Thomas Scott (1705–1775) was an English

nonconformist Nonconformity or nonconformism may refer to: Culture and society * Insubordination, the act of willfully disobeying an order of one's superior *Dissent, a sentiment or philosophy of non-agreement or opposition to a prevailing idea or entity ** ...

minister, known as a writer of

hymn A hymn is a type of song, and partially synonymous with devotional song, specifically written for the purpose of adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification. The word ''hymn'' ...

Life

He was a younger son of Thomas Scott, an Independent minister at

Hitchin Hitchin () is a market town and unparished area in the North Hertfordshire Districts of England, district in Hertfordshire, England, with an estimated population of 35,842. History Hitchin is first noted as the central place of the Hicce peopl ...

Hertfordshire Hertfordshire ( or ; often abbreviated Herts) is one of the home counties in southern England. It borders Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire to the north, Essex to the east, Greater London to the south, and Buckinghamshire to the west. For govern ...

, where he was born, and later of

Norwich Norwich () is a cathedral city and district of Norfolk, England, of which it is the county town. Norwich is by the River Wensum, about north-east of London, north of Ipswich and east of Peterborough. As the seat of the See of Norwich, with ...

; he was the brother of

Joseph Nicol Scott Joseph Nicol Scott M.D. (1703?–1769) was an English physician, dissenting minister and writer. Life He was the eldest son of Thomas Scott, an Independent minister at Hitchin and then Norwich, the half-brother of Daniel Scott, and was born abo ...

and Elizabeth Scott, and nephew of Dr. Daniel Scott. He was probably educated by his father, and while still young took charge of a small boarding-school at

Wortwell Wortwell is a village and civil parish in the England, English county of Norfolk and adjoining the county of Suffolk. It is located on both the River Waveney (which forms the county boundary) and the A143 road, some 20 km east of Diss, Norf ...

, in the parish of Redenhall,

Norfolk Norfolk () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in East Anglia in England. It borders Lincolnshire to the north-west, Cambridgeshire to the west and south-west, and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the No ...

. While there he once a month preached to the Independent congregation at

Harleston Harleston may refer to: Places * Harleston, Devon *Harleston, Norfolk *Harleston, Suffolk People with the surname *Bernard W. Harleston (born 1930), American college administrator * Edward Harleston (1794–1826), American planter and politician ...

in the same parish. In 1733 Scott became minister of the dissenting congregation at

Lowestoft Lowestoft ( ) is a coastal town and civil parish in the East Suffolk district of Suffolk, England.OS Explorer Map OL40: The Broads: (1:25 000) : . As the most easterly UK settlement, it is north-east of London, north-east of Ipswich and sou ...

Suffolk Suffolk () is a ceremonial county of England in East Anglia. It borders Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south; the North Sea lies to the east. The county town is Ipswich; other important towns include Lowes ...

. While perhaps retaining this office till 1738, in 1734 he succeeded

Samuel Say Samuel Say (1676–1743) was an English dissenting minister. Life The second son of Gyles Say, an ejected minister, by his second wife, he was born in All Saints' parish, Southampton, on 23 March 1676. He was educated at schools in Southwick, Hamp ...

as colleague to Samuel Baxter at St. Nicholas Street Chapel,

Ipswich Ipswich () is a port town and borough in Suffolk, England, of which it is the county town. The town is located in East Anglia about away from the mouth of the River Orwell and the North Sea. Ipswich is both on the Great Eastern Main Line r ...

. On Baxter's death on 13 July 1740 he became sole pastor, and remained so till 1761, when Peter Emans became his colleague, followed by Robert Lewin (1762–1770), and

William Wood William Wood may refer to: Politicians * William Wood (MP for Berkshire), Member of Parliament (MP) for Berkshire, 1395 * William Wood (15th century MP), MP for Winchester, 1413 * William Wood, 1st Baron Hatherley (1801–1881), British statesma ...

(1770–1773). Except during the three years of Wood's ministry, the congregation languished. On 26 April 1774, but in broken health, Scott was elected minister by the trustees of an endowed chapel at

Hapton, Norfolk Hapton is a village and former civil parish, now in the parish of Tharston and Hapton, in the South Norfolk district, in the county of Norfolk, England, located about nine miles south of Norwich. In 1931 the parish had a population of 159. On 1 A ...

. He died at Hapton in 1775, and was buried in the parish churchyard. He was married and left children.

Works

Some of Scott's hymns (e.g. ''Absurd and vain attempt'', ''Imposture shrinks from light'') are odes to independence of thought; but ''Hasten, sinner, to be wise'' and ''Happy the meek'' are in different veins. Eleven of his hymns were first contributed to ''Hymns for Public Worship'', Warrington, 1772, edited by

William Enfield William Enfield (29 March 1741 – 3 November 1797) was a British Unitarian minister who published a bestselling book on elocution entitled ''The Speaker'' (1774). Life Enfield was born in Sudbury, Suffolk to William and Ann Enfield. In 1758, h ...

Most of his hymns are contained in his ''Lyric Poems'' (1773); others are in the ''Collection'' of 1795 by

Andrew Kippis Andrew Kippis (28 March 17258 October 1795) was an English nonconformist clergyman and biographer. Life The son of Robert Kippis, a silk-hosier, he was born at Nottingham. Having gone to Carre's Grammar School in Sleaford, Lincolnshire he pass ...

Abraham Rees Abraham Rees (1743 – 9 June 1825) was a Welsh nonconformist minister, and compiler of ''Rees's Cyclopædia'' (in 45 volumes). Life He was the second son of Esther, daughter of Abraham Penry, and her husband Lewis Rees, and was born in L ...

, and others. Scott published four single sermons (1740–59), including a funeral sermon for Samuel Baxter; other works were: * ''A Father's Instructions to his Son'', 1748, (verse). * ''The Table of Cebes … in English verse, with Notes'', 1754. * ''The Anglers'', 1758, verse dialogues on fishing. It was later plagiarised by

Thomas Pike Lathy Thomas may refer to: People * List of people with given name Thomas * Thomas (name) * Thomas (surname) * Saint Thomas (disambiguation) * Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274) Italian Dominican friar, philosopher, and Doctor of the Church * Thomas the Ap ...

. * ''The Book of Job, in English verse … from the original … with Remarks'', 1771; 2nd edit. 1773. * ''Lyric Poems, Devotional and Moral'', 1773.

References

External links

Thomas Scott
at th
Eighteenth-Century Poetry Archive (ECPA)
;Attribution {{DEFAULTSORT:Scott, Thomas 1705 births 1775 deaths English Dissenters English hymnwriters People from Hitchin Clergy from Ipswich