William Thorne (orientalist)
Encyclopedia
William Thorne was an English clergyman and orientalist, Regius Professor of Hebrew at Oxford in 1598.
, Wiltshire
, in 1568 or 1569, entered Winchester College
in 1582. Proceeding to New College, Oxford
, he matriculated on 15 April 1586, and was elected a fellow in the year following. He graduated B.A. on 12 April 1589, M.A. on 18 Jan. 1593, B.D. on 16 July 1600, and D.D. on 8 July 1602.
On 12 March 1597 he was licensed to preach, and from 27 July 1598 until 1604 he filled the office of regius professor of Hebrew
. On 30 December 1601 he was installed dean of Chichester, and in the same year received the rectory of Tollard Royal
, Wiltshire, resigning his fellowship in 1602. In 1606 he was appointed vicar of Amport
, Hampshire
; in 1607 a canon of Chichester and rector of Birdham
, Sussex
. In 1616 he became rector of North Marden
, Sussex, and in 1619 of Warblington
, Hampshire. He died on 13 February 1630, and was buried in Chichester Cathedral
.
Thorne was a Hebraist and oriental scholar with an international reputation. John Drusius dedicated to him Opuscula quae ad Grammaticam spectant (1609), and Charles Fitzgeffrey devotes an epigram to him in his Affaniae sive Epigrammatum libri tres (1601). He is sometimes cited as a member of the First Oxford Company of Bible translators working on the Authorized King James Version; and yet despite contemporary evidence that he was involved with the project, there is some doubt still expressed about his participation with the seven others of the Company.
The doubt concerning his involvement in the translation apparently stems from the fact that he is not mentioned in the earliest lists of translators. The evidence in support of his involvement, however, is substantial. More than a dozen bishops signed a document (c. 1605) recommending Thorne for ecclesiastical preferment. The recommendation explicitly mentions Thorne's involvement as a translator "of that parte of the olde Testament which is committed to that Universitie" (i.e., Oxford). The recommendation also states that Thorne was the King's chaplain.
At least two of the signatories were themselves involved in the translation project. It seems unlikely that these men would have signed the document as worded if Thorne had not been involved in the translation. Moreover, it is entirely plausible that the former regius professor of Hebrew at Oxford and the King's chaplain would have been involved in the project. Thorne was a member of John Case's circle, which included several of the Oxford translators. One of them, Ralph Ravens
, was omitted from some of the early lists, but was "certainly involved." Matthew DeCoursey suggests that Thorne may have joined the project late.
Life
He was born at SemleySemley
Semley is a village in Sedgehill and Semley civil parish in Wiltshire. The village is about north-east of Shaftesbury in neighbouring Dorset.-Manor:...
, Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
, in 1568 or 1569, entered Winchester College
Winchester College
Winchester College is an independent school for boys in the British public school tradition, situated in Winchester, Hampshire, the former capital of England. It has existed in its present location for over 600 years and claims the longest unbroken history of any school in England...
in 1582. Proceeding to New College, Oxford
New College, Oxford
New College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom.- Overview :The College's official name, College of St Mary, is the same as that of the older Oriel College; hence, it has been referred to as the "New College of St Mary", and is now almost always...
, he matriculated on 15 April 1586, and was elected a fellow in the year following. He graduated B.A. on 12 April 1589, M.A. on 18 Jan. 1593, B.D. on 16 July 1600, and D.D. on 8 July 1602.
On 12 March 1597 he was licensed to preach, and from 27 July 1598 until 1604 he filled the office of regius professor of Hebrew
Regius Professor of Hebrew
The Regius Professorship of Hebrew, founded by Henry VIII, is a professorship at both Cambridge and Oxford Universities.- List of Regius Professors of Hebrew at Cambridge :...
. On 30 December 1601 he was installed dean of Chichester, and in the same year received the rectory of Tollard Royal
Tollard Royal
Tollard Royal is a village and civil parish on Cranborne Chase, Wiltshire, England. The parish is on Wiltshire's southern boundary with Dorset and the village is southeast of the Dorset town of Shaftesbury....
, Wiltshire, resigning his fellowship in 1602. In 1606 he was appointed vicar of Amport
Amport
Amport is a small village and civil parish in the Test Valley district of NW Hampshire, England, a few miles west of Andover. It incorporates the small hamlet of East Cholderton and has a population of about 800....
, Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
; in 1607 a canon of Chichester and rector of Birdham
Birdham
Birdham is a village and civil parish in the Chichester District of West Sussex, England. It is located on the Manhood Peninsula, about three miles south west of the city of Chichester...
, Sussex
Sussex
Sussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...
. In 1616 he became rector of North Marden
North Marden
North Marden is a tiny village on the spur of the South Downs in the Chichester district of West Sussex, England. It is within the civil parish of Marden, West Sussex, 7.5 miles northwest of Chichester on the B2141 road....
, Sussex, and in 1619 of Warblington
Warblington
Warblington, historically part of the Hundred of Bosmere , is a suburb of Havant, a town in Hampshire, England.-History:It is part of the parish of St Thomas à Becket, Warblington and St James, Emsworth. Pevsner describes the church of St Thomas as essentially late 12th century and praises the...
, Hampshire. He died on 13 February 1630, and was buried in Chichester Cathedral
Chichester Cathedral
The Cathedral Church of the Holy Trinity, otherwise called Chichester Cathedral, is the seat of the Anglican Bishop of Chichester. It is located in Chichester, in Sussex, England...
.
Thorne was a Hebraist and oriental scholar with an international reputation. John Drusius dedicated to him Opuscula quae ad Grammaticam spectant (1609), and Charles Fitzgeffrey devotes an epigram to him in his Affaniae sive Epigrammatum libri tres (1601). He is sometimes cited as a member of the First Oxford Company of Bible translators working on the Authorized King James Version; and yet despite contemporary evidence that he was involved with the project, there is some doubt still expressed about his participation with the seven others of the Company.
The doubt concerning his involvement in the translation apparently stems from the fact that he is not mentioned in the earliest lists of translators. The evidence in support of his involvement, however, is substantial. More than a dozen bishops signed a document (c. 1605) recommending Thorne for ecclesiastical preferment. The recommendation explicitly mentions Thorne's involvement as a translator "of that parte of the olde Testament which is committed to that Universitie" (i.e., Oxford). The recommendation also states that Thorne was the King's chaplain.
At least two of the signatories were themselves involved in the translation project. It seems unlikely that these men would have signed the document as worded if Thorne had not been involved in the translation. Moreover, it is entirely plausible that the former regius professor of Hebrew at Oxford and the King's chaplain would have been involved in the project. Thorne was a member of John Case's circle, which included several of the Oxford translators. One of them, Ralph Ravens
Ralph Ravens
Ralph Ravens was an English clergyman and academic. He was nominated in 1604 as one of the translators for the Authorised King James Version, in the Second Oxford Company, but his status is unclear. It is said that he was substituted, for reasons unknown, and did not actually take part in the...
, was omitted from some of the early lists, but was "certainly involved." Matthew DeCoursey suggests that Thorne may have joined the project late.
Works
Thorne was the author of:- Willelmi Thorni Tullius, seu ῥήτωρ, in tria stromata divisus, Oxford, 1592.
- Ἔσοπτρον Βασιλικόν. Or a Kenning-Glasse for a Christian King. Dedicated to James I, London, 1603.