Thomas Townson
Encyclopedia
Thomas Townson was an English churchman and writer, archdeacon of Richmond
from 1781.
, he was the eldest son of John Townson, rector of the parish, by his wife Lucretia, daughter of Edward Wiltshire, rector of Kirk Andrews, Cumberland
. He was educated first under the care of Henry Nott, vicar of Terling, and next at Felsted grammar school
. He matriculated at Christ Church, Oxford
, on 13 March 1733, and was elected a demy of Magdalen College, Oxford
, in 1733, and probationary fellow in 1737. He graduated B.A. on 20 October 1736, M.A. on 20 June 1739, B.D. on 13 June 1750, and D.D., by diploma, on 23 February 1779. He was ordained priest in 1742, and, after making a tour on the continent, resumed tutorial work at Oxford.
In 1746 he was instituted to the vicarage of Hatfield Peverel
, Essex, and in 1749 he was senior proctor of the university. Resigning Hatfield in the latter year, he was presented to the rectory of Blithfield
, Staffordshire
, and on 2 January 1752 he was instituted to the lower mediety of Malpas, Cheshire
, where he thenceforth resided. In 1758, when he received a bequest of £8,000 from William Barcroft, rector of Fairstead and vicar of Kelvedon
in Essex, he resigned Blithfield and applied himself more especially to literary pursuits. On 30 October 1781 he was collated to the archdeaconry of Richmond, and in 1783 was offered by Lord North the regius professorship of divinity at Oxford, which he declined on account of age. He died at Malpas on 15 April 1792.
There subsequently appeared ‘The Works of Thomas Townson; to which is prefixed an Account of the Author, by R. Churton,’ 2 vols. London, 1810; and ‘Practical Discourses: a Selection from the unpublished manuscripts of the late Venerable Thomas Townson, D.D.,’ privately printed, London, 1828, with the biographical memoir by Churton. These ‘Discourses’ were edited by John Jebb; they were reprinted in 1830.
Archdeacon of Richmond
The Archdeacon of Richmond is an archdiaconal post in the Church of England. It is under the jurisdiction of the Diocese of Chester.-History:It was created around the year 1088, and was endowed by Thomas, Archbishop of York. It had the valuable impropriations of Easingwold, Bolton, Clapham, and...
from 1781.
Life
Born at Much Lees, EssexEssex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
, he was the eldest son of John Townson, rector of the parish, by his wife Lucretia, daughter of Edward Wiltshire, rector of Kirk Andrews, Cumberland
Cumberland
Cumberland is a historic county of North West England, on the border with Scotland, from the 12th century until 1974. It formed an administrative county from 1889 to 1974 and now forms part of Cumbria....
. He was educated first under the care of Henry Nott, vicar of Terling, and next at Felsted grammar school
Felsted School
Felsted School, an English co-educational day and boarding independent school, situated in Felsted, Essex. It is in the British Public School tradition, and was founded in 1564 by Richard Rich, 1st Baron Rich who, as Lord Chancellor and Chancellor of the Court of Augmentations, acquired...
. He matriculated at Christ Church, Oxford
Christ Church, Oxford
Christ Church or house of Christ, and thus sometimes known as The House), is one of the largest constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England...
, on 13 March 1733, and was elected a demy 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...
, in 1733, and probationary fellow in 1737. He graduated B.A. on 20 October 1736, M.A. on 20 June 1739, B.D. on 13 June 1750, and D.D., by diploma, on 23 February 1779. He was ordained priest in 1742, and, after making a tour on the continent, resumed tutorial work at Oxford.
In 1746 he was instituted to the vicarage of Hatfield Peverel
Hatfield Peverel
Hatfield Peverel is a large urban village and civil parish in the centre of Essex, England. Its population, including the hamlet of Nounsley, is approximately 5,500 . Hatfield means a 'heathery space in the forest'; Peverel refers to William Peverel, the Norman knight granted lands in the area by...
, Essex, and in 1749 he was senior proctor of the university. Resigning Hatfield in the latter year, he was presented to the rectory of Blithfield
Blithfield
Blithfield is a civil parish in the East Staffordshire district of Staffordshire, England. It includes the settlements of Admaston, Newton, along with Blithfield Hall, home of the Bagot family since 1360. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 225. Blithfield Reservoir takes up much of...
, Staffordshire
Staffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
, and on 2 January 1752 he was instituted to the lower mediety of Malpas, Cheshire
Malpas, Cheshire
Malpas is a large village which used to be a market town, and it is also a civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. The parish lies on the border with Shropshire and Wales...
, where he thenceforth resided. In 1758, when he received a bequest of £8,000 from William Barcroft, rector of Fairstead and vicar of Kelvedon
Kelvedon
Kelvedon is a village and civil parish in the Braintree District of Essex in England, near to the town of Witham. It has a population of 3,485.-Origins:...
in Essex, he resigned Blithfield and applied himself more especially to literary pursuits. On 30 October 1781 he was collated to the archdeaconry of Richmond, and in 1783 was offered by Lord North the regius professorship of divinity at Oxford, which he declined on account of age. He died at Malpas on 15 April 1792.
Works
His works are:- ‘Doubts concerning the Authenticity of the last Publication of “The Confessional”’ … (by Francis BlackburneFrancis Blackburne (archdeacon)Francis Blackburne was an English Anglican churchman, archdeacon of Cleveland and an activist against the requirement of subscription to the Thirty Nine Articles.-Life:...
), London, 1767; and also a ‘Defence’ of these ‘Doubts,’ London, 1768. - ‘A Dialogue between Isaac Walton and Homologistes, concerning Bishop Sanderson,’ London, 1768.
- ‘Discourses on the Four Gospels,’ Oxford, 1778; 2nd edit. 1788; two parts of a German translation by Johann Salomo SemlerJohann Salomo SemlerJohann Salomo Semler was a German church historian and biblical commentator.-Youth and education:He was born at Saalfeld in Electoral Saxony, the son of a poor clergyman. He grew up in pietistic surroundings, which powerfully influenced him his life through, though he never became a Pietist...
were published at Leipzig, 1783–4. - ‘A Discourse on the Evangelical History, from the Interment to the Ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ,’ Oxford, 1793. The editor of this work was the Rev. Thomas Bagshaw, M.A.
- ‘Babylon in the Revelation of St. John, as signifying the City of Rome’, edited by Ralph ChurtonRalph ChurtonRalph Churton was an English churchman and academic, archdeacon of St David's and a biographer.-Life:He was born on an estate called the Snabb, in the township of Bickley and parish of Malpas, Cheshire, on 8 December 1754, being the younger of two sons of Thomas Churton and Sarah Clemson...
, Oxford, 1797.
There subsequently appeared ‘The Works of Thomas Townson; to which is prefixed an Account of the Author, by R. Churton,’ 2 vols. London, 1810; and ‘Practical Discourses: a Selection from the unpublished manuscripts of the late Venerable Thomas Townson, D.D.,’ privately printed, London, 1828, with the biographical memoir by Churton. These ‘Discourses’ were edited by John Jebb; they were reprinted in 1830.