons. Soon afterwards he became one of the most active members of "the society for constitutional information;" of which the object, according to their own account, was to diffuse throughout the kingdom, as universally as possible, a knowledge of the great principles of constitutional freedom, particularly such as respect the election and duration of the representative body. "With this view (say they), constitutional tracts, intended for the extension of this knowledge, and to communicate it to persons of all ranks, are printed and distributed gratis, at the expense of the society. Essays, and extracts from various authors, calculated to promote the same design, are also published under the direction of the society, in several of the newspapers; and it is the wish of the society to extend this knowledge throughout every part of the united kingdom, and to convince men of all ranks, that it is their interest, as well as their duty, to support a free constitution, and to maintain and assert those common rights, which which are essential to the dignity and to the happiness of human nature." Could Dr Jebb have foreseen all the mischiefs which have flowed from this institution; could he have foreseen the wonderful spawn of factious societies which have sprung from it as from a parent stock, our veneration for genius and learning will not permit us to believe, that he would have neglected the studies of his profession for the sake of taking the lead in party politics.
Dr Petit, one of the physicians of St Bartholomew's hospital, dying the 26th of May, Dr Jebb offered himself a candidate to succeed to that appointment. The election came on the 23rd of June; when Dr Budd, his antagonist, succeeded by a great majority.
The opposition which was made to his election at St Bartholomew's, followed him in the winter, when he offered himself at St Thomas's hospital in the borough. Indeed he relinquished his pretensions there sooner than in the former place; but for no other reason than because he found that all his political principles were likely to be again objected to him, and to hazard his success.
In the year 1784 he concurred, with others in forming "the society for promoting the knowledge of the scriptures," which met first on the 29th of September in that year, and whose meetings continued to be held, and, for ought we know to the contrary, are still held at Essex-house. The sketch of their plan was chiefly written by Dr Jebb; and their object was to propagate the doctrines of Unitarianism, for which he was as great a zealot as for civil liberty.
His health now began to decline; but during his confinement, he studied the Saxon language, the Anglo-Saxon laws, English history and antiquities, with a view to examine into our criminal code, and particular points of liberty. The vigour of his mind was still equal to the furnishing himself with this fresh store of knowledge; he foretold the advantage of such an acquisition in the investigation of the legal rights of Englishmen, and had designed to have employed it in the support of some great constitutional questions, which he considered as essential to the freedom of his country.
But as the year began to dawn, it was very observable to many of his friends that, according to every appearance, and without some very great and singular effort of nature, his increased debility would defeat every exertion of the most judicious medical affluence, and terminate the remaining sparks of human life.
In this enfeebled state, his mind was active. His "Thoughts on Prisons" were printed and circulated in the county of Suffolk in 1785, by his much valued friend Mr Lofft; and there is sufficient reason for concluding that this little tract had effect on the deliberations of the justices at Ipswich and Bury, then engaged in erecting a new gaol for the division of Ipswich, and a new house of correction for that of Bury.
The good effects of this very excellent tract, it was apprehended, would be extended by a more general publication. In this hope Dr Jebb revised and corrected it with his dying hand; and his surviving friend published it soon after his death, adding thereto "an abstract of felonies created by statute and other articles relative to the penal law."
He continued to linger till May the 2d 1786, when, about 8 o'clock in the evening, he breathed his last, leaving behind him among men of different persuasions, very different characters. By the dissenters he is seldom mentioned but as the Great Jebb; by churchmen, his abilities are universally allowed, whilst regret is expressed that they were so often employed in support of faction and heresy. His moral character has never been asperged.