Henry John Todd
Encyclopedia
Henry John Todd was an English clergyman, librarian, and scholar, known as an editor of John Milton
.
He was librarian at Lambeth Palace
(1803), and examined and described manuscripts, chiefly biblical, which formerly belonged to Professor Carlyle, Orientalist, and after his death were transferred to the Lambeth Palace. Todd was rector of Settrington
(1820).
He was awarded an annual pension by George IV
.
or Burtford, near Salisbury, on 13 February 1763, the son of the Rev. Henry Todd, curate of that parish from 1758 to 1765, and of Mary his wife. He was admitted a chorister of Magdalen College, Oxford
, on 20 July 1771, and was educated in the college school. On 15 October 1779 he matriculated from Magdalen and graduated B.A. there on 20 February 1784. Soon afterwards he became fellow-tutor and lecturer at Hertford College
, where he proceeded M.A. on 4 May 1786. In 1785 he was ordained deacon as curate at East Lockinge
, Berkshire
, and in 1787 he took priest's orders.
Todd was presented in 1787 by his aunts, the Misses Todd, to the perpetual curacy of St. John and St. Bridget, Beckermet
, in Cumberland. Through the interest of his father's friend George Horne, he was appointed to a minor canonry in Canterbury Cathedral
, and was exempted from the necessity of residing on his living. The position afforded him opportunities for study and the patronage of Archbishop John Moore.
Through the influence of the archbishop, Todd held during 1791 and 1792, on the gift of the dean and chapter of Canterbury, the sinecure rectory of Orgarswick, and, on the nomination of the same patrons, he was vicar from 1792 to 1801 of Milton, near Canterbury. By 1792 he had become chaplain to Robert Needham, 11th Viscount Kilmorey, and James Duff, 2nd Earl Fife
. He was inducted on 9 November 1801 to the rectory of All Hallows, Lombard Street (in the gift of the dean and chapter of Canterbury), which he retained until 1810. He took up residence in London, was elected F.S.A. on 27 May 1802, and became domestic chaplain to John William Egerton, 7th Earl of Bridgewater, on 5 April 1803.
The favour of the Earl secured for Todd the living of Ivinghoe
, Buckinghamshire
, in December 1803, when he resigned his curacy of Beckermet. He became, on the nomination of the bishop of Rochester
, rector (1803–5) of Woolwich. Lord Bridgewater then bestowed on him the vicarage of Edlesbrough, Buckinghamshire, which he kept until 1807, and he is said to have been, on the same nomination, rector of Little Gaddesden
in Hertfordshire
for a short period in 1805. Todd had been for some time keeper of the manuscripts and records at Lambeth Palace
, and by 1807 he was appointed chaplain and librarian to Archbishop Charles Manners-Sutton
, who in that year gave him the rectory of Coulsdon
, and in 1812 appointed him to the vicarage of Addington
, both in Surrey
. In December 1812 Todd was created royal chaplain in ordinary (a position which he retained until his death), and in July 1818 he was appointed one of the Six Preachers
in Canterbury Cathedral.
Todd vacated all these preferments, except the crown chaplaincy, on his appointment, in November 1820, by the Earl of Bridgewater to the rectory of Settrington
in Yorkshire
, where he took up his residence. He was appointed by the archbishop, on 9 January 1830, to the prebendal stall of Husthwaite in York Cathedral, and was installed, on the archbishop's gift, on 2 November 1832 as archdeacon of Cleveland. He must by this time have been fairly well off, for Isaac Reed
made him a legacy and Charles Dilly the publisher left him £500. In May 1824 he became a member of the Royal Society of Literature
; but a pension offered to him by Lord Melbourne was declined. He retained his three Yorkshire preferments until his death at Settrington rectory on 24 December 1845. He was buried in the chancel of his church where a monument of plain white marble commemorates him; a stained-glass window was put by the clergy in the tower at the west end of the church. The epitaph also commemorates his wife, Anne Dixon, who died at Settrington rectory on 14 April 1844, aged 78. They left several daughters.
A miniature of the archdeacon was stealthily painted by a lady. From a sketch of him, taken in 1822, a painting was made by Joseph Smith and placed in Magdalen College school. A few years before his death he presented to the college his collection of books relating to Milton.
and others, it became the standard edition. The first volume was issued separately as ‘Account of the Life and Writings of John Milton,’ and it was republished, as modified by new information, in 1809 and 1826. It was superseded by David Masson
's monumental ‘Life.’ Charles Dexter Cleveland based his ‘Complete Concordance’ to Milton's poems on Todd's verbal index, which he found full of mistakes. For the first edition the publishers paid Todd the sum of £200.
Todd's edition of ‘The Works of Edmund Spenser’ (1805, 8 vols.; reproduced in 1852 and 1866) was severely reviewed by Sir Walter Scott in the Edinburgh Review
, October 1805, pp. 203–17, and did not enhance Todd's reputation. He also edited ‘Johnson's Dictionary of the English Language, with numerous corrections and the addition of several thousand words,’ 1818, 4 vols. This edition was often reissued, and Latham's edition of ‘Johnson's Dictionary’ was founded on it.
Todd's original published works included:
Todd was also the author of several sermons and charges. He contributed largely to Edward Hasted
's ‘Kent’ (1798 ed. vi. 192) and the Gentleman's Magazine, and wrote a preface to ‘Bibliotheca Reediana,’ 1807, the sale catalogue of Isaac Reed's library.
Attribution
John Milton
John Milton was an English poet, polemicist, a scholarly man of letters, and a civil servant for the Commonwealth of England under Oliver Cromwell...
.
He was librarian at Lambeth Palace
Lambeth Palace
Lambeth Palace is the official London residence of the Archbishop of Canterbury in England. It is located in Lambeth, on the south bank of the River Thames a short distance upstream of the Palace of Westminster on the opposite shore. It was acquired by the archbishopric around 1200...
(1803), and examined and described manuscripts, chiefly biblical, which formerly belonged to Professor Carlyle, Orientalist, and after his death were transferred to the Lambeth Palace. Todd was rector of Settrington
Settrington
Settrington is a village and civil parish in the Ryedale district of North Yorkshire, England. It once had a railway station that lay on the Malton and Driffield Railway.-History:...
(1820).
He was awarded an annual pension by George IV
George IV of the United Kingdom
George IV was the King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and also of Hanover from the death of his father, George III, on 29 January 1820 until his own death ten years later...
.
Life
He was baptised at BritfordBritford
Britford is a village and civil parish beside the River Avon about southeast of Salisbury in Wiltshire, England. The village is just off the A338 road.-Archaeology:Little Woodbury, southwest of the village, is the site of an Iron Age settlement...
or Burtford, near Salisbury, on 13 February 1763, the son of the Rev. Henry Todd, curate of that parish from 1758 to 1765, and of Mary his wife. He was admitted a chorister of Magdalen College, Oxford
Magdalen College, Oxford
Magdalen College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. As of 2006 the college had an estimated financial endowment of £153 million. Magdalen is currently top of the Norrington Table after over half of its 2010 finalists received first-class degrees, a record...
, on 20 July 1771, and was educated in the college school. On 15 October 1779 he matriculated from Magdalen and graduated B.A. there on 20 February 1784. Soon afterwards he became fellow-tutor and lecturer at Hertford College
Hertford College, Oxford
Hertford College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. It is located in Catte Street, directly opposite the main entrance of the original Bodleian Library. As of 2006, the college had a financial endowment of £52m. There are 612 students , plus various visiting...
, where he proceeded M.A. on 4 May 1786. In 1785 he was ordained deacon as curate at East Lockinge
East Lockinge
East Lockinge is a village in Lockinge civil parish, about east of Wantage. It was part of Berkshire until the 1974 local authority boundary changes transferred the Vale of White Horse to Oxfordshire.-Manor:...
, Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
, and in 1787 he took priest's orders.
Todd was presented in 1787 by his aunts, the Misses Todd, to the perpetual curacy of St. John and St. Bridget, Beckermet
Beckermet
Beckermet is a village, civil parish and post town in the English county of Cumbria, located near the coast between Egremont and Seascale. Historically within Cumberland, it is served by Braystones railway station and is less than a mile west of the A595 road...
, in Cumberland. Through the interest of his father's friend George Horne, he was appointed to a minor canonry in Canterbury Cathedral
Canterbury Cathedral
Canterbury Cathedral in Canterbury, Kent, is one of the oldest and most famous Christian structures in England and forms part of a World Heritage Site....
, and was exempted from the necessity of residing on his living. The position afforded him opportunities for study and the patronage of Archbishop John Moore.
Through the influence of the archbishop, Todd held during 1791 and 1792, on the gift of the dean and chapter of Canterbury, the sinecure rectory of Orgarswick, and, on the nomination of the same patrons, he was vicar from 1792 to 1801 of Milton, near Canterbury. By 1792 he had become chaplain to Robert Needham, 11th Viscount Kilmorey, and James Duff, 2nd Earl Fife
James Duff, 2nd Earl Fife
James Duff, 2nd Earl Fife was a Scottish Earl, Baron and Minister of Parliament.-Heritage:James Duff was second son of William Duff, 1st Earl Fife, and Jean Grant , his fathers second wife. His father, son of William Duff of Dipple, co. Banff, was M.P...
. He was inducted on 9 November 1801 to the rectory of All Hallows, Lombard Street (in the gift of the dean and chapter of Canterbury), which he retained until 1810. He took up residence in London, was elected F.S.A. on 27 May 1802, and became domestic chaplain to John William Egerton, 7th Earl of Bridgewater, on 5 April 1803.
The favour of the Earl secured for Todd the living of Ivinghoe
Ivinghoe
Ivinghoe is a village and civil parish within Aylesbury Vale district in Buckinghamshire, England, close to the border with Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire. It is four miles north of Tring and six miles south of Leighton Buzzard, close to the village of Pitstone.The village name is Anglo-Saxon in...
, Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. The county town is Aylesbury, the largest town in the ceremonial county is Milton Keynes and largest town in the non-metropolitan county is High Wycombe....
, in December 1803, when he resigned his curacy of Beckermet. He became, on the nomination of the bishop of Rochester
Bishop of Rochester
The Bishop of Rochester is the ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Rochester in the Province of Canterbury.The diocese covers the west of the county of Kent and is centred in the city of Rochester where the bishop's seat is located at the Cathedral Church of Christ and the Blessed Virgin...
, rector (1803–5) of Woolwich. Lord Bridgewater then bestowed on him the vicarage of Edlesbrough, Buckinghamshire, which he kept until 1807, and he is said to have been, on the same nomination, rector of Little Gaddesden
Little Gaddesden
Little Gaddesden is a village and civil parish in the English county of Hertfordshire three miles north of Berkhamsted. As well as Little Gaddesden village , the parish contains the settlements of Ashridge , Hudnall , and part of Ringshall .Part of the parish was formerly in Buckinghamshire...
in Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
for a short period in 1805. Todd had been for some time keeper of the manuscripts and records at Lambeth Palace
Lambeth Palace
Lambeth Palace is the official London residence of the Archbishop of Canterbury in England. It is located in Lambeth, on the south bank of the River Thames a short distance upstream of the Palace of Westminster on the opposite shore. It was acquired by the archbishopric around 1200...
, and by 1807 he was appointed chaplain and librarian to Archbishop Charles Manners-Sutton
Charles Manners-Sutton
Charles Manners-Sutton was a priest in the Church of England who served as Archbishop of Canterbury from 1805 to 1828.-Life:...
, who in that year gave him the rectory of Coulsdon
Coulsdon
Coulsdon is a town on the southernmost boundary of the London Borough of Croydon. It is surrounded by the Metropolitan Green Belt of the Farthing Down, Coulsdon Common and Kenley Common...
, and in 1812 appointed him to the vicarage of Addington
Addington
- Places :Addington as a place name is Anglo Saxon in origin, and means 'Eadda's estate'.In Australia:* Addington, VictoriaIn Canada:* Addington, Ontario* Addington County, Ontario...
, both in Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
. In December 1812 Todd was created royal chaplain in ordinary (a position which he retained until his death), and in July 1818 he was appointed one of the Six Preachers
Six Preachers
The college of Six Preachers of Canterbury Cathedral was created by Archbishop Thomas Cranmer as part of the reorganisation of the monastic Christ Church Priory into the new secular Cathedral....
in Canterbury Cathedral.
Todd vacated all these preferments, except the crown chaplaincy, on his appointment, in November 1820, by the Earl of Bridgewater to the rectory of Settrington
Settrington
Settrington is a village and civil parish in the Ryedale district of North Yorkshire, England. It once had a railway station that lay on the Malton and Driffield Railway.-History:...
in Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
, where he took up his residence. He was appointed by the archbishop, on 9 January 1830, to the prebendal stall of Husthwaite in York Cathedral, and was installed, on the archbishop's gift, on 2 November 1832 as archdeacon of Cleveland. He must by this time have been fairly well off, for Isaac Reed
Isaac Reed
Isaac Reed was an English Shakespearean editor.-Life:The son of a baker, he was born in London. He was articled to a solicitor, and eventually set up as a conveyancer at Staple Inn, where he had a large practice.-Works:...
made him a legacy and Charles Dilly the publisher left him £500. In May 1824 he became a member of the Royal Society of Literature
Royal Society of Literature
The Royal Society of Literature is the "senior literary organisation in Britain". It was founded in 1820 by George IV, in order to "reward literary merit and excite literary talent". The Society's first president was Thomas Burgess, who later became the Bishop of Salisbury...
; but a pension offered to him by Lord Melbourne was declined. He retained his three Yorkshire preferments until his death at Settrington rectory on 24 December 1845. He was buried in the chancel of his church where a monument of plain white marble commemorates him; a stained-glass window was put by the clergy in the tower at the west end of the church. The epitaph also commemorates his wife, Anne Dixon, who died at Settrington rectory on 14 April 1844, aged 78. They left several daughters.
A miniature of the archdeacon was stealthily painted by a lady. From a sketch of him, taken in 1822, a painting was made by Joseph Smith and placed in Magdalen College school. A few years before his death he presented to the college his collection of books relating to Milton.
Works
e edited in 1798 ‘Comus: a Mask by John Milton,’ dedicated to Rev. F. H. Egerton, afterwards Earl of Bridgewater. This led to Todd's edition of ‘Poetical Works of Milton,’ 1801, 6 vols.; reprinted in 1809, 1826, 1842, and 1852. Incorporating the notes of Thomas WartonThomas Warton
Thomas Warton was an English literary historian, critic, and poet. From 1785 to 1790 he was the Poet Laureate of England...
and others, it became the standard edition. The first volume was issued separately as ‘Account of the Life and Writings of John Milton,’ and it was republished, as modified by new information, in 1809 and 1826. It was superseded by David Masson
David Masson
David Masson , was a Scottish writer.He was born in Aberdeen, and educated at Aberdeen Grammar School and at Marischal College, University of Aberdeen. Intending to enter the Church, he proceeded to Edinburgh University, where he studied theology under Dr Thomas Chalmers, with whom he remained...
's monumental ‘Life.’ Charles Dexter Cleveland based his ‘Complete Concordance’ to Milton's poems on Todd's verbal index, which he found full of mistakes. For the first edition the publishers paid Todd the sum of £200.
Todd's edition of ‘The Works of Edmund Spenser’ (1805, 8 vols.; reproduced in 1852 and 1866) was severely reviewed by Sir Walter Scott in the Edinburgh Review
Edinburgh Review
The Edinburgh Review, founded in 1802, was one of the most influential British magazines of the 19th century. It ceased publication in 1929. The magazine took its Latin motto judex damnatur ubi nocens absolvitur from Publilius Syrus.In 1984, the Scottish cultural magazine New Edinburgh Review,...
, October 1805, pp. 203–17, and did not enhance Todd's reputation. He also edited ‘Johnson's Dictionary of the English Language, with numerous corrections and the addition of several thousand words,’ 1818, 4 vols. This edition was often reissued, and Latham's edition of ‘Johnson's Dictionary’ was founded on it.
Todd's original published works included:
- ‘Some Account of the Deans of Canterbury; with a catalogue of the MSS. in the Church Library,’ 1793; the author afterwards printed an additional page of corrections.
- ‘Catalogue of Books, both manuscript and printed, in the Library of Christ Church, Canterbury’ [anon.], 1802; 160 copies printed not for sale.
- Poetical works, with notes of various authors. To which are added illus., and some account of the life and writings of Milton (1809)
- ‘Illustrations of Lives and Writings of Gower and Chaucer,’ 1810.
- ‘Accomplishment of Prophecy in Jesus Christ: a Treatise by Dean Abbadie’ (edited by Todd), 1810.
- ‘Catalogue of Manuscripts at Lambeth Palace,’ 1812, one hundred copies for private circulation.
- ‘History of the College of Bonhommes at Ashridge,’ 1812; 2nd ed. 1823; privately printed by the Earl of Bridgewater.
- ‘Original Sin, Free-will, and other Doctrines, as maintained by our Reformers,’ 1818.
- ‘Vindication of our Authorised Translation and Translators of the Bible,’ 1819; 2nd ed. 1834.
- ‘Observations on the Metrical Versions of the Psalms by Sternhold, Hopkins, and others,’ 1822.
- Memoirs of the life and writings of the Right Rev. Brian Walton (F. C. & J. Rivington, 1821), 2 vols.
- An Account of Greek Manuscripts, chiefly biblical, which had been in the possession of the late Professor Carlyle, the greater part of which are now deposited in the Archiepiscopal Library at Lambeth Palace (1823), privately printed.
- ‘Hints to Medical Students on a Future Life’ [anon.], York, 1823.
- ‘Prayers for Family Worship,’ Malton (1825).
- ‘Cranmer's Defence of the True and Catholick Doctrine of the Sacrament, with introduction vindicating his character from Lingard and others,’ 1825. The vindication was published separately in 1826.
- Some Account of the Life and Writings of John Milton (1826)
- ‘Reply to Lingard's Vindication of his History of England concerning Cranmer,’ 1827.
- ‘Letter to Archbishop of Canterbury on the authorship of the Icon Basilike,’ 1824; in reply to Christopher WordsworthChristopher WordsworthChristopher Wordsworth was an English bishop and man of letters.-Life:Wordsworth was born in London, the youngest son of the Rev. Dr. Christopher Wordsworth, Master of Trinity and a nephew of the poet William Wordsworth...
's treatise ‘Who wrote Icon Basilike?’ 1824. Wordsworth retorted to this pamphlet by Todd, and then came: - ‘Bishop Gauden, the author of the Icon Basilike, further shown in answer to Dr. Wordsworth,’ 1829.
- ‘Of Confession, and Absolution, and the Secrecy of Confession,’ 1828.
- ‘Life of Archbishop Cranmer,’ 1831, 2 vols.
- ‘Collections relating to Benefices in the Archdeaconry of Cleveland,’ 1833.
- ‘On Proposals for reviving Convocation,’ 2nd ed. 1837.
- ‘Selections from Metrical Paraphrases on the Psalms, with Memoir,’ 1839.
Todd was also the author of several sermons and charges. He contributed largely to Edward Hasted
Edward Hasted
Edward Hasted was the author of a major county history, The History and Topographical Survey of the County of Kent .-Life:...
's ‘Kent’ (1798 ed. vi. 192) and the Gentleman's Magazine, and wrote a preface to ‘Bibliotheca Reediana,’ 1807, the sale catalogue of Isaac Reed's library.
External links
- Henry John Todd
- American Cyclopaedia
- Works of Todd at the Internet Archive
Attribution