Thomas Kitson Cromwell (1792–1870) was an English

dissenting Dissent is an opinion, philosophy or sentiment of non-agreement or opposition to a prevailing idea or policy enforced under the authority of a government, political party or other entity or individual. A dissenting person may be referred to as ...

minister and antiquary.

Life

Born on 14 December 1792, at an early age he entered the literary department of the publishers

Longmans Longman, also known as Pearson Longman, is a publishing company founded in London, England, in 1724 and is owned by Pearson PLC. Since 1968, Longman has been used primarily as an imprint by Pearson's Schools business. The Longman brand is also ...

. Brought up a member of the

Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britai ...

, of which his elder brother was a clergyman, Cromwell became about 1830 a Unitarian; and, being ordained, was from 1839 minister of

Newington Green Unitarian Church Newington Green Unitarian Church (NGUC) in north London is one of England's oldest Unitarian churches. It has had strong ties to political radicalism for over 300 years, and is London's oldest Nonconformist place of worship still in use. It wa ...

, where he officiated for twenty-five years. He also held during the greater part of his ministry the office of clerk to the local board of Clerkenwell, from which he retired with a pension. In 1864 he resigned the pulpit at Stoke Newington, and soon afterwards took charge of the old Presbyterian congregation at

Canterbury Canterbury (, ) is a cathedral city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, situated in the heart of the City of Canterbury local government district of Kent, England. It lies on the River Stour. The Archbishop of Canterbury is the primate of ...

, over which he presided till his death on 22 December 1870. He was buried on the 28th of that month in the little cemetery adjoining the chapel. During the last two years of his life he had acted as honorary secretary of the Birmingham Education League. By his wife, the daughter of Richard Carpenter, J.P. and D.L. for Middlesex, he had no issue.

Works

In 1816 he published a small volume of verse, ''The School-Boy, with other Poems'', which was four years later followed by privately printed copies of ''Honour; or, Arrivals from College: a Comedy''. The play had been produced at Drury Lane on 17 April 1819, and was twice repeated,. ''Oliver Cromwell and his Times'', London, 1821 (2nd ed. 1822) was criticised by

Thomas Carlyle Thomas Carlyle (4 December 17955 February 1881) was a Scottish essayist, historian and philosopher. A leading writer of the Victorian era, he exerted a profound influence on 19th-century art, literature and philosophy. Born in Ecclefechan, Dum ...

(''Cromwell's Letters and Speeches'', 2nd ed. ii. 161 note.) A second drama, ''The Druid: a Tragedy'', 1832, was never acted. In December 1838 Cromwell became a

Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries A fellow is a concept whose exact meaning depends on context. In learned or professional societies, it refers to a privileged member who is specially elected in recognition of their work and achievements. Within the context of higher education ...

, and a few years before his death accepted a Ph.D. from the

University of Erlangen A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, th ...

. Besides contributions to the ''

Gentleman's Magazine ''The Gentleman's Magazine'' was a monthly magazine founded in London, England, by Edward Cave in January 1731. It ran uninterrupted for almost 200 years, until 1922. It was the first to use the term '' magazine'' (from the French ''magazine' ...

'', ''

Chambers's Journal ''Chambers's Edinburgh Journal'' was a weekly 16-page magazine started by William Chambers in 1832. The first edition was dated 4 February 1832, and priced at one penny. Topics included history, religion, language, and science. William was so ...

'', and other periodicals, he supplied the letterpress for

James Sargant Storer James Sargant Storer (1771–1853) was an English draughtsman and engraver. Life Storer was born in 1771, and devoted himself to the production of works on topography and ancient architecture, the plates in which he drew and engraved himself on a ...

's ''Cathedral Churches of Great Britain'', 1814–19, and also for ''Excursions through England and Wales, Scotland, and Ireland'', a series published in numbers, London, from 1818. His other works are: * ''Excursions in the County of Essex'', 2 vols. London, 1818 & 1819. * ''Excursions in the County of Norfolk'', 2 vols. London, 1818 & 1819. * ''Excursions in the County of Suffolk'', 2 vols. London, 1818 & 1819, illustrated by Thomas Higham. * ''Excursions on the County of Sussex'', London, 1822. * ''History and Description of the ancient Town and Borough of Colchester'', 2 vols. London, 1825. * ''History and Description of the parish of Clerkenwell'', London, 1828. * ''Walks through Islington'', London, 1835. * ''The Soul and the Future Life'', London, 1859, on the materialist theories of

Joseph Priestley Joseph Priestley (; 24 March 1733 – 6 February 1804) was an English chemist, natural philosopher, separatist theologian, grammarian, multi-subject educator, and liberal political theorist. He published over 150 works, and conducted exp ...

. He is also thought to be the author of: * ''The Lives of Eminent and Remarkable Characters, born or long resident, in the counties of Essex, Suffolk & Norfolk'', London, 1820.

References

;Attribution {{DEFAULTSORT:Cromwell, Thomas 1792 births 1870 deaths 19th-century English writers Antiquarians from London English Unitarian ministers People from Canterbury People from Clerkenwell