Thomas Adam
Encyclopedia
Thomas Adam was a Church of England
clergyman and religious writer.
, West Yorkshire
on 25 February 1701. His father was a solicitor
and town clerk of the Leeds Corporation
; his mother Elizabeth, daughter of Jasper Blythman—locally distinguished and allied to an ancient and noble house. They had six children, of whom Thomas was the third.
He received his first education at Leeds Grammar School
, then under an eminent master, Thomas Barnard; later he was transferred to Queen Elizabeth Grammar School, Wakefield
. Then he proceeded to the university of Cambridge
, entering Christ's College
. He was speedily removed to Hart Hall (now Hertford College
), Oxford, by the influence of its founder, Dr. Newton. He took the degree of B.A., but took no further degree on account of certain scruples imbibed from his friend Dr. Newton's book on ‘Pluralities.’ In 1724 he was presented, through the interest of an uncle, to the living of Wintringham
, Lincolnshire
. Being then under age ecclesiastically, it was ‘held’ for a year for him. Here he remained over the long term of fifty-eight years, never wishing to change and repeatedly resisting pressure put upon him to look higher. His income rarely exceeded £200 per annum. He married Susan, daughter of the neighbouring vicar of Roxby
. She died in 1760. They had one daughter only, who died young. He died on 31 March 1784, in his 84th year.
He is of the historical ‘Evangelical’ school, but his works are, with one exception, very common-place examples of the productions of his school. He published Practical Lectures on the Church Catechism’ which ran to nine or ten editions; Evangelical Sermons; also Paraphrase and Annotations on the First Eleven Chapters of St. Paul's Epistle to the Romans. His Posthumous Works (1786) and Paraphrase and Annotations on the Four Gospels (1837), were printed and reprinted. The work by which his memory is preserved is a selection from the Posthumous Works, entitled ‘Private Thoughts on Religion.’ These entries from his private diary, which were meant for no eyes but his own, bring before us - according to the Dictionary of National Biography
- a man of no common power of analytic and speculative thought. With an intrepidity and integrity of self-scrutiny perhaps unexampled, he writes down problems started, and questionings raised, and conflicts gone through; whilst his ordinarily flaccid style grows pungent and strong. Ever since their publication these ‘Private Thoughts’ have exercised a strange fascination over intellects at opposite poles. Coleridge's
copy of the little volume (1795)—fortunately preserved in the British Library
—remains to attest, by its abounding markings, the spell it laid upon him, while such men as Bishop Heber
, Dr. Thomas Chalmers
, and John Stuart Mill
, and others, have paid tribute to the searching power of the ‘thoughts.’ These ‘Private Thoughts’ are well known in the United States, and have been translated into Welsh, Gaelic, and several European and Eastern languages.
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
clergyman and religious writer.
Biography
Adam was born at LeedsLeeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
, West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire is a metropolitan county within the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England with a population of 2.2 million. West Yorkshire came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972....
on 25 February 1701. His father was a solicitor
Solicitor
Solicitors are lawyers who traditionally deal with any legal matter including conducting proceedings in courts. In the United Kingdom, a few Australian states and the Republic of Ireland, the legal profession is split between solicitors and barristers , and a lawyer will usually only hold one title...
and town clerk of the Leeds Corporation
County Borough of Leeds
The County Borough of Leeds, and its predecessor, the Municipal Borough of Leeds, was a local government district in the West Riding of Yorkshire, England, from 1835 to 1974. Its origin was the ancient borough of Leeds, which was reformed by the Municipal Corporations Act 1835...
; his mother Elizabeth, daughter of Jasper Blythman—locally distinguished and allied to an ancient and noble house. They had six children, of whom Thomas was the third.
He received his first education at Leeds Grammar School
Leeds Grammar School
Leeds Grammar School was an independent school in Leeds established in 1552. In August 2005 it merged with Leeds Girls' High School to form The Grammar School at Leeds. The two schools physically united in September 2008....
, then under an eminent master, Thomas Barnard; later he was transferred to Queen Elizabeth Grammar School, Wakefield
Queen Elizabeth Grammar School, Wakefield
Queen Elizabeth Grammar School is an independent school in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, England. QEGS is distinct from most other schools in that it was founded by Royal Charter of Queen Elizabeth I in 1591 at the request of leading citizens in Wakefield 75 in total and some of whom formed the...
. Then he proceeded to the university of Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
, entering Christ's College
Christ's College, Cambridge
Christ's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge.With a reputation for high academic standards, Christ's College averaged top place in the Tompkins Table from 1980-2000 . In 2011, Christ's was placed sixth.-College history:...
. He was speedily removed to Hart Hall (now Hertford College
Hertford College, Oxford
Hertford College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. It is located in Catte Street, directly opposite the main entrance of the original Bodleian Library. As of 2006, the college had a financial endowment of £52m. There are 612 students , plus various visiting...
), Oxford, by the influence of its founder, Dr. Newton. He took the degree of B.A., but took no further degree on account of certain scruples imbibed from his friend Dr. Newton's book on ‘Pluralities.’ In 1724 he was presented, through the interest of an uncle, to the living of Wintringham
Wintringham
Wintringham is a village and civil parish in the Ryedale district of North Yorkshire, England. It is near the A64 road and east of Malton.The Yorkshire Wolds Way National Trail and the Centenary Way, long distance footpaths pass through the village...
, Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire is a county in the east of England. It borders Norfolk to the south east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south west, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire to the west, South Yorkshire to the north west, and the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north. It also borders...
. Being then under age ecclesiastically, it was ‘held’ for a year for him. Here he remained over the long term of fifty-eight years, never wishing to change and repeatedly resisting pressure put upon him to look higher. His income rarely exceeded £200 per annum. He married Susan, daughter of the neighbouring vicar of Roxby
Roxby, Lincolnshire
Roxby is a village in North Lincolnshire, England, about north of Scunthorpe and south-east from Winterton on the A1077. Roxby stands on a prominent part of the Lincoln Cliff and overlooks the Humber Estuary....
. She died in 1760. They had one daughter only, who died young. He died on 31 March 1784, in his 84th year.
He is of the historical ‘Evangelical’ school, but his works are, with one exception, very common-place examples of the productions of his school. He published Practical Lectures on the Church Catechism’ which ran to nine or ten editions; Evangelical Sermons; also Paraphrase and Annotations on the First Eleven Chapters of St. Paul's Epistle to the Romans. His Posthumous Works (1786) and Paraphrase and Annotations on the Four Gospels (1837), were printed and reprinted. The work by which his memory is preserved is a selection from the Posthumous Works, entitled ‘Private Thoughts on Religion.’ These entries from his private diary, which were meant for no eyes but his own, bring before us - according to the Dictionary of National Biography
Dictionary of National Biography
The Dictionary of National Biography is a standard work of reference on notable figures from British history, published from 1885...
- a man of no common power of analytic and speculative thought. With an intrepidity and integrity of self-scrutiny perhaps unexampled, he writes down problems started, and questionings raised, and conflicts gone through; whilst his ordinarily flaccid style grows pungent and strong. Ever since their publication these ‘Private Thoughts’ have exercised a strange fascination over intellects at opposite poles. Coleridge's
Samuel Taylor Coleridge
Samuel Taylor Coleridge was an English poet, Romantic, literary critic and philosopher who, with his friend William Wordsworth, was a founder of the Romantic Movement in England and a member of the Lake Poets. He is probably best known for his poems The Rime of the Ancient Mariner and Kubla...
copy of the little volume (1795)—fortunately preserved in the British Library
British Library
The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom, and is the world's largest library in terms of total number of items. The library is a major research library, holding over 150 million items from every country in the world, in virtually all known languages and in many formats,...
—remains to attest, by its abounding markings, the spell it laid upon him, while such men as Bishop Heber
Reginald Heber
Reginald Heber was the Church of England's Bishop of Calcutta who is now remembered chiefly as a hymn-writer.-Life:Heber was born at Malpas in Cheshire...
, Dr. Thomas Chalmers
Thomas Chalmers
Thomas Chalmers , Scottish mathematician, political economist, divine and a leader of the Free Church of Scotland, was born at Anstruther in Fife.-Overview:...
, and John Stuart Mill
John Stuart Mill
John Stuart Mill was a British philosopher, economist and civil servant. An influential contributor to social theory, political theory, and political economy, his conception of liberty justified the freedom of the individual in opposition to unlimited state control. He was a proponent of...
, and others, have paid tribute to the searching power of the ‘thoughts.’ These ‘Private Thoughts’ are well known in the United States, and have been translated into Welsh, Gaelic, and several European and Eastern languages.
External links
- By Thomas Adam:
- Private thoughts on religion, 1824 edition with essay by Daniel Wilson
- The Works of the Rev. Thomas Adam, volume I, 1822 edition
- The Works of the Rev. Thomas Adam, volume III, 1822 edition
- An exposition of the four Gospels, volume II, 1827 edition