Thomas Townson facts for kids

Thomas Townson (born 1715, died 1792) was an English churchman and writer. He held an important church position called the archdeacon of Richmond starting in 1781.

Life Story

Thomas Townson was born in 1715 in a place called Much Lees in Essex, England. His father, John Townson, was a rector, which is a type of church leader. Thomas was the oldest son in his family.

He first learned from Henry Nott, who was a vicar (another church leader). Later, he went to Felsted grammar school. In 1733, when he was 18, he started studying at Christ Church, Oxford, which is a famous university.

That same year, he became a "demy" at Magdalen College, Oxford. A demy was a student who received money to help with their studies. In 1737, he became a "probationary fellow," which meant he was on his way to becoming a full teacher or researcher at the college.

Thomas earned his first degree (B.A.) in 1736. He continued his studies and became a priest in the church in 1742. After traveling around Europe for a bit, he came back to Oxford to teach.

In 1746, he became the vicar of Hatfield Peverel in Essex. A vicar is like a pastor for a local church. In 1749, he was a "senior proctor" at the university. This was an important role in managing the university's rules and discipline.

Later in 1749, he left Hatfield and became the rector of Blithfield in Staffordshire. A rector is another type of church leader, often in charge of a parish. In 1752, he moved to Malpas, Cheshire, where he lived for the rest of his life.

In 1758, Thomas Townson received a large gift of money, about £8,000, from William Barcroft. This allowed him to focus more on writing and studying. He then left his role at Blithfield.

In 1781, he was given the title of Archdeacon of Richmond. This is a senior position in the church, helping to manage a large area. In 1783, he was offered a very important teaching job at Oxford University, called the "Regius Professorship of Divinity." However, he was getting older and decided to turn it down.

Thomas Townson passed away in Malpas on April 15, 1792.

His Writings

Thomas Townson wrote several books and essays, mostly about religious topics. Here are some of his important works:

• Doubts concerning the Authenticity of the last Publication of "The Confessional" (1767). He also wrote a Defence of these doubts in 1768. These books discussed whether a certain religious text was truly authentic.
• A Dialogue between Isaac Walton and Homologistes, concerning Bishop Sanderson (1768). This was a conversation-style book about a bishop named Sanderson.
• Discourses on the Four Gospels (1778). This book talked about the four main books in the Christian Bible that tell the story of Jesus. It was so popular that parts of it were translated into German.
• A Discourse on the Evangelical History, from the Interment to the Ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ (1793). This book was published after he died and focused on the events after Jesus's death.
• Babylon in the Revelation of St. John, as signifying the City of Rome (1797). This book explored the meaning of "Babylon" in a part of the Bible, suggesting it referred to the city of Rome.

Later, his complete works were collected and published in two volumes in 1810. Some of his writings that had not been published before were also printed in 1828, called Practical Discourses.