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Laurence Tomson (1539–1608) and Elizabethan Puritanism
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 25 March 2011
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Laurence Tomson is, perhaps, best known for his translation of L'Oiseleur's edition of Beza's Latin New Testament into English. He was also secretary to Walsingham from 1574 and a member of the English ‘Presbyterian’ party.
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References
page 17 note 1 This was published in 1576 by Christopher Barker. On this version see further, The Cambridge History of the Bible: the West from the Reformation to the Present Day, ed. Greenslade, S. L., Cambridge 1963, 155–9.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
page 17 note 2 See Collinson, Patrick, The Elizabethan Puritan Movement, London 1967, 166.Google Scholar
page 17 note 3 His name is conspicuously absent from most of the annals of the period, notably Burnet, G., The History of the Reformation of the Church of England, ed. Pocock, N., Oxford 1865Google Scholar; Brook, B., The Lives of the Puritans, London 1813Google Scholar; Strype, J., Annals of the Reformation, Oxford 1820–1840.Google Scholar
page 17 note 4 Op. cit., 238.
page 17 note 5 Pearson, A. F. Scott, Thomas Cartwright and Elizabethan Puritanism 1535–1603, Cambridge 1925.Google Scholar
page 18 note 1 Bloxam, J. R., The Magdalen College Register, 1873, IV, 138.Google Scholar
page 18 note 2 For a full account of Hastings's role in the Puritan movement see M. C. Cross, ‘An Example of Lay Intervention in the Elizabethan Church’, Studies in Church History, ii, 273–82.
page 18 note 3 Sir Thomas Hoby (1530–66). Studied at St. John's College, Cambridge, died in France in 1566. He translated Martin Bucer's Gratulation unto the Church of England for the restitution of Christ's religion.
page 18 note 4 See Wood, Anthony a, Athenae Oxonienses, ed. Bliss, P., London 1813, ii. 44.Google Scholar
page 19 note 1 Stanclyff is presumably referring to Tomson's interference in the expulsion case. The case centred around the statute De electione officiariorum. See Bloxam, op. cit., iv, 141.
page 19 note 2 In June 1575, the President summoned the thirteen seniors of Magdalen to elect a new Dean in the place of William Judson who died earlier that year. Some of the Fellows including Thomas Cole and William Powell alleged that others were not statutable Fellows having taken neither Holy Orders nor degrees in Law or Physic. They refused to proceed with the election until the others would prove their right to a Fellowship. Humfrey expelled some of the challengers and punished the others. His ‘intemperate proceedings’ were ultimately censured by Walsingham.
page 20 note 1 Read, Conyers, Mr. Secretary Walsingham and the policy of Queen Elizabeth, Oxford 1925, ii, 261.Google Scholar
page 20 note 2 For fuller accounts of the English Mart Town question, and the Meer Merchants see C.S.P., Domestic 1548–80, 447–8, 490.
page 20 note 3 C.S.P., Foreign 1577–78, 384 ff.
page 20 note 4 British Library, MS. Cotton, Galba D. VII. fol. 163.
page 20 note 5 For full account of the 1590 revolt in the Netherlands see Geyl, Pieter, The Revolt in the Netherlands, 1958, 219 ff.Google Scholar
page 21 note 1 British Library, MS. Cotton, Caligula C. V. fol. 113.
page 21 note 2 Bodleian Library, MS. Perrot 9772, fol. 27.
page 21 note 3 For account of his connexions with England see Backus, I., ‘Pierre L'Oiseleur's Connections with England in the Sixteenth Century’, Proceedings of the Huguenot Society, XXII (1975), 441–8.Google Scholar
page 21 note 4 ‘I thought the matter had already been in good forwardness. Mr. Charke broke with me in it but I have since heard there is some stay in it … If he does not like your conditions, I know of an honest Scotchman of your own name, who I think will be very fit for you’: C.S.P., Foreign 1577–78, 384. William Charke was a Puritan preacher first at Peterhouse, from where he was expelled, then at Lincoln's Inn. ‘The honest Scotchman’ refers to John Davidson, a leading Scottish presbyterian.
page 21 note 5 Tomson emphasises the entente between Spain and the pope, both seeking help from the ‘fifth column’ of Roman Catholics in England. Ground is being prepared by a large number of Roman Catholic priests and Jesuits coming into England.
page 22 note 1 CUL, MS. Baker XXXII, fols. 427–48.
page 22 note 2 See for instance Field's letter to Gilby written in August 1572 (MS. Baker XXXII. fol. 430) where Field says ‘So our present Calamitie and the trouble threatened against the Churche of God, compell me to wryte unto you, as to one in whome all the godlie have conceived such opinion, as of a Fadier …’.
page 22 note 3 Theodore Beza, A briefe and pithie summe of the Christian faith made in forme of a confession, translated by R.F., London 1563, 1565, 1566, 1572, 1585, 1589.
page 22 note 4 Richard Bancroft, Daungerous positions and proceedings, published and practised within this island of Brytaine, under pretence of reformation and for the presbiteriall discipline, London 1593.
page 23 note 1 Thomas Cartwright, A replye to an answere made of m. doctor Whitgifte. Agaynste the Admonition to the Parliament, Wandsworth, J. S., c. 1574.
page 24 note 1 C.S.P., Domestic, Addenda 1566–1579, 563–8. Carey and Martin's official conduct was being investigated by a Commission appointed by the Council for Guernsey. In their letter to Tomson they complain of being unjustly treated and imply that Tomson should intervene with the Council on their behalf.
page 24 note 2 Neale, J. E., The Elizabethan House of Commons, London 1949, 196.Google Scholar
page 24 note 3 Moule, H. J. (ed.), A descriptive catalogue of the charters, minute books and other documents of the borough of Weymouth and Melcombe Regis, A. D. 1252–1800, Weymouth 1883, ii. 58, 72.Google Scholar
page 25 note 1 Peel, Albert (ed.), The Seconde Parte of a Register: being a Calendar of MSS. under that title intended for publication by the Puritans about 1593, and now in Dr. Williams's Library, London, Cambridge 1915, ii. 48.Google Scholar At the time Tomson was also engaged in a controversy with Hooker concerning the salvation of papists. A document dated March 1586 and entitled ‘Propositions taught and mayntained by Mr. Hooker, the same briefly confuted by L. T. in a private letter’ survives. It also concerns itself with six questions concerning the salvation of papists: B.L. MS. Harl. 291, fol. 183. It seems that Tomson's letter to Mistress Crane is a slightly earlier version of his refutation of Hooker's assertion that papists can be saved.
page 26 note 1 Beale, Strickland and James Morice were also on the committee.
page 26 note 2 The New Testament translated out of Greeke by Theodore Beza whereunto are adioyned brief summaries of doctrine and also short expositions on the phrases and hard places. Englished by L. Tomson, London 1576.
page 26 note 3 Sermons of M. John Calvin on the Epistles of S. Paule to Timothie and Titus, translated out of French into English by L. T., London 1579.
page 26 note 4 The book was printed by Adamus del Monte in 1574. One copy of it, however, sold in the Napier sale at Sotheby's, London in March 1886, contains this MS. note: ‘Laurentius Tompsonus. Oxoniensis Theologus doctissimus est hujus libri auctor, 1574’. This copy of the book is now in the Bodleian Library (8° Rawl. 1072).
page 27 note 1 MS. Baker XXXII., fol. 437.
page 27 note 2 See also Collinson, op. cit., 108.
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