HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Thomas Elrington (18 December 1760 – 12 July 1835) was an Irish academic and bishop who served as the 25th
Provost of Trinity College Dublin The following persons have been provost of Trinity College Dublin. References {{University of Dublin, Trinity College Trinity College, Dublin Trinity College Dublin (), officially titled The College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity o ...
from 1811 to 1820. He was
Donegall Lecturer in Mathematics The Donegall Lecturership at Trinity College Dublin, is one of two endowed mathematics positions at Trinity College Dublin (TCD), the other being the Erasmus Smith's Chair of Mathematics. The Donegall (sometimes spelt Donegal) Lectureship was en ...
from 1790 to 1795 at
Trinity College Dublin Trinity College Dublin (), officially titled The College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Queen Elizabeth near Dublin, and legally incorporated as Trinity College, the University of Dublin (TCD), is the sole constituent college of the Unive ...
. While at Trinity College, he also served as
Erasmus Smith's Professor of Mathematics Desiderius Erasmus Roterodamus ( ; ; 28 October c. 1466 – 12 July 1536), commonly known in English as Erasmus of Rotterdam or simply Erasmus, was a Dutch Christian humanist, Catholic priest and theologian, educationalist, satirist, and p ...
from 1795 to 1799 and
Erasmus Smith's Professor of Natural and Experimental Philosophy Erasmus Smith's Professor of Natural and Experimental Philosophy at Trinity College Dublin is a chair in physics founded in 1724 and funded by the Erasmus Smith Trust, which was established by Erasmus Smith, a wealthy London merchant, who liv ...
from 1799 to 1807. He also held several ecclesiastical seals, such as
Bishop of Ferns and Leighlin The Bishop of Ferns and Leighlin was the Ordinary of Church of Ireland diocese of Ferns and Leighlin in the Province of Dublin. The diocese comprised all of counties Wexford and Carlow and part of counties Wicklow and Laois in Ireland. The Ep ...
, then
Bishop of Limerick, Ardfert and Aghadoe The Bishop of Limerick, Ardfert and Aghadoe was the Ordinary (officer), Ordinary of the Church of Ireland diocese of Limerick, Ardfert and Aghadoe, which was in the Ecclesiastical province, Province of Archbishop of Cashel, Cashel until 1833, the ...
(1820-1822), and finally
Bishop of Ferns and Leighlin The Bishop of Ferns and Leighlin was the Ordinary of Church of Ireland diocese of Ferns and Leighlin in the Province of Dublin. The diocese comprised all of counties Wexford and Carlow and part of counties Wicklow and Laois in Ireland. The Ep ...
until his death in 1835.''
The Morning Post ''The Morning Post'' was a conservative daily newspaper published in London from 1772 to 1937, when it was acquired by ''The Daily Telegraph''. History The paper was founded by John Bell. According to historian Robert Darnton, ''The Morning ...
'' (London, England), Thursday, July 16, 1835; Issue 20157


Early life

The only child of Richard and Catherine Elrington of
Dublin Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...
, he was born near that city on 18 December 1760. He entered
Trinity College Dublin Trinity College Dublin (), officially titled The College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Queen Elizabeth near Dublin, and legally incorporated as Trinity College, the University of Dublin (TCD), is the sole constituent college of the Unive ...
, on 1 May 1775 as a pensioner, under the tutorship of the Rev. Dr. Drought, and was elected a Scholar in 1778. He graduated B.A. in 1780, M.A. in 1785, and B.D. and D.D. in 1795.


Academic career

In 1781, he was elected a fellow of Trinity College. He was Donegall Lecturer of Mathematics (1790-1795), and in 1794, he was the first to hold the office of Donnellan Divinity Lecturer. In 1795, he was appointed Archbishop King's Lecturer in Divinity, succeeded to a senior fellowship, and also became the third
Erasmus Smith's Professor of Mathematics Desiderius Erasmus Roterodamus ( ; ; 28 October c. 1466 – 12 July 1536), commonly known in English as Erasmus of Rotterdam or simply Erasmus, was a Dutch Christian humanist, Catholic priest and theologian, educationalist, satirist, and p ...
(1795–1799). In 1799, he exchanged the Erasmus Smith's professorship of mathematics for the
Erasmus Smith's Professor of Natural and Experimental Philosophy Erasmus Smith's Professor of Natural and Experimental Philosophy at Trinity College Dublin is a chair in physics founded in 1724 and funded by the Erasmus Smith Trust, which was established by Erasmus Smith, a wealthy London merchant, who liv ...
. In 1789, he published the mathematical treatise ''Euclidis Elementorum Sex Libri Priores, Cum Notis'' (Dublin University Press), whose 10th edition appeared in 1833. On resigning his fellowship in 1806, Elrinton was presented by his college to the rectory of Ardtrea, in the
diocese of Armagh The Diocese of Armagh is the metropolitan diocese of the ecclesiastical province of Armagh, the Church of Ireland province that covers the northern half (approximately) of the island of Ireland. The diocese mainly covers counties Louth, T ...
, which he held until December 1811. He resigned, having been appointed to the provostship of Trinity College. During his tenure in this office, he was the acting manager of almost every public board and a supporter of charitable institutions. Elrington was advanced on 25 September 1820 to the diocese of Limerick, and on 21 December 1822, he was translated to Leighlin and Ferns. While on his way to attend Parliament duties in
London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
, he died of paralysis at
Liverpool Liverpool is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the River Mersey, Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, north-west of London. With a population ...
on 12 July 1835. He was buried under the chapel of Trinity College Dublin, where a monument with a Latin inscription was in his memory. Another memorial was erected by his clergy in the cathedral church of Ferns. Elrington was an active member of the
Royal Irish Academy The Royal Irish Academy (RIA; ), based in Dublin, is an academic body that promotes study in the natural sciences, arts, literature, and social sciences. It is Ireland's premier List of Irish learned societies, learned society and one of its le ...
and other literary and scientific societies. The Elrington theological essay prize was instituted in Trinity College in 1837. A portrait of the bishop was painted in 1820 for his brother, Major Elrington, by Thomas Foster; engraved by William Ward, it was published in 1836 by Graves & Co. There was a marble bust in the
Library of Trinity College Dublin The Library of Trinity College Dublin () serves Trinity College, and is the largest library in Ireland. It is a legal deposit or "copyright library", which means that publishers in Ireland must deposit a copy of all their publications there ...
. Elrington was knowledgeable, but contemporaries found him inflexible, rigid, and narrow-minded. Students, while praising him for his learning, found him personally obnoxious.


Works

His works are: * 'Refutation of the Arguments in Dr Butler's Letter to Lord Kenmare,' 1787. * 'Reply to the Third Section of Mr. O'Leary's Defence,' 1787. * 'Thoughts on the Principles of Civil Government, and their Foundation in the Law of Nature, by S.N.' homas Elrington 1793. * 'Enquiry into the Consistency of Dr. Troy's Pastoral Instruction,' 1793. * 'Sermons on Miracles, preached at the Donnellan Lecture in Trinity College, Dublin, in 1795; with an Act Sermon for the degree of D.D.,' 1796. * 'Sermon on the Death of Matthew Young, D.D., Bishop of Clonfert; with some Anecdotes of his Life' (three editions), 1800. * 'The Vindication of Dr. Troy Refuted,' 1804. * 'The Clergy of the Church of England truly Ordained, in reply to Ward's Controversy of Ordination; with an Appendix,' 1808. * 'Letters on Tythes, first published in the "Dublin Journal"' (two editions), 1808. * 'Reflections on the Appointment of Dr. Milner as the Political Agent of the Roman Catholic Clergy of Ireland,' 1809. * 'Remarks occasioned by the Supplement and Postscript to the second edition of Dr. Milner's Tour in Ireland,' 1809. * 'Letter to the Right Hon. W. W. Pole on the Proposal for a Commutation of Tythes in Ireland,' 1810. * 'The Validity of English Ordination Established, in answer to the Rev. P. Gandolphy's Sermon on John x. 1,' 1818. * 'Inquiry whether the Disturbances in Ireland have originated in Tythes,' 1822; second edition, with an Appendix, 1823. * 'Observations on J.K.L.'s ishop Doyle'sLetter to the Marquess Wellesley; on Tracts and Topics by E. Barton; and the Letter to Mr. Abercrombie,' 1824. * 'Review of the Correspondence between the Earl of Mountcashell and the Bishop of Ferns, with the Letters,' 1830. * 'Reply to John Search's rchbishop Whateley'sConsiderations on the Law of Libel as relating to Publications on the subject of Religion,' 1834. Elrington also published sermons and charges, and edited, for the use of Trinity College, 'Euclid's Elements, the first Six Books,' 1788 (ten or twelve times reprinted); 'Locke on Government, with Notes,' 1798; and 'Juvenalis et Persius, edito expurgata,' 1808.


Family

About 1786 he married Charlotte, daughter of the Rev. Plunket Preston, rector of Duntryleague,
County Limerick County Limerick () is a western Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster and is located in the Mid-West Region, Ireland, Mid-West which comprises part of the Southern Reg ...
, and by her had issue
Charles Richard Elrington Charles Richard Elrington (1787–1850) was a Church of Ireland cleric and academic, regius professor of divinity in the Trinity College Dublin. Life The elder son of Thomas Elrington (bishop), Thomas Elrington, Bishop of Ferns and Leighlin ...
, another son Henry, and several daughters, including Caroline (died 1868), who married, in 1827, John Whitley Stokes (1801-1883),
Archdeacon of Armagh The Archdeacon of Armagh is a senior ecclesiastical officer within the Anglican Diocese of Armagh. The Archdeacon is responsible for the disciplinary supervision of the clergy within the Diocese. History The archdeaconry can trace its history ...
, and had a son Thomas Gabriel Stokes. John Whitley Stokes was the elder brother of the noted
physicist A physicist is a scientist who specializes in the field of physics, which encompasses the interactions of matter and energy at all length and time scales in the physical universe. Physicists generally are interested in the root or ultimate cau ...
Sir George Stokes, 1st Baronet Sir George Gabriel Stokes, 1st Baronet, (; 13 August 1819 – 1 February 1903) was an Irish mathematician and physicist. Born in County Sligo, Ireland, Stokes spent his entire career at the University of Cambridge, where he served as the Lucasi ...
.


Notes

* ;Attribution } {{DEFAULTSORT:Elrington, Thomas 1760 births 1835 deaths Bishops of Ferns and Leighlin Bishops of Limerick, Ardfert and Aghadoe Diocese of Limerick, Ardfert and Aghadoe Donegall Lecturers of Mathematics at Trinity College Dublin Provosts of Trinity College Dublin Scholars of Trinity College Dublin 19th-century Anglican bishops in Ireland