Thomas Traherne

David Reid (University of Stirling)

The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 1.2.1.04: English Writing and Culture of the Seventeenth Century, 1625-1688.
Vol. editors: Jennifer Brady (Rhodes College), Daniel Cook (University of Dundee), Neil Forsyth (Université de Lausanne), Claire Preston (Queen Mary, University of London), J A Roe (University of York), Virginia Mason Vaughan (Clark University)

Dates

Born 1637
Died 1674
Activity 1657-1674

Places

Born in England
Active in England

Activities

Primary

Clergyman
Divine
Poet

Resources

Traherne's Works

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Thomas Traherne was born in 1637, the son of a shoemaker. He and his brother Philip were probably orphaned young and taken into the care of a relative, Philip Traherne, twice mayor of Hereford. He received good enough schooling to go up to Brasenose College, Oxford, where, in 1656, he graduated MA. In 1657 he was appointed to the parish of Credenhill by the Commisioners for the Approbation of Public Preachers. At the Restoration, however, Traherne had himself ordained by a bishop before he was required to do so, thereafter supporting the Episcopal establishment of the Church of England and disapproving of dissent. In doing this Traherne was changing his clerical cloth at a time when it was to his advantage to do so, although, to be fair to Traherne, he did thereafter associate with…

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821 words

Citation: Reid, David. "Thomas Traherne". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 30 June 2002 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=5007, accessed 22 November 2024.]