Edward Nares (26 March 1762 – 23 July 1841) was an English historian and theologian, and general writer.

Life

He was educated at

Westminster School (God Gives the Increase) , established = Earliest records date from the 14th century, refounded in 1560 , type = Public school Independent day and boarding school , religion = Church of England , head_label = Hea ...

and

Christ Church, Oxford Christ Church ( la, Ædes Christi, the temple or house, '' ædēs'', of Christ, and thus sometimes known as "The House") is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. Founded in 1546 by King Henry VIII, the college is uniqu ...

. He was Fellow of

Merton College, Oxford Merton College (in full: The House or College of Scholars of Merton in the University of Oxford) is one of the Colleges of Oxford University, constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Its foundation can be traced back to the ...

and in 1813, he became Regius Professor of Modern History. He was curate of St Peter-in-the-East,

Oxford Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...

, and then rector of

Biddenden Biddenden is a large, mostly agricultural and wooded village and civil parish in the borough of Ashford in Kent, England. The village lies on the Weald of Kent, some north of Tenterden. It was a centre for the Wealden iron industry and also of ...

from 1798, of New Church, Romney from 1827. He was

Bampton Lecturer The Bampton Lectures at the University of Oxford, England, were founded by a bequest of John Bampton. They have taken place since 1780. They were a series of annual lectures; since the turn of the 20th century they have typically been biennial ...

in 1805. Orthodox on the Biblical account, he was speculative on the issue of the plurality of worlds; he wrote an 1803 pamphlet on the topic. He wrote for the ''Anti-Jacobin''. His novel ''Think's-I-to-Myself. A serio-ludicro, tragico-comico tale, written by Think's-I-to-Myself Who?'' (1811) caused a stir when it appeared and ran into eight editions by 1812.

Family

His father was Sir

George Nares Vice-Admiral Sir George Strong Nares (24 April 1831 – 15 January 1915) was a Royal Navy officer and Arctic explorer. He commanded the ''Challenger'' Expedition, and the British Arctic Expedition. He was highly thought of as a leader an ...

. He married Lady Charlotte Spencer, daughter of

George Spencer, 4th Duke of Marlborough George Spencer, 4th Duke of Marlborough, (26 January 1739 – 29 January 1817), styled Marquess of Blandford until 1758, was a British courtier, nobleman, and politician from the Spencer family. He served as Lord Chamberlain between 1762 a ...

(an elopement).

Works

*''Sermons Composed for Country Congregations'' (1803) *''View of the Evidences of Christianity at the End of the Pretended Age of Reason'' (1805

Bampton Lectures The Bampton Lectures at the University of Oxford, England, were founded by a bequest of John Bampton. They have taken place since 1780. They were a series of annual lectures; since the turn of the 20th century they have typically been biennial ...

) *''Thinks I to Myself'' (1811) *''I Says, Says I; A Novel By Thinks-I-To-Myself'' (1812) *''Heraldic Anomalies ; or, rank confusion in our orders of precedence. With disquisitions, moral, philosophical, and historical, on all the existing orders of society. By it matters not Who'' (1823) *''Elements of General History Ancient and Modern'' (1825) *''Memoirs of the Life and Administration of the Right Honourable

William Cecil, Lord Burghley William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley (13 September 15204 August 1598) was an English statesman, the chief adviser of Queen Elizabeth I for most of her reign, twice Secretary of State (1550–1553 and 1558–1572) and Lord High Treasurer from 1 ...

'' (1828) three volumes *''Man, as known to us theologically and geologically'' (1834) *''The History of the Reformation of the Church of England'' by

Gilbert Burnet Gilbert Burnet (18 September 1643 – 17 March 1715) was a Scottish philosopher and historian, and Bishop of Salisbury. He was fluent in Dutch, French, Latin, Greek, and Hebrew. Burnet was highly respected as a cleric, a preacher, an academic, ...

, 1849 revision

References

*White, George Cecil ''A Versatile Professor: Reminiscences of the Rev. Edward Nares'' (1903) *Barber, Madeline J. ''A Man of Many Parts. Professor or Bishop? The Life of Edward Nares 1762-1841'' (2009)

Notes

External links

Biography on Nares Genealogy Page

Text of ''Thinks-I-to-Myself'' on GoogleBooks
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nares, Edward 1762 births 1841 deaths British theologians British historians 19th-century British novelists People educated at Westminster School, London Alumni of Christ Church, Oxford Fellows of Merton College, Oxford 18th-century English Anglican priests 19th-century English Anglican priests Regius Professors of History (University of Oxford) People from Biddenden British male novelists 19th-century male writers