Thomas Turner (President of Corpus)
Encyclopedia
Thomas Turner was an English churchman and academic, Archdeacon of Essex and President of Corpus Christi College, Oxford
.
, Dean of Canterbury
, he was born at Bristol
on 19 or 20 September 1645; he was a younger brother of Francis Turner
. Thomas originally matriculated at Hart Hall on 10 May 1662, but on 6 October 1663 he was admitted to a Gloucestershire scholarship at Corpus, of which he became fellow in 1672. He graduated B.A. on 15 March 1666, M.A. in 1669, B.D. in 1677, and D.D. in 1683.
From 1672 to 1695 he was vicar of Milton, near Sittingbourne
, Kent
, and from 1680 to 1689 rector of Thorley
, Hertfordshire
. He became rector of Fulham, Middlesex, in 1688, archdeacon of Essex in 1680, canon of Ely in 1686, canon of St Paul's Cathedral
in 1682, and precentor in 1690. These preferments, except the sinecure rectory of Fulham and the canonry and precentorship of St. Paul's, he resigned at or shortly after his election to the presidency of Corpus on 13 March 1688. The rapid election, which took place within a week of the death of his predecessor Robert Newlyn
, diminished the chance of any interference from the court of James II.
Turner reformed the college and spent his own money on it. In 1706 he began what are now thee Fellows' buildings, to a design attributed to Henry Aldrich
. They were completed in 1712. Turner died on 29 April 1714, and is buried in the college chapel, where, as also at Stowe Nine Churches
in Northamptonshire
, there is a lengthy inscription about his bequests. These included a major benefaction to the Corporation of the Sons of the Clergy
.
Turner was, from the hints of Thomas Hearne
, suspected of Jacobite
sympathies, but on very slender grounds. His publication was a sermon preached at Whitehall on 29 May 1685 before James II, to whom he was chaplain. In this sermon there is criticism of Thomas Hobbes
's position, that a 'state of nature is a state of war.'
Corpus Christi College, Oxford
Corpus Christi College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom...
.
Life
The second son of Thomas TurnerThomas Turner (dean)
-Life:He was born at Reading, Berkshire in 1591, the son of Thomas Turner of Heckfield in Hampshire, mayor of Reading. He matriculated at St. John's College, Oxford, on 26 June 1610, graduating B.A. on 6 June 1614 and M.A. on 9 May 1618. He was elected a fellow, took the degree of B.D. on 20 July...
, Dean of Canterbury
Dean of Canterbury
The Dean of Canterbury is the head of the Chapter of the Cathedral of Christ Church, Canterbury, England. The office of dean originated after the English Reformation, and its precursor office was the prior of the cathedral-monastery...
, he was born at Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
on 19 or 20 September 1645; he was a younger brother of Francis Turner
Francis Turner
Francis Turner was a worker for the U.S. government to whom the creation of the Interstate Highway System is attributed.-Background and education:Frank was born on December 28, 1908, in Dallas, Texas, and spent his childhood in Texas...
. Thomas originally matriculated at Hart Hall on 10 May 1662, but on 6 October 1663 he was admitted to a Gloucestershire scholarship at Corpus, of which he became fellow in 1672. He graduated B.A. on 15 March 1666, M.A. in 1669, B.D. in 1677, and D.D. in 1683.
From 1672 to 1695 he was vicar of Milton, near Sittingbourne
Sittingbourne
Sittingbourne is an industrial town about eight miles east of Gillingham in England, beside the Roman Watling Street off a creek in the Swale, a channel separating the Isle of Sheppey from mainland Kent...
, Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
, and from 1680 to 1689 rector of Thorley
Thorley
Thorley could be*Thorley, Isle of Wight*Thorley, HertfordshirePeople:* Dianne Thorley, Australian politician* Wilfrid Thorley, English poet...
, 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...
. He became rector of Fulham, Middlesex, in 1688, archdeacon of Essex in 1680, canon of Ely in 1686, canon of St Paul's Cathedral
St Paul's Cathedral
St Paul's Cathedral, London, is a Church of England cathedral and seat of the Bishop of London. Its dedication to Paul the Apostle dates back to the original church on this site, founded in AD 604. St Paul's sits at the top of Ludgate Hill, the highest point in the City of London, and is the mother...
in 1682, and precentor in 1690. These preferments, except the sinecure rectory of Fulham and the canonry and precentorship of St. Paul's, he resigned at or shortly after his election to the presidency of Corpus on 13 March 1688. The rapid election, which took place within a week of the death of his predecessor Robert Newlyn
Robert Newlyn
Robert Newlyn was an English clergyman and academic. He was President of Corpus Christi College, Oxford from 1640 to 1648, was expelled by the parliamentary visitation of Oxford, and returned as President in 1660.-Life:...
, diminished the chance of any interference from the court of James II.
Turner reformed the college and spent his own money on it. In 1706 he began what are now thee Fellows' buildings, to a design attributed to Henry Aldrich
Henry Aldrich
Henry Aldrich was an English theologian and philosopher.-Life:Aldrich was educated at Westminster School under Dr Richard Busby. In 1662, he entered Christ Church, Oxford, and in 1689 was made Dean in succession to the Roman Catholic John Massey, who had fled to the Continent. In 1692, he...
. They were completed in 1712. Turner died on 29 April 1714, and is buried in the college chapel, where, as also at Stowe Nine Churches
Stowe Nine Churches
Stowe Nine Churches is a civil parish incorporating the settlements of Church Stowe and Upper Stowe in the English county of Northamptonshire.-Name:...
in Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire is a landlocked county in the English East Midlands, with a population of 629,676 as at the 2001 census. It has boundaries with the ceremonial counties of Warwickshire to the west, Leicestershire and Rutland to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshire to the south-east,...
, there is a lengthy inscription about his bequests. These included a major benefaction to the Corporation of the Sons of the Clergy
Corporation of the Sons of the Clergy
The Corporation of the Sons of the Clergy is a charity founded in 1655 which provides financial support to clergy of the Church of England.The Corporation was established in 1655 in response to the distress of the large number of clergymen who were dispossessed of their livings under the regime of...
.
Turner was, from the hints of Thomas Hearne
Thomas Hearne
Thomas Hearne or Hearn , English antiquary, was born at Littlefield Green in the parish of White Waltham, Berkshire.-Life:...
, suspected of Jacobite
Jacobitism
Jacobitism was the political movement in Britain dedicated to the restoration of the Stuart kings to the thrones of England, Scotland, later the Kingdom of Great Britain, and the Kingdom of Ireland...
sympathies, but on very slender grounds. His publication was a sermon preached at Whitehall on 29 May 1685 before James II, to whom he was chaplain. In this sermon there is criticism of Thomas Hobbes
Thomas Hobbes
Thomas Hobbes of Malmesbury , in some older texts Thomas Hobbs of Malmsbury, was an English philosopher, best known today for his work on political philosophy...
's position, that a 'state of nature is a state of war.'