Memorial to Thomas Balguy in Winchester Cathedral

Thomas Balguy (1716–1795) was an English churchman, archdeacon of Salisbury from 1759 and then Archdeacon of Winchester.

Life

He was the son of John Balguy, and was born at Cox-Close 27 September 1716, educated at the Ripon Free School, and admitted to

St John's College, Cambridge St John's College, formally the College of St John the Evangelist in the University of Cambridge, is a Colleges of the University of Cambridge, constituent college of the University of Cambridge, founded by the House of Tudor, Tudor matriarch L ...

in 1734; was

B.A. A Bachelor of Arts (abbreviated B.A., BA, A.B. or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is the holder of a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the liberal arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree ...

1737, M.A. 1741, S.T.P. 1758. He was elected to a Platt fellowship at St. John's in March 1741, which he held till 1748. In 1744 he became assistant tutor to his friend William Samuel Powell, tutor and later master of the college, and gave lectures on

moral philosophy Ethics is the philosophical study of moral phenomena. Also called moral philosophy, it investigates normative questions about what people ought to do or which behavior is morally right. Its main branches include normative ethics, applied et ...

and the evidences 'for sixteen years.' In 1743 he was deputy public orator, and in 1758 tutor to the

Duke of Northumberland Duke of Northumberland is a noble title that has been created three times in English and British history, twice in the Peerage of England and once in the Peerage of Great Britain. The current holder of this title is Ralph Percy, 12th Duke of N ...

. He states in his father's ''Life'' that he owed all his preferments to

Benjamin Hoadley Benjamin Hoadly (14 November 167617 April 1761) was an England, English clergyman, who was successively Bishop of Bangor, Bishop of Hereford, of Hereford, Bishop of Salisbury, of Salisbury, and finally Bishop of Winchester, of Winchester. He i ...

, who had given his father a

prebend A prebendary is a member of the Catholic or Anglican clergy, a form of canon with a role in the administration of a cathedral or collegiate church. When attending services, prebendaries sit in particular seats, usually at the back of the choir ...

of Salisbury. His father, as prebendary, presented him (1748) to the rectory of North Stoke, near

Grantham Grantham () is a market town and civil parish in the South Kesteven district of Lincolnshire, England, situated on the banks of the River Witham and bounded to the west by the A1 road (Great Britain), A1 road. It lies south of Lincoln, England ...

Lincolnshire Lincolnshire (), abbreviated ''Lincs'', is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East Midlands and Yorkshire and the Humber regions of England. It is bordered by the East Riding of Yorkshire across the Humber estuary to th ...

, which he vacated in 1771 on becoming vicar of

Alton, Hampshire Alton ( ) is a market town and civil parish in East Hampshire, England, near the source of the northern branch of the River Wey. It had a population of 19,425 at the 2021 census. Alton was recorded in the Domesday Survey of 1086 as ''Aoltone' ...

. Through Hoadley's influence he obtained a prebend of Winchester in 1758, and became archdeacon of Salisbury in 1759, and afterwards Archdeacon of Winchester. Balguy was one of the admirers and disciples of

William Warburton William Warburton (24 December 16987 June 1779) was an English writer, literary critic and churchman, Bishop of Gloucester from 1759 until his death. He edited editions of the works of his friend Alexander Pope, and of William Shakespeare. Lif ...

, and his name frequently appears in Warburton's correspondence with Richard Hurd. On Warburton's death in 1781 he declined the appointment to the vacant bishopric of Gloucester on the ground of failing health and approaching blindness, and died 19 January 1795 at his prebendal house at Winchester. A monument to him is in the south aisle of

Winchester Cathedral The Cathedral Church of the Holy Trinity,Historic England. "Cathedral Church of the Holy Trinity (1095509)". ''National Heritage List for England''. Retrieved 8 September 2014. Saint Peter, Saint Paul and Saint Swithun, commonly known as Winches ...

Works

Thomas, less of a

latitudinarian Latitudinarians, or latitude men, were initially a group of 17th-century English theologiansclerics and academicsfrom the University of Cambridge who were moderate Anglicans (members of the Church of England). In particular, they believed that a ...

than his father, and opposed the agitation for a relaxation of the 39 Articles. In 1769 he published a sermon on the consecration of Bishop Shipley, which was answered by

Joseph Priestley Joseph Priestley (; 24 March 1733 – 6 February 1804) was an English chemist, Unitarian, Natural philosophy, natural philosopher, English Separatist, separatist theologian, Linguist, grammarian, multi-subject educator and Classical libera ...

in ''Observations upon Church Authority''. In 1772 he published an archidiaconal charge, in which he defended subscription to articles of religion; and in 1775 a sermon at the consecration of Bishops Hurd and

Moore Moore may refer to: Language * Mooré language, spoken in West Africa People * Moore (surname) ** List of people with surname Moore * Moore Crosthwaite (1907–1989), a British diplomat and ambassador * Moore Disney (1765–1846), a senior ...

, which was answered in remarks 'by one of the prebendary clergy'. In 1775 he edited the sermons of his friend William Samuel Powell, with a ''Life'' of the author; and in 1782 ''Divine Benevolence asserted'', part of an unfinished treatise on

natural religion Natural religion most frequently means the "religion of nature", in which God, the soul, spirits, and all objects of the supernatural are considered as part of nature and not separate from it. Conversely, it is also used in philosophy to describe ...

. In 1785 he republished his father's essay on Redemption, and a collection of sermons and charges. His discourses, edited by Rev. James Drake (a relation to whom his manuscripts were bequeathed), were republished at Cambridge in 1820.

References

;Attribution {{DEFAULTSORT:Balguy, Thomas 1716 births 1795 deaths Archdeacons of Salisbury Archdeacons of Winchester (ancient) Alumni of St John's College, Cambridge