John Towne facts for kids

John Towne was an important English church leader who lived from about 1711 to 1791. He was known for his strong opinions and became an archdeacon in 1765.

Life of John Towne

John Towne was born around 1711. He went to Clare Hall at Cambridge University. He earned two degrees there, a B.A. in 1732 and an M.A. in 1736.

In 1740, he became a vicar in Thorpe-Ernald, a town in Leicestershire. Later, in 1765, he was made an archdeacon. This meant he was a senior church official in the area of Stow. He also worked at Lincoln Cathedral and was a rector in Little Paunton, Lincolnshire. He was good friends with another important church leader, William Warburton.

Towne passed away on March 15, 1791, in Little Paunton. He was buried there, and a special stone tablet was placed in the church to remember him. He had a wife named Anne, who died in 1754. They had three daughters and one son. His son became a painter but sadly died when he was young.

John Towne's Writings

John Towne wrote several books and papers. Many of his writings were about religious ideas and debates of his time. Here are some of his works:

• A Critical Inquiry into the Opinions and Practice of the Ancient Philosophers, concerning the nature of the Soul and a Future State. This book, published in 1747, looked at what old philosophers thought about the soul and life after death.
• The Argument of the Divine Legation, fairly stated and returned to the Deists. In 1751, he wrote this to defend the ideas of his friend, William Warburton, found in Warburton's book The Divine Legation of Moses.
• A Free and Candid Examination of the Principles advanced in the … Bishop of London's … Sermons. This work from 1756 was written to Thomas Sherlock, who was the Bishop of London.
• Dissertation on the Antient Mysteries. This book, published in 1766, explored old religious mysteries.
• Remarks on Dr. Lowth's Letter to the Bishop of Gloucester. Also from 1766, this was part of a debate between Warburton and another scholar named Robert Lowth.
• Exposition of the Orthodox System of Civil Rights, and Church Power. This writing was addressed to Henry Stebbing, another church figure.