Thomas Greaves (1612–1676) was an English orientalist, a contributor to the ''

London Polyglot A polyglot is a book that contains side-by-side versions of the same text in several different languages. Some editions of the Bible or its parts are polyglots, in which the Hebrew and Greek originals are exhibited along with historical translat ...

'' of Brian Walton.

Life

He was a son of the Rev. John Greaves of

Colemore Colemore is a hamlet and former village in the Hampshire Downs about northwest of Petersfield. It was united with Priors Dean to form the civil parish of Colemore and Priors Dean in 1932. Colemore is a largely abandoned village. There were ho ...

Hampshire Hampshire (, ; abbreviated to Hants) is a ceremonial county, ceremonial and non-metropolitan county, non-metropolitan counties of England, county in western South East England on the coast of the English Channel. Home to two major English citi ...

, and brother of

John Greaves John Greaves (1602 – 8 October 1652) was an English mathematician, astronomer and antiquarian. Educated at Balliol College, Oxford, he was elected a Fellow of Merton College in 1624. He studied Persian and Arabic, acquired a number of old boo ...

Nicholas Greaves Nicholas Greaves, D.D. (1605?–1673) was an English churchman who was Dean of Dromore, County Down, Dromore cathedral, County Down.Atkinson, E.D., Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland, R.S.A.I. (1911)''Dromore An Ulster Diocese'' p. 62. G ...

and of Sir Edward Greaves. He was educated at

Charterhouse School (God having given, I gave) , established = , closed = , type = Public school Independent day and boarding school , religion = Church of England , president ...

, and was admitted scholar of

Corpus Christi College, Oxford Corpus Christi College (formally, Corpus Christi College in the University of Oxford; informally abbreviated as Corpus or CCC) is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1517, it is the 12th ...

, 1627, becoming fellow in 1636, and deputy-reader of Arabic 1637. He stood in for Edward Pocock who was out of the country from 1637 to 1640. He proceeded B.D. in 1641, and was appointed rector of

Dunsby Dunsby is a small village and civil parish in the South Kesteven district of in Lincolnshire, England. It is north from Bourne, just east off the A15, and on the western edge of the Lincolnshire Fens. In 2001 it had a population of 141, reducin ...

, near

Sleaford Sleaford is a market town and Civil parishes in England, civil parish in the North Kesteven district of Lincolnshire, England. Centred on the former parish of New Sleaford, the modern boundaries and urban area include Quarrington, Lincolnshire, ...

, in

Lincolnshire Lincolnshire (abbreviated Lincs.) is a county in the East Midlands of England, with a long coastline on the North Sea to the east. It borders Norfolk to the south-east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south-west, Leicestershire ...

. He also held another living near London. He made a deposition in 1648 on behalf of his brother, John Greaves, who was ejected from his professorship at

Merton College Merton College (in full: The House or College of Scholars of Merton in the University of Oxford) is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Its foundation can be traced back to the 1260s when Walter de Merton, ch ...

. He proceeded D.D. in 1661. He was Professor of Sacred Theology (S.T.P., 'Sanctae Theologiae Professor') by the time he was admitted to a

prebend A prebendary is a member of the Roman Catholic or Anglican clergy, a form of canon with a role in the administration of a cathedral or collegiate church. When attending services, prebendaries sit in particular seats, usually at the back of the ...

Peterborough Cathedral Peterborough Cathedral, properly the Cathedral Church of St Peter, St Paul and St Andrew – also known as Saint Peter's Cathedral in the United Kingdom – is the seat of the Church of England, Anglican Bishop of Peterborough, dedicated to Sain ...

23 October 1666,Le Neve, John. (1716)
''Fasti Ecclesiæ Anglicanæ''
London: J. Nutt, p. 244 being then rector of

Benefield Benefield is a civil parish in North Northamptonshire, England, along the A427 road and about east of Corby and west of Oundle. History The villages name means 'open land of Bera's people'. The name has evolved from Benefield (11th century); ...

Northamptonshire Northamptonshire (; abbreviated Northants.) is a county in the East Midlands of England. In 2015, it had a population of 723,000. The county is administered by two unitary authorities: North Northamptonshire and West Northamptonshire. It is ...

. He was obliged to resign this rectory some years before his death on account of an impediment in his speech. The rest of his life was spent at

Weldon, Northamptonshire Weldon is a suburban village and civil parish on the eastern outskirts of Corby, Northamptonshire, England. It is two miles away from Corby. The village is listed in the Domesday Book as 'Weledene', in the Colby Hundred. The head of the manor ...

, where he had purchased an estate, and dying there in 1676, he was buried in the chancel of Weldon Church.

Works

His works are: *''De linguae Arabicae utilitate et praestantia'' (oration held July 19, 1637, but published in 1639). *''Observationes quaedam in Persicam Pentateuchi versionem'' and ''Annotationes quaedam in Persicam Interpretationem Evangeliorum'', both printed in vol. vi. of the ''Polyglot Bible'', 1647. He was probably also the author of ''A Sermon at Rotterdam'', 1763, and ''A brief Summary of Christian Religion''. He contemplated a ''Treatise against Mahometanism'', as appears from a letter to his friend

Richard Baxter Richard Baxter (12 November 1615 – 8 December 1691) was an English Puritan church leader, poet, hymnodist, theologian, and controversialist. Dean Stanley called him "the chief of English Protestant Schoolmen". After some false starts, he ...

Notes

References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Greaves, Thomas 1612 births 1676 deaths People educated at Charterhouse School 17th-century English Anglican priests Fellows of Corpus Christi College, Oxford English orientalists People from East Hampshire District People from North Northamptonshire