Thomas Greaves (1612–1676) was an English orientalist, a contributor to the ''

London Polyglot A polyglot is a book that contains side-by-side versions of the same text in several different languages. Some editions of the Bible or its parts are polyglots, in which the Hebrew and Greek originals are exhibited along with historical transla ...

'' of Brian Walton.

Life

He was a son of the Rev. John Greaves of

Colemore Colemore is a village and former civil parish, now in the parish of Colemore and Priors Dean, in the East Hampshire district, in the county of Hampshire, England. It is in the Hampshire Downs about northwest of Petersfield. History In 1931 th ...

Hampshire Hampshire (, ; abbreviated to Hants.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Berkshire to the north, Surrey and West Sussex to the east, the Isle of Wight across the Solent to the south, ...

, and brother of

John Greaves John Greaves (1602 – 8 October 1652) was an English mathematician, astronomer and antiquarian. Education Educated at Balliol College, Oxford, he was elected a Fellow of Merton College in 1624. He studied Persian and Arabic, acquired a ...

Nicholas Greaves Nicholas Greaves, D.D. (1605?–1673) was an English churchman who was Dean of Dromore, County Down, Dromore cathedral, County Down.Atkinson, E.D., Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland, R.S.A.I. (1911)''Dromore An Ulster Diocese'' p. 62. G ...

and of Sir Edward Greaves. He was educated at

Charterhouse School Charterhouse is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school (English independent boarding school for pupils aged 13–18) in Godalming, Surrey, England. Founded by Thomas Sutton in 1611 on the site of the old Carthusian monastery in Charter ...

, and was admitted scholar of

Corpus Christi College, Oxford Corpus Christi College (formally, Corpus Christi College in the University of Oxford; informally abbreviated as Corpus or CCC) is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1517 by Richard Fo ...

, 1627, becoming fellow in 1636, and deputy-reader of Arabic 1637. He stood in for Edward Pocock who was out of the country from 1637 to 1640. He proceeded B.D. in 1641, and was appointed rector of

Dunsby Dunsby is a small village and civil parish in the South Kesteven Non-metropolitan district, district of in Lincolnshire, England. It is north from Bourne, Lincolnshire, Bourne, just east off the A15 road (Great Britain), A15, and on the western ...

, near

Sleaford Sleaford is a market town and Civil parishes in England, civil parish in the North Kesteven district of Lincolnshire, England. On the edge of the The Fens, Fenlands, it is north-east of Grantham, west of Boston, Lincolnshire, Boston, and sou ...

, in

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 ...

. He also held another living near London. He made a deposition in 1648 on behalf of his brother, John Greaves, who was ejected from his professorship at

Merton College Merton College (in full: The House or College of Scholars of Merton in the University of Oxford) is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. Its foundation can be traced back to the 1260s when Walter de Merton, chancellor ...

. He proceeded D.D. in 1661. He was Professor of Sacred Theology (S.T.P., 'Sanctae Theologiae Professor') by the time he was admitted to 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 ...

Peterborough Cathedral Peterborough Cathedral, properly the Cathedral Church of St Peter, St Paul and St Andrew, and formerly known as Peterborough Abbey or St Peter's Abbey, is a cathedral in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, in the United Kingdom. The seat of the Church ...

23 October 1666,Le Neve, John. (1716)
''Fasti Ecclesiæ Anglicanæ''
London: J. Nutt, p. 244 being then rector of

Benefield Benefield is a civil parish in North Northamptonshire, England, along the A427 road and about east of Corby and west of Oundle. History The villages name means 'open land of Bera's people'. The name has evolved from Benefield (11th century); ...

Northamptonshire Northamptonshire ( ; abbreviated Northants.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East Midlands of England. It is bordered by Leicestershire, Rutland and Lincolnshire to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshi ...

. He was obliged to resign this rectory some years before his death on account of an impediment in his speech. The rest of his life was spent at

Weldon, Northamptonshire Weldon is a suburban village and civil parish on the eastern outskirts of Corby, Northamptonshire, England. It is two miles away from Corby. History The village is listed in the Domesday Book as 'Weledene', in the Colby Hundred. The head of ...

, where he had purchased an estate, and dying there in 1676, he was buried in the chancel of Weldon Church.

Works

His works are: *''De linguae Arabicae utilitate et praestantia'' (oration held July 19, 1637, but published in 1639). *''Observationes quaedam in Persicam Pentateuchi versionem'' and ''Annotationes quaedam in Persicam Interpretationem Evangeliorum'', both printed in vol. vi. of the ''Polyglot Bible'', 1647. He was probably also the author of ''A Sermon at Rotterdam'', 1763, and ''A brief Summary of Christian Religion''. He contemplated a ''Treatise against Mahometanism'', as appears from a letter to his friend

Richard Baxter Richard Baxter (12 November 1615 – 8 December 1691) was an English Nonconformist (Protestantism), Nonconformist church leader and theologian from Rowton, Shropshire, who has been described as "the chief of English Protestant Schoolmen". He ma ...

Notes

References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Greaves, Thomas 1612 births 1676 deaths People educated at Charterhouse School 17th-century English Anglican priests Fellows of Corpus Christi College, Oxford English orientalists People from East Hampshire District People from North Northamptonshire