Thomas Claughton (bishop)

Thomas Claughton
Bishop of St Albans

Church	Church of England
Diocese	Diocese of St Albans
Enthroned	c. 1877
Reign ended	1890
Predecessor	Himself (as Bishop of Rochester)
Successor	John Festing
Other posts	Bishop of Rochester 1867–1877 Oxford Professor of Poetry 1852–1857
Orders
Ordination	1834
Consecration	c. 1867
Personal details
Born	6 November 1808(1808-11-06) Haydock Lodge, Winwick
Died	25 July 1892(1892-07-25) (aged 83) Danbury Palace, Essex
Buried	St Albans Cathedral
Nationality	British
Denomination	Anglican
Residence	Danbury Palace, Essex
Parents	Thomas Claughton MP & Maria
Spouse	Hon Julia Ward
Children	Sir Gilbert, Bt Amelia, Duchess of Argyll Revd Thomas Hon Mrs Ronald Campbell
Profession	Academic; poet
Alma mater	Trinity College, Oxford

Thomas Legh Claughton (6 November 1808 – 25 July 1892) was a British academic, poet and clergyman. He was professor of poetry at Oxford University from 1852 to 1857; Bishop of Rochester; and the first Bishop of St Albans.^[1]

Biography

Claughton was born Haydock Lodge in Winwick, Warrington, then in Lancashire. He was the son of Lancashire MP Thomas Claughton and his wife, Maria.^[2] Educated at The King's School, Chester^[3] and Rugby School, he was admitted in 1826 to Trinity College, Oxford, where he took a first in Literae Humaniores in 1831.

Remaining at Oxford, he held the post of select preacher to the University four times between 1841 and 1868 and from 1852 to 1857 he held the office of Professor of Poetry.

Ordained in 1834, Claughton was assigned no cure until 1841, when he was appointed vicar of Kidderminster. This post he held for 26 years and was widely acclaimed for his work.^[1] In April 1867, Claughton was nominated Bishop of Rochester on the recommendation of Lord Derby, for whose installation as Chancellor of Oxford Claughton had written an ode.

In 1877, the Diocese of St Albans was created. Essentially land north of the Thames in the counties of Essex and Hertfordshire, previously ministered under Claughton's see, the Diocese of Rochester, formed the new diocese. Possibly as he already resided in the newly created Diocese, Claughton chose to become the first Bishop of St Albans, a post which he held until 1890.

Claughton married the Hon Julia Susannah, eldest daughter of the 10th Lord Ward of Birmingham and had 2 sons (Sir Gilbert, Bt and Revd Thomas) and 2 daughters (Amelia and Katharine).^[4]

From his enthronement as 98th Bishop of Rochester to his resignation from the bishopric of St Albans in 1890, Claughton resided at Danbury Palace (near Chelmsford), where he died. It was a distinguished occupancy as his elder daughter, Amelia, married (for her second time) the Duke of Argyll at a ceremony at the Palace. He is buried in St Albans Cathedral.

Selected works

"Voyages of Discovery to the Polar Regions" (1829), poem – winner of the Newdigate prize for 1829
Questions on the Collects, Epistles, and Gospels (1853–57), 2 vols.

References

^ ^a ^b Sutton, C. W. "Claughton, Thomas Legh (1808–1892)." Rev. H. C. G. Matthew. Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Ed. H. C. G. Matthew and Brian Harrison. Oxford: OUP, 2004. Accessed 10 Feb 2007.
^ "Thomas Legh Claughton". 19th-Century Bishops of the Church of England. http://www.tejones.net/religion/Bishops/Claughton.html. Retrieved 2007-02-10.
^ "Inspirational Alumni Members". The King's School Chester. http://www.kingschester.co.uk/extras/KingsAlumni/inspirationalAlumni.html. Retrieved 2 December 2011.
^ The Peerage – Rt Revd Thomas Claughton

Church of England titles
Preceded by Joseph Wigram	Bishop of Rochester 1867–1877	Succeeded by Anthony Thorold
New diocese	Bishop of St Albans 1877–1890	Succeeded by John Festing

Bishops of Rochester

Pre-Conquest	Justus • Romanus • Paulinus of York • Ithamar • Damianus • Putta • Cwichelm • Gebmund • Tobias • Aldwulf • Dunn • Eardwulf • Diora • Waermund (I) • Beornmod • Tatnoth • Badenoth • Waermund (II) • Cuthwulf • Swithwulf • Ceolmund • Cyneferth • Burgric • Beorhtsige • Daniel • Ælfstan • Godwine (I) • Godwine (II) • Siward

Conquest–Reformation	Arnost • Gundulf • Ralph d'Escures • Ernulf • John (I) • John (II) • Ascelin • Walter • Waleran • Gilbert Glanvill • Benedict of Sausetun • Henry Sandford • Richard Wendene • Lawrence of St Martin • Walter de Merton • John Bradfield • John Kirkby • Thomas Ingoldsthorpe • Thomas Wouldham • Hamo Hethe • John Sheppey • William Whittlesey • Thomas Trilleck • Thomas Brinton • William Bottlesham • John Bottlesham • Richard Young • John Kemp • John Langdon • Thomas Brunce • William Wells • John Low • Thomas Rotherham • John Alcock • John Russell • Edmund Audley • Thomas Savage • Richard FitzJames • John Fisher

Post-Reformation	John Hilsey • Nicholas Heath • Henry Holbeach • Nicholas Ridley • John Ponet • John Scory • Maurice Griffith • Edmund Allen • Edmund Gheast • Edmund Freke • John Piers • John Young • William Barlow • Richard Neile • John Buckeridge • Walter Curle • John Bowle • John Warner • John Dolben • Francis Turner • Thomas Sprat • Francis Atterbury • Samuel Bradford • Joseph Wilcocks • Zachary Pearce • John Thomas • Samuel Horsley • Thomas Dampier • Walker King • Hon Hugh Percy • George Murray • Joseph Wigram • Thomas Claughton • Anthony Thorold • Randall Davidson • Edward Talbot • John Harmer • Linton Smith • Christopher Chavasse • David Say • Michael Turnbull • Michael Nazir-Ali • James Langstaff

Persondata
Name	Claughton, Thomas Legh
Alternative names
Short description	Anglican bishop
Date of birth	6 November 1808
Place of birth	Haydock Lodge, Winwick
Date of death	25 July 1892
Place of death	Danbury Palace, Essex