James Fordyce

The parishioners wanted another man; however, Fordyce got a call on 5 June, demitted his charge at Brechin on 29 August, and was admitted at Alloa on 12 October 1753.

[2] With several members of his family established in London, in 1760 he was chosen as colleague to Samuel Lawrence, D.D., minister of the presbyterian congregation in Monkwell Street.

He preached only on Sunday afternoons, the morning lecturer being Thomas Toller, Lawrence's son-in-law.

David Garrick was impressed; Fordyce associated with Samuel Johnson, and introduced him to Hugh Blair.

He gave sympathetic account in Addresses to the Deity, 1785, of Johnson's religious character, speaking as an evangelical moderate.

A large part of the congregation moved with Toller to an independent meeting-house in Silver Street.

He retired to a country residence near Christchurch, Hampshire, where he was a neighbour of Lord Bute, who gave him the use of his library.

He was buried in one of the parish churches of Bath; a funeral sermon was preached by Lindsay at Monkwell Street on 16 October.