Thomas Nicholas (17 February 1816 The 1894

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gives his birth year as 1820. The DWB gives it as 1816. It is more recent and is more precise, and therefore seems more likely to be right. - 14 May 1879) was a Welsh antiquary and educator.

Biography

Nicholas was born in a small thatched house near Trefgarn chapel, not far from

Solva Solva ( cy, Solfach) is a village, community and electoral ward in Pembrokeshire, Wales. The village comprises principally Lower Solva and Upper Solva. The community also includes Middle Mill and Whitchurch. Location Solva lies on the north ...

, Pembrokeshire. He was educated at Lancashire College, Manchester, and at

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in Germany, where he took the degree of PhD. He became a

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minister, and served at

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, Gloucestershire and at Eignbrook, Herefordshire. In 1856, he was appointed professor of biblical literature and mental and moral science at the Presbyterian College at Carmarthen. In 1863 he settled in London, resigning his professorship, and thenceforth, with the aid of Sir Hugh Owen,

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, Archdeacon Griffiths, Rev. David Thomas (editor of the ''Homilist''), and others, he promoted a scheme for the furtherance of higher education in Wales on non-sectarian principles, and became the secretary of the movement. He subsequently disagreed with others of the promoters, and had resigned from the committee before the scheme came to fruition. As a result of these efforts, the

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was founded in 1872, when a building at

Aberystwyth Aberystwyth () is a university and seaside town as well as a community in Ceredigion, Wales. Located in the historic county of Cardiganshire, means "the mouth of the Ystwyth". Aberystwyth University has been a major educational location in ...

was purchased. Nicholas is said to have secured promises of subscriptions amounting to £14,000. He was one of the governors and drew out a scheme of education. He had made a special study of the educational institutions of France and Germany. He died unmarried at 156

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, London, on 14 May 1879.

Writings

Besides pamphlets and other publications, Nicholas was the author of: * ''Middle and High Class Schools, and University Education for Wales'', 1863, a work which exerted great influence on educated Welshmen. * ''Pedigree of the English People'', 1868; 5th edit. 1878. * ''Annals and Antiquities of the Counties and County Families of Wales'', 1872, in 2 vols. * ''History and Antiquities of the County of Glamorgan and its Families'', 1874. * He edited, with notes and a biographical sketch, Mathias Maurice's ''Social Religion Exemplify'd'', 1860, 8vo. * In late 1878, he revised the English edition of

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's ''London'' as it passed through the press. * He projected a ''History of Wales'', which he did not live to complete.

Notes

References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Nicholas, Thomas 1816 births 1879 deaths People from Pembrokeshire Welsh antiquarians Welsh scholars and academics