![Memorial to Archbishop William Thomson in York Minster](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9e/Memorial_to_Archbishop_William_Thomson_in_York_Minster.jpg)
William Thomson, (11 February 1819 – 25 December 1890) was an English church leader,
Archbishop of York
The archbishop of York is a senior bishop in the Church of England, second only to the archbishop of Canterbury. The archbishop is the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of York and the metropolitan bishop of the province of York, which covers th ...
from 1862 until his death.
Biography
Early life
He was born the eldest son of John Thompson
icof Kelswick House, near
Whitehaven
Whitehaven is a town and port on the English north west coast and near to the Lake District National Park in Cumbria, England. Historically in Cumberland, it lies by road south-west of Carlisle and to the north of Barrow-in-Furness. It is th ...
,
Cumberland
Cumberland ( ) is a historic county in the far North West England. It covers part of the Lake District as well as the north Pennines and Solway Firth coast. Cumberland had an administrative function from the 12th century until 1974. From 19 ...
, and educated at
Shrewsbury School
Shrewsbury School is a public school (English independent boarding school for pupils aged 13 –18) in Shrewsbury.
Founded in 1552 by Edward VI by Royal Charter, it was originally a boarding school for boys; girls have been admitted into the ...
and at
The Queen's College, Oxford
The Queen's College is a Colleges of the University of Oxford, constituent college of the University of Oxford, England. The college was founded in 1341 by Robert de Eglesfield in honour of Philippa of Hainault. It is distinguished by its pred ...
, of which he became a scholar. He took his B.A. degree in 1840, and was soon afterwards made fellow of his college. He was ordained in 1842, and worked as a curate at Cuddesdon. In 1847 he was made tutor of his college, and in 1853 he delivered the
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 ...
, his subject being ''The Atoning Work of Christ viewed in Relation to some Ancient Theories''. These thoughtful and learned lectures established his reputation and did much to clear the ground for subsequent discussions on the subject.
Career
Thomson's activity was not confined to
theology
Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the ...
. He was made fellow of the
Royal Society
The Royal Society, formally The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, is a learned society and the United Kingdom's national academy of sciences. The society fulfils a number of roles: promoting science and its benefits, re ...
and the
Royal Geographical Society
The Royal Geographical Society (with the Institute of British Geographers), often shortened to RGS, is a learned society and professional body for geography based in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1830 for the advancement of geographical scien ...
. He also wrote a very popular ''Outline of the Laws of Thought'' (1842). He sided with the party at Oxford which favoured university reform, but this did not prevent him from being appointed provost of his college in 1855. In 1858 he was made preacher at
Lincoln's Inn
The Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn is one of the four Inns of Court in London to which barristers of England and Wales belong and where they are called to the Bar. (The other three are Middle Temple, Inner Temple and Gray's Inn.) Lincoln ...
and a volume of his sermons was published in 1861. In the same year he edited ''Aids to Faith'', a volume written in opposition to ''Essays and Reviews'', the progressive sentiments of which had stirred up controversy in 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 Britain ...
.
In December 1861 he became
Bishop of Gloucester and Bristol
The Bishop of Gloucester is the ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Gloucester in the Province of Canterbury.
The diocese covers the County of Gloucestershire and part of the County of Worcestershire. The see's centre of governan ...
, and within a year he was elevated to
Archbishop of York
The archbishop of York is a senior bishop in the Church of England, second only to the archbishop of Canterbury. The archbishop is the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of York and the metropolitan bishop of the province of York, which covers th ...
. In this position his moderate orthodoxy led him to join Archbishop
Archibald Campbell Tait
Archibald Campbell Tait (21 December 18113 December 1882) was an Archbishop of Canterbury in the Church of England and theologian. He was the first Scottish Archbishop of Canterbury and thus, head of the Church of England.
Life
Tait was bor ...
in supporting the
Public Worship Regulation Act
The Public Worship Regulation Act 1874 (37 & 38 Vict c 85) was an Act of Parliament of the United Kingdom, introduced as a Private Member's Bill by Archbishop of Canterbury Archibald Campbell Tait, to limit what he perceived as the growing ritual ...
, and, as president of the northern convocation, he came frequently into sharp collision with the lower house of that body. But if he thus incurred the hostility of the High Church party among the clergy, he was admired by the laity for his strong sense, his clear and forcible reasoning, and his wide knowledge, and he remained to the last a power in the north of England. In his later years he published an address read before the members of the
Royal Society of Edinburgh
The Royal Society of Edinburgh is Scotland's national academy of science and letters. It is a registered charity that operates on a wholly independent and non-partisan basis and provides public benefit throughout Scotland. It was established i ...
(1868), one on ''Design in Nature'', for the Christian Evidence Society, which reached a fifth edition, various charges and pastoral addresses, and he was one of the projectors of the ''
Speaker's Commentary
Frederic Charles Cook (1 December 1804– 22 June 1889) was an English churchman, known as a linguist and the editor of the ''Speaker's Commentary'' on the Bible.
Life
Born at Millbrook, Hampshire, and later moved to Berkshire, he was admitted a ...
'', for which he wrote the "Introduction to the
Synoptic Gospels
The gospels of Gospel of Matthew, Matthew, Gospel of Mark, Mark, and Gospel of Luke, Luke are referred to as the synoptic Gospels because they include many of the same stories, often in a similar sequence and in similar or sometimes identical ...
."
See the ''Quarterly Review'' (April 1892).
Family
His parents were John Thompson (sic, 1791–1878) and Isabella Thompson (–1847)
On 24 July 1855 in Oxford, Thomson married Zoë Skene daughter of
James Henry Skene
James Henry Skene (3 May 1812 – 3 October 1886) was an author, traveller and British Consul at Aleppo from March 1855 to 1880.
He was born at Inverie, Scotland, the third son of James Skene of Rubislaw, near Aberdeen. His brothers included the w ...
(1812–), British Consul at Aleppo.
They had the following children:
*Ethel Zoë Thomson (1856–), who later edited Thomson's ''Life and Letters''.
*Wilfred Forbes Home Thomson (1858–1939)
*
Jocelyn Home Thomson
Jocelyn is a surname and first name. It is a unisex (male/female) name. Variants include Jocelin, Jocelyne, Jocelynn, Jocelynne, Joscelin, Josceline, Joscelyn, Joscelynn, Joscelynne, Joseline, Joselyn, Joselyne, Joslin, Joslyn, Josselin, Josselyn, ...
(1859–1908)
*
Sir Basil Home Thomson,
KCB (21 April 1861 – 26 March 1939), a British
intelligence officer
An intelligence officer is a person employed by an organization to collect, compile or analyze information (known as intelligence) which is of use to that organization. The word of ''officer'' is a working title, not a rank, used in the same way a ...
, police officer, prison governor, colonial administrator, and writer
* Zoë Jane Thomson (1862–)
* Beatrice Mary Thomson (1864–)
*
Alexandra Thomson
Alexandra Thomson Studholme (24 May 1867 – 15 October 1907) was a British composer who published her music under the name Alexandra Thomson (also seen as Thompson). She is best remembered today for her work for chorus and orchestra, '' Battle of ...
(1867–1907). Married Col. John Studholme (10 February 1863 – 26 May 1934)
*Madeline Ita Mary Thomson (1880–)
*
Bernard Henry Home Thomson (1874–1924), his granddaughter is the author
Rose Tremain
Dame Rose Tremain (born 2 August 1943) is an English novelist, short story writer, and former Chancellor of the University of East Anglia.
Life
Rose Tremain was born Rosemary Jane Thomson on 2 August 1943 in London to Viola Mabel Thomson and ...
, and his great grandchildren are Rachael Daniel, Tamsin Daniel, Cléon Daniel, and Sebastian Daniel.
Notes
References
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*
Attribution
*
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Thomson, William
1819 births
1890 deaths
Archbishops of York
People from Whitehaven
People educated at Shrewsbury School
Bishops of Gloucester and Bristol
Fellows of the Royal Society
Fellows of the Royal Geographical Society
19th-century Anglican archbishops
Alumni of The Queen's College, Oxford
Fellows of The Queen's College, Oxford
Provosts of The Queen's College, Oxford
Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom
19th-century Anglican theologians