Thomas Harrison (minister) facts for kids

Thomas Harrison (born March 1, 1619 – died August 1682) was an English minister who didn't follow the official rules of the Church of England. He was known for his powerful speeches and prayers.

Life Story

Thomas Harrison was born in Kingston upon Hull, England. His father, Robert Harrison, was a merchant. Thomas went to Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge, when he was about 16 years old and finished his studies in 1638.

Around 1640, Harrison traveled to New England (which is now part of the United States). There, he trained to become a minister. He later became a chaplain, which is like a minister, for Sir William Berkeley, who was the Governor of Virginia. Governor Berkeley wasn't a fan of the Puritans, a group of strict Protestants.

Harrison helped the governor remove some ministers from Virginia who had very strong beliefs. After these ministers left, there was a big uprising among the Native American tribes. Many people, including Harrison, believed this was a sign from God because of how the ministers had been treated.

Because of this, Harrison changed his mind about some things, and he was dismissed from his job. He then moved back to New England to be closer to his brothers. There, he married Dorothy Symonds. Later, he moved to London and became a famous preacher. Around 1650, he took over from Dr. Thomas Goodwin at his church in St Dunstan-in-the-East. He stayed there for a few years before moving to Bromborough Hall in Cheshire. By 1655, his wife had passed away.

In 1657, he went to Ireland with Henry Cromwell, who was the leader there. Harrison lived with Cromwell's family and preached at Christ Church in Dublin. In 1659, he married Katherine Bradshaw. When the king returned to power in England (this was called The Restoration), Harrison left Ireland. He settled in Chester, England, and preached to many people in the cathedral. However, a new law called the Act of Uniformity 1662 stopped him from preaching there. This law made it difficult for ministers who didn't follow the official church rules.

After this law was passed, he went back to Dublin. There, he started a successful church for people with similar beliefs, known as Congregationalists. It's thought that he had a son named Isaiah in 1666. Isaiah later became an important ancestor of the Harrison family of Virginia in the Shenandoah Valley.

Thomas Harrison was very good at speaking and praying, and many people knew him for it. A historian named Calamy said that Harrison was "a complete gentleman" and people loved talking to him. When he died in Dublin, many people were sad. He left behind a valuable library, which included many handwritten books. One of these was a large book he wrote himself called System of Divinity.

His Books

Thomas Harrison wrote several books, including:

• Topica Sacra: Spiritual Logick (1658): This book was about how to think about faith, prayer, and being holy. He dedicated it to Henry Cromwell. It became very popular, especially among poorer people in Scotland. Later, a second part was added by another minister, and the first part was re-published in 1838 with a new title, Spiritual Pleadings and Expostulations with God in Prayer.
• Old Jacob's Account Cast up (1654): This was a sermon he gave at a funeral for Lady Susannah Reynolds.
• Threni Hibernici, or Ireland sympathising with England and Scotland in a sad Lamentation for the Loss of their Josiah (1659): This was a sermon he preached in Dublin when Oliver Cromwell died. He dedicated it to Oliver's son, Richard Cromwell.
• An Epistle to the Reader (1672): This was a letter he wrote that appeared in another book called Lemmata Meditationum.