Thomas Eyre (divine) facts for kids
Thomas Eyre (born 1748, died 1810) was an important Catholic scholar. He studied at the English College in Douai, France. Later, he became the very first leader (president) of St. Cuthbert's College at Ushaw, a famous school in England.
Life of Thomas Eyre
Thomas Eyre was born in 1748 in a place called Glossop, England. He was the fourth son in his family. When he was about 10 years old, in 1758, he and his brothers went to a special school in France called Esquerchin. This school prepared students for the English College in Douai. Thomas started at Douai College in 1762. In 1775, he became a priest. After that, he stayed at the college. He worked as a general prefect (like a head student or supervisor) and taught subjects like rhetoric (the art of speaking and writing well) and poetry.
In 1775, Thomas Eyre returned to England. He was put in charge of the Catholic community in the Stella area, near Ryton, Durham. His work covered a large area from west of Newcastle to Hexham.
Around 1791, he started gathering information for a book about the history of the Church in England. However, his plans changed when English Catholic schools in Europe were closed down. This meant he had to take on more active duties.
About 1792, he was asked to lead the Catholic mission at Pontop Hall. This was an old house belonging to the Swinburne family, near Lanchester, Durham.
Leading the Students from Douai
In 1794, Bishop Gibson asked Mr. Eyre to help students who had been forced to leave Douai. These students were staying temporarily at Tudhoe with John Lingard. Lingard later became a famous historian, but at that time, he was not yet a priest.
Mr. Eyre moved Lingard and the students to Pontop Hall. Then, in October 1794, the school moved again to Crook Hall. At Crook Hall, Mr. Eyre became the president of this new college.
The original president of Douai College, Rev. John Daniel, arrived at Crook Hall the next year. He was expected to take over the leadership. However, this plan did not work out, and Mr. Eyre remained president. A few days later, Mr. Daniel resigned. The college grew and did very well under Mr. Eyre's leadership.
Moving to Ushaw College
In 1803, Bishop William Gibson bought a new piece of land called Ushaw. In early 1804, construction began on a new college there.
In July 1808, Mr. Eyre began moving his students and staff to the new Ushaw College. On August 2, he himself moved in. This completed the transfer of St. Cuthbert's College from Crook Hall to Ushaw.
Mr. Eyre passed away at Ushaw in 1810. He left a good amount of money to the college. This money was used to help pay for teachers and student scholarships. After Father Eyre's death, John Lingard, who had been the vice-president, took over running the college.
Works
Thomas Eyre published several works:
- The Instruction of Youth in Christian Piety: This was a two-volume book published in Newcastle in 1783. It was a translation of a French book by Charles Gobinet.
- He also edited a collection of John Goter's Spiritual Works. This was a 16-volume set published in Newcastle in 1790.
His own handwritten notes for a continuation of Dodd's 'Church History' are kept at Ushaw College. These notes fill two large books.
