Thomas Wilson (lexicographer)

Last updated

Thomas Wilson (1563–1622) was an English Anglican priest, known as the compiler of an early biblical reference work.

Contents

Thomas Wilson Thomas Wilson Cross.jpg
Thomas Wilson

Life

Born in County Durham, Wilson matriculated at The Queen's College, Oxford on 17 November 1581, aged 18. He graduated B.A. on 7 February 1584, and was licensed M.A. on 7 July 1586. He was elected chaplain of the college, apparently before he was ordained, on 24 April 1585. [1]

In July 1586 Wilson was appointed rector of St. George the Martyr, Canterbury through the influence of Henry Robinson, to whom he had owed his college education. He remained at Canterbury for the rest of his life, preaching three or four sermons every week, and popular with Puritans, but complained of by others to Archbishop George Abbot for nonconformity. He was acting as chaplain to Thomas Wotton in 1611. [1]

Wilson died at Canterbury in January 1622, and was buried in his own churchyard, outside the chancel, on the 25th. A funeral sermon was preached by William Swift of St. Andrew's, Canterbury. He was married and left a large family. [1]

Works

Wilson's major work was his Christian Dictionarie (London, 1612), one of the earliest attempts made at a concordance of the Bible in English. It ran through many editions. The fourth was enlarged by John Bagwell (n.d., London); the fifth appeared in 1647; the sixth (1655) was further expanded by Andrew Symson. [1]

His Commentarie on the Epistle to the Romans, written in the form of a dialogue between Timotheus and Silas, took Wilson seven years to write. It was reprinted in 1627, and reached a third edition in 1653. In 1611 he published a volume containing Jacob's Ladder; or, a short Treatise laying forth the severall Degrees of Gods Eternall Purpose, A Dialogue about Jvstification by Faith, A Receit against Heresie, and two sermons. With other sermons, and works apparently lost, he wrote Saints by Calling; or, Called to be Saints, London, 1620. [1]

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Lee, Sidney, ed. (1900). "Wilson, Thomas (1563-1622)"  . Dictionary of National Biography . Vol. 62. London: Smith, Elder & Co.

Attribution

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richard Bancroft</span> British Archbishop of Canterbury (1544–1610)

Richard Bancroft was an English churchman, Archbishop of Canterbury from 1604 to 1610 and "chief overseer" of the King James Bible.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Whitgift</span> Archbishop of Canterbury from 1583 to 1604

John Whitgift was the Archbishop of Canterbury from 1583 to his death. Noted for his hospitality, he was somewhat ostentatious in his habits, sometimes visiting Canterbury and other towns attended by a retinue of 800 horses. Whitgift's theological views were often controversial.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ebenezer Erskine</span> Scottish minister

Ebenezer Erskine was a Scottish minister whose actions led to the establishment of the Secession Church.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Francis White (bishop)</span> English bishop and controversialist

Francis White was an English bishop and controversialist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matthew Hutton (archbishop of York)</span> English religious leader

Matthew Hutton (1529–1606) was archbishop of York from 1595 to 1606.

William Ince (1825–1910) was a British theologian. He was Regius Professor of Divinity at Oxford, from 1878.

John Harmar was an English classical scholar and Warden of Winchester College.

Richard Crakanthorpe (1567–1624) was an English Anglican priest, remembered both as a logician and as a religious controversialist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thomas Taylor (priest, 1576–1632)</span> English cleric

Thomas Taylor (1576–1632) was an English cleric. A Calvinist, he held strong anti-Catholic views, and his career in the church had a long hiatus. He also attacked separatists, and wrote copiously, with the help of sympathetic patrons. He created a group of like-minded followers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Josias Shute</span> English churchman

Josias Shute (1588–1643) was an English churchman, for many years rector of St Mary Woolnoth in London, archdeacon of Colchester, and elected a member of the Westminster Assembly.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Isaac Bargrave</span> English royalist churchman

Isaac Bargrave was an English royalist churchman, Dean of Canterbury from 1625 to 1643.

John Sandford or Sanford was an English clergyman and academic, known as a grammarian of the Romance languages. He was also a Neo-Latin poet, and a founder of the tradition of literary nonsense under the pseudonym Glareanus Vadianus, a mocker of Thomas Coryat.

William Goodwin was an English Anglican clergyman and academic, Dean of Christ Church, Oxford from 1611.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William Guild</span> Scottish minister, academic and writer

William Guild (1586–1657) was a Scottish minister, academic and theological writer.

Thomas Playfere was an English churchman and theologian, Lady Margaret's Professor of Divinity at Cambridge from 1596.

Richard Sheldon was a Church of England clergyman, a convert from Catholicism, known as a polemical writer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Nalton</span>

James Nalton (1600?–1662) was an English Presbyterian minister, known as "the weeping prophet".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thomas Jacomb</span> English ejected minister

Thomas Jacomb (1622–1687) was an English ejected minister.

Robert Jenison (1584?–1652) was an English Puritan cleric and academic.

The Venerable Aaron Wilson was an Anglican clergyman and divine.