David Thomas (1813 – 30 December 1894) was a Welsh preacher and publisher of ''The Homilist'', a magazine of liturgical thought. The son of William Thomas of Hopsill, also a preacher, Thomas was born near Tenby, Pembrokeshire and started life in a commercial career, in which he achieved a rapid success.Thomas Rowland Roberts, ''Eminent Welshmen'' (1908), p. 507-508. Thomas was already giving his Sundays to preaching, and was prevailed upon to give up his business prospects in order to devote himself wholly to the ministry. He entered Newport Pagnell College to prepare for the ministry, and afterwards became pastor at Chesham. In 1844, he moved to

Stockwell Stockwell is a district in south west London, part of the London Borough of Lambeth, England. It is situated south of Charing Cross. Battersea, Brixton, Clapham, South Lambeth, Oval and Kennington all border Stockwell. History The na ...

, London, where he ministered to a congregation reaching up to 900 people until his retirement in 1877. He began publication of ''The Homilist'' in 1852, and proceeded to publish over forty volumes. He also wrote ''The Crisis of Being—six lectures to Young Men on Religious Decision''; ''The Progress of Being''; ''The Genius of the Gospels''; ''A Commentary on the Gospel of St. Matthew''; ''The Practical Philosopher''; ''Problemata Mnndi'', and other works. His collected writings eventually filled nine volumes, republished between 1882 and 1889. Thomas was the originator of the

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, of which

Lord Brougham Henry Peter Brougham, 1st Baron Brougham and Vaux, (; 19 September 1778 – 7 May 1868) was a British statesman who became Lord High Chancellor and played a prominent role in passing the 1832 Reform Act and 1833 Slavery Abolition Act. ...

was first president; and of an insurance plan for the benefit of widows of ministers. His congregants included Catherine Mumford (whose wedding to William Booth was officiated by Thomas in 1855) and

Wilson Carlile Wilson Carlile, CH (1847–1942) was an English priest and evangelist who founded the Church Army and was a prebendary of St Paul's Cathedral, London. Known as "The Chief", Carlile inspired generations of evangelists. Early years Carlile was ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

's Waynesburg College awarded Thomas an Honorary Doctorate, recognizing his efforts to reconcile the churches of the United States and England. He died at his daughter's home in

Ramsgate Ramsgate is a seaside resort, seaside town in the district of Thanet District, Thanet in east Kent, England. It was one of the great English seaside towns of the 19th century. In 2001 it had a population of about 40,000. In 2011, according to t ...

on 30 December 1894 and was buried at West Norwood Cemetery.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Thomas, David 1813 births People from Tenby 1894 deaths People from Stockwell English Protestant ministers and clergy Burials at West Norwood Cemetery 19th-century English clergy