His grandfather, John Savage, was pastor of the Seventh Day Baptist church, Mill Yard, Goodman's Fields.
In 1744, while still a pupil, he was made assistant tutor in natural science and classics by the trustees of William Coward, a post he retained until the reconstruction of the academy in 1762; from the time of his marriage (1752) the lectures were delivered at his house in Wellclose Square.
[1] Meanwhile, in December 1747, Savage became assistant minister at Duke's Place, Bury Street, St Mary Axe, to the independent congregation of which Watts had been pastor.
In addition he held the office of afternoon preacher (1759–1766) and Thursday lecturer (1760–7) to the presbyterian congregation in Hanover Street under Jabez Earle.
[1] On the death of David Jennings, the Coward trustees moved the academy to a house in Hoxton Square, formerly the residence of Daniel Williams.
[1] Like Jennings, Savage, though an orthodox Presbyterian, was a non-subscriber; he was one of the originators of the appeal to parliament in 1772 which resulted in the amendment (1779) of the Toleration Act, substituting a declaration of adhesion to the scriptures in place of a subscription to the doctrinal part of the Anglican articles.