Jonathan Toup facts for kids

Jonathan Oannes Toup (born 1713, died 1785) was an important English scholar. He studied ancient languages and texts. He was known for his work as a philologist, which means someone who studies language, and a classical scholar, meaning he was an expert in ancient Greek and Roman writings. He was also a critic, meaning he carefully analyzed these old texts.

Jonathan Toup's Early Life

Jonathan Toup was born in December 1713 in St Ives, Cornwall, England. His father passed away when Jonathan was young. After this, his mother remarried. Jonathan was later adopted by his uncle, William Busvargus. He had one full sister and two half-sisters. Later in life, his mother and sisters lived with him.

His Education

Toup went to St. Ives grammar school. He also studied at a private school run by Rev. John Gurney in St Merryn, Cornwall. From 1733 to 1739, he attended Exeter College, Oxford. He earned his first degree there in 1736. Later, in 1756, he received a master's degree from Cambridge University. Jonathan Toup never married.

Church Work

Jonathan Toup became a deacon in the church in 1736. Soon after, he started working as a curate in Philleigh, Cornwall. A curate is a church assistant. Two years later, he became a priest. He then worked as a curate in Buryan.

In 1750, he became the rector of St. Martin's-by-Looe. A rector is the main priest in charge of a church parish. He held this important position until he passed away. People knew him as a very smart scholar, even if he was a quiet country priest.

Major Achievements

Toup became famous for his scholarly books. His most important work was called Emendationes in Suidam. This book was published in parts between 1760 and 1766. In it, he made corrections and improvements to an ancient Greek dictionary called the Suda. This showed his great skill in understanding old texts.

His Personality

While Toup was highly respected for his knowledge, some people found his personality a bit difficult. He was known for speaking his mind very directly. Some scholars described him as having a strong, independent spirit. He preferred to work alone and was very confident in his own ideas. However, he was also known for being very kind and generous to the poor people in his church parish.

Working on Longinus

After 35 years of hard work, Toup published his edition of Longinus in 1778. Longinus was an ancient Greek writer. Toup's edition included the original Greek text and a Latin translation. It also had his own notes and corrections. Another scholar, David Ruhnken, helped him with some notes.

Later Life

In 1774, when Toup was over 60 years old, he received more church appointments. He was given a special position at Exeter. He also became the vicar of St Merryn, the same area where he had gone to school as a boy. He held these positions, along with his rectory, until his death.

In his final years, Toup's health declined. His half-sister Ann and her daughters cared for him. He passed away on January 19, 1785, at the rectory in St Martin's. He was buried inside the church. A small marble tablet was placed in the church to remember him. It says that his amazing scholarship was "known to the learned throughout Europe."