Thomas Tregosse
Encyclopedia
Rev. Thomas Tregosse (c. 17th century, St Ives
, England
- c. 1670-71, Penryn
, England) of Cornwall
was a Puritan
minister and vicar
of the Rebellion period who was silenced for being a Nonconformist
.
in 1655.
, he preached for two years as an English presbyterian
minister at St. Ives. In October 1659, he was instituted as vicar in Mylor and Mabe
, and ejected 24 August 1662 under the Act of Uniformity
for being a nonconformist. According to Miss Susan Gay's Falmouth chronology
, Tregosse formed an Independent
Congregation in Falmouth in 1662. The first congregation at the Congregational
Sunday School
, Falmouth
was gathered by the Rev. Mr. Tregoss. After preaching to this family and neighbours, he was jailed for three months.
In 1663, he preached privately at Budock
. For preaching at Mabe's Church of Saint Laud
, he was again jailed for three months at Launceston gaol. After his release, he preached again at Mabe's church, and was subsequently imprisoned again. Under the Conventicle Act of 1664
non-Anglican
services were only permitted in private homes, limited to members of the household and no more than five others. Tregosse's imprisonment for holding a Conventicle
at Budock is noted in the "The Episcopal Returns of 1665-6" section of the Congregational Historical Society's Transactions.
After his fourth time in custody, he was set free September 1667 by special order of King Charles
. He was jailed again in 1669 for preaching privately in a house at Great Torrington
. In his later years, he preached on Sundays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays.
in 1658, and had at least one child, a son, the Rev. James Tregoss.
Though Tregosse was committed to Launceston Gaol on multiple occasions, Wesley
bestowed high praises upon Tregosse a century later.
Tregosse died in Penryn. Different sources place his date of death at different years within the 1670s: 18 January 1670, January 1672, 18 January 1673, or even 18 January 1679. However, Theophilus Gale
's biography, The life and death of Thomas Tregosse late minister of the Gospel at Milar and Mabe in Cornwal [sic]: With his character, and some letters of his, not long before his death, published in 1671, would make the year of death more likely to be 1671 or earlier.
St Ives, Cornwall
St Ives is a seaside town, civil parish and port in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The town lies north of Penzance and west of Camborne on the coast of the Celtic Sea. In former times it was commercially dependent on fishing. The decline in fishing, however, caused a shift in commercial...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
- c. 1670-71, Penryn
Penryn, Cornwall
Penryn is a civil parish and town in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is situated on the Penryn River about one mile northwest of Falmouth...
, England) of Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
was a Puritan
Puritan
The Puritans were a significant grouping of English Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries. Puritanism in this sense was founded by some Marian exiles from the clergy shortly after the accession of Elizabeth I of England in 1558, as an activist movement within the Church of England...
minister and vicar
Vicar
In the broadest sense, a vicar is a representative, deputy or substitute; anyone acting "in the person of" or agent for a superior . In this sense, the title is comparable to lieutenant...
of the Rebellion period who was silenced for being a Nonconformist
Nonconformism
Nonconformity is the refusal to "conform" to, or follow, the governance and usages of the Church of England by the Protestant Christians of England and Wales.- Origins and use:...
.
Early years
He was born in St Ives, the son of William Tregosse. He received his BA from Exeter College, OxfordExeter College, Oxford
Exeter College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England and the fourth oldest college of the University. The main entrance is on the east side of Turl Street...
in 1655.
Career
After taking Holy OrdersHoly Orders
The term Holy Orders is used by many Christian churches to refer to ordination or to those individuals ordained for a special role or ministry....
, he preached for two years as an English presbyterian
English Presbyterianism
Presbyterianism in England is distinct from Continental and Scottish forms of Presbyterianism. Whereas in Scotland, church government is based on a meeting of delegates, in England the individual congregation is the primary body of government...
minister at St. Ives. In October 1659, he was instituted as vicar in Mylor and Mabe
Mabe, Cornwall
Mabe is a village and civil parish in Cornwall, United Kingdom. The village is situated one mile west of Penryn....
, and ejected 24 August 1662 under the Act of Uniformity
Act of Uniformity 1662
The Act of Uniformity was an Act of the Parliament of England, 13&14 Ch.2 c. 4 ,The '16 Charles II c. 2' nomenclature is reference to the statute book of the numbered year of the reign of the named King in the stated chapter...
for being a nonconformist. According to Miss Susan Gay's Falmouth chronology
Miss Susan Gay's Falmouth chronology
A chronology of the town of Falmouth was described by Miss Susan E. Gay in Old Falmouth , pages 230–238.-Before the eighteenth century:*9th century. Pendennis supposed to have been fortified by the Danes.*1120 The naming of Gyllyngvase....
, Tregosse formed an Independent
Independent (religion)
In English church history, Independents advocated local congregational control of religious and church matters, without any wider geographical hierarchy, either ecclesiastical or political...
Congregation in Falmouth in 1662. The first congregation at the Congregational
Congregational church
Congregational churches are Protestant Christian churches practicing Congregationalist church governance, in which each congregation independently and autonomously runs its own affairs....
Sunday School
Sunday school
Sunday school is the generic name for many different types of religious education pursued on Sundays by various denominations.-England:The first Sunday school may have been opened in 1751 in St. Mary's Church, Nottingham. Another early start was made by Hannah Ball, a native of High Wycombe in...
, Falmouth
Falmouth, Cornwall
Falmouth is a town, civil parish and port on the River Fal on the south coast of Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It has a total resident population of 21,635.Falmouth is the terminus of the A39, which begins some 200 miles away in Bath, Somerset....
was gathered by the Rev. Mr. Tregoss. After preaching to this family and neighbours, he was jailed for three months.
In 1663, he preached privately at Budock
Budock Water
Budock or Budock Water is a civil parish and a village in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The village is situated two miles west of Falmouth....
. For preaching at Mabe's Church of Saint Laud
Church of Saint Laud
The Church of Saint Laud is an active parish church in Mabe, Cornwall, England, UK, originally built in the 15th century and dedicated to the sixth-century Saint Laud of Coutances. It is part of the Church of England's Diocese of Truro. Struck by lightning in the 19th century, much of it had to...
, he was again jailed for three months at Launceston gaol. After his release, he preached again at Mabe's church, and was subsequently imprisoned again. Under the Conventicle Act of 1664
Conventicle Act 1664
The Conventicle Act of 1664 was an Act of the Parliament of England that forbade conventicles...
non-Anglican
Anglicanism
Anglicanism is a tradition within Christianity comprising churches with historical connections to the Church of England or similar beliefs, worship and church structures. The word Anglican originates in ecclesia anglicana, a medieval Latin phrase dating to at least 1246 that means the English...
services were only permitted in private homes, limited to members of the household and no more than five others. Tregosse's imprisonment for holding a Conventicle
Conventicle
A conventicle is a small, unofficial and unofficiated meeting of laypeople, to discuss religious issues in a non-threatening, intimate manner. Philipp Jakob Spener called for such associations in his Pia Desideria, and they were the foundation of the German Evangelical Lutheran Pietist movement...
at Budock is noted in the "The Episcopal Returns of 1665-6" section of the Congregational Historical Society's Transactions.
After his fourth time in custody, he was set free September 1667 by special order of King Charles
Charles II of England
Charles II was monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father, King Charles I, was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War...
. He was jailed again in 1669 for preaching privately in a house at Great Torrington
Great Torrington
Great Torrington is a small market town in the north of Devon, England. Parts of it are sited on high ground with steep drops down to the River Torridge below...
. In his later years, he preached on Sundays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays.
Personal life
Tregosse married Margaret Sparnan of GwynierGwinear, Cornwall
Gwinear is a village in west Cornwall, United Kingdom. It is situated approximately two miles east of Hayle and overlooks the Angarrack valley....
in 1658, and had at least one child, a son, the Rev. James Tregoss.
Though Tregosse was committed to Launceston Gaol on multiple occasions, Wesley
John Wesley
John Wesley was a Church of England cleric and Christian theologian. Wesley is largely credited, along with his brother Charles Wesley, as founding the Methodist movement which began when he took to open-air preaching in a similar manner to George Whitefield...
bestowed high praises upon Tregosse a century later.
Tregosse died in Penryn. Different sources place his date of death at different years within the 1670s: 18 January 1670, January 1672, 18 January 1673, or even 18 January 1679. However, Theophilus Gale
Theophilus Gale
Theophilus Gale was an English educationalist, nonconformist and theologian of dissent.-Early life:Gale was born at Kingsteignton, Devon, the son of Bridget Gale and Theophilus Gale D. D....
's biography, The life and death of Thomas Tregosse late minister of the Gospel at Milar and Mabe in Cornwal [sic]: With his character, and some letters of his, not long before his death, published in 1671, would make the year of death more likely to be 1671 or earlier.
Further reading
- Gale, Theophilus. (1671). The life and death of Thomas Tregosse late minister of the Gospel at Milar and Mabe in Cornwal: With his character, and some letters of his, not long before his death. London: s.n.