Thomas Broughton (writer)
Encyclopedia
Thomas Broughton was an English clergyman
, biographer, and miscellaneous writer
.
on 5 July 1704, was the son of the rector of St. Andrew's, Holborn
. He was educated at Eton
, and, being superannuated on that foundation, went about 1772 to Cambridge, where 'for the sake of a scholarship he entered himself of Gonville and Caius College
.' In 1727, after taking B.A., he was admitted to deacon's orders, and in 1728 he was ordained priest, and proceeded to the M.A.. He served for several years as curate of Offley
, Hertfordshire
, and in 1739 became rector of Stepington, Huntingdonshire
; the patron, the Duke of Bedford
, also appointing him one of his chaplains. As reader to the Temple, to which he was chosen soon afterwards, he won the favour of the master, Bishop Sherlock
, who in 1744 presented him to the vicarage of Bedminster, near Bristol
, with the chapels of St. Mary Redcliffe, St. Thomas, and Abbot's Leigh annexed. To the same influence he owed a prebend in Salisbury Cathedral
, and on receiving this he removed from London to Bristol, where he died on 21 Dec. 1774. He was an industrious writer in many kinds of composition. He published (1742) an Historical Dictionary of all Religions from the Creation of the World to the Present Times, a huge work in two volumes folio ; he translated Voltaire
's 'Temple of Taste,' and part of Pierre Bayle
's Dictionary
; vindicated orthodox Christianity
against Matthew Tindal
; converted a Roman catholic book ('Dorrel on the Epistles and Gospels') to protestant uses; edited John Dryden
; wrote in defence of the immortality of the soul; and contributed the lives marked 'T' in the original edition of the 'Biographia Britannica
.' John Hawkins
, in his Life of Johnson
, credits Broughton with being the real translator of Jarvis
's Don Quixote. 'The fact is that Jarvis laboured at it many years, but could make but little progress, for being a painter by profession, he had not been accustomed to write, and had no style. Mr. Tonson, the bookseller, seeing this, suggested the thought of employing Mr. Broughton . . . who sat himself down to study the Spanish language, and in a few months acquired, as was pretended, sufficient knowledge thereof to give to the world a translation of "Don Quixote" in the true spirit of the original, and to which is prefixed the name of Jarvis.' Broughton was a lover of music, and acquainted with Handel
, whom he furnished with words for some of his compositions, including the drama of 'Hercules,' first given at the Haymarket
in 1745. In private life he was of a mild and amiable disposition, but in controversy, though not discourteous according to the standard of his time, he was very economical in his concessions to his opponents, and he has been characterised in some respects as a weak and credulous writer.
Anglicanism
Anglicanism is a tradition within Christianity comprising churches with historical connections to the Church of England or similar beliefs, worship and church structures. The word Anglican originates in ecclesia anglicana, a medieval Latin phrase dating to at least 1246 that means the English...
, biographer, and miscellaneous writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
.
Life
Broughton was born in LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
on 5 July 1704, was the son of the rector of St. Andrew's, Holborn
Holborn
Holborn is an area of Central London. Holborn is also the name of the area's principal east-west street, running as High Holborn from St Giles's High Street to Gray's Inn Road and then on to Holborn Viaduct...
. He was educated at Eton
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
, and, being superannuated on that foundation, went about 1772 to Cambridge, where 'for the sake of a scholarship he entered himself of Gonville and Caius College
Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge
Gonville and Caius College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge in Cambridge, England. The college is often referred to simply as "Caius" , after its second founder, John Keys, who fashionably latinised the spelling of his name after studying in Italy.- Outline :Gonville and...
.' In 1727, after taking B.A., he was admitted to deacon's orders, and in 1728 he was ordained priest, and proceeded to the M.A.. He served for several years as curate of Offley
Offley
Offley is a civil parish in the English county of Hertfordshire, between Hitchin and Luton. The main village is Great Offley, and the parish also contains the nearby hamlets of Little Offley and The Flints...
, Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
, and in 1739 became rector of Stepington, Huntingdonshire
Huntingdonshire
Huntingdonshire is a local government district of Cambridgeshire, covering the area around Huntingdon. Traditionally it is a county in its own right...
; the patron, the Duke of Bedford
Duke of Bedford
thumb|right|240px|William Russell, 1st Duke of BedfordDuke of Bedford is a title that has been created five times in the Peerage of England. The first creation came in 1414 in favour of Henry IV's third son, John, who later served as regent of France. He was made Earl of Kendal at the same time...
, also appointing him one of his chaplains. As reader to the Temple, to which he was chosen soon afterwards, he won the favour of the master, Bishop Sherlock
Thomas Sherlock
Thomas Sherlock was a British divine who served as a Church of England bishop for 33 years. He is also noted in church history as an important contributor to Christian apologetics.-Life:...
, who in 1744 presented him to the vicarage of Bedminster, near Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
, with the chapels of St. Mary Redcliffe, St. Thomas, and Abbot's Leigh annexed. To the same influence he owed a prebend in Salisbury Cathedral
Salisbury Cathedral
Salisbury Cathedral, formally known as the Cathedral Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary, is an Anglican cathedral in Salisbury, England, considered one of the leading examples of Early English architecture....
, and on receiving this he removed from London to Bristol, where he died on 21 Dec. 1774. He was an industrious writer in many kinds of composition. He published (1742) an Historical Dictionary of all Religions from the Creation of the World to the Present Times, a huge work in two volumes folio ; he translated Voltaire
Voltaire
François-Marie Arouet , better known by the pen name Voltaire , was a French Enlightenment writer, historian and philosopher famous for his wit and for his advocacy of civil liberties, including freedom of religion, free trade and separation of church and state...
's 'Temple of Taste,' and part of Pierre Bayle
Pierre Bayle
Pierre Bayle was a French philosopher and writer best known for his seminal work the Historical and Critical Dictionary, published beginning in 1695....
's Dictionary
Dictionnaire Historique et Critique
The Dictionnaire Historique et Critique is a biographical dictionary written by Pierre Bayle , a Huguenot who lived and published in Holland after fleeing his native France due to religious persecution. The dictionary was first published in 1697, and enlarged in the second edition of 1702...
; vindicated orthodox Christianity
Orthodox Christianity
The term Orthodox Christianity may refer to:* the Eastern Orthodox Church and its various geographical subdivisions...
against Matthew Tindal
Matthew Tindal
Matthew Tindal was an eminent English deist author. His works, highly influential at the dawn of the Enlightenment, caused great controversy and challenged the Christian consensus of his time.-Life:...
; converted a Roman catholic book ('Dorrel on the Epistles and Gospels') to protestant uses; edited John Dryden
John Dryden
John Dryden was an influential English poet, literary critic, translator, and playwright who dominated the literary life of Restoration England to such a point that the period came to be known in literary circles as the Age of Dryden.Walter Scott called him "Glorious John." He was made Poet...
; wrote in defence of the immortality of the soul; and contributed the lives marked 'T' in the original edition of the 'Biographia Britannica
Biographia Britannica
Biographia Britannica was a multi-volume biographical compendium, "the most ambitious attempt in the latter half of the eighteenth century to document the lives of notable British men and women". The first edition, edited by William Oldys, appeared in 6 volumes between 1747 and 1766...
.' John Hawkins
John Hawkins (author)
Sir John Hawkins was an English author and friend of Dr Samuel Johnson and Horace Walpole. He was part of Johnson's various clubs but later left The Literary Club after a disagreement with some of Johnson's other friends. His friendship with Johnson continued and he was made one of the executors...
, in his Life of Johnson
Life of Samuel Johnson (1787)
The Life of Samuel Johnson or Life of Samuel Johnson, LL. D. was written by John Hawkins in 1787. It was the first full biography of Samuel Johnson with Thomas Tyers's A Biographical Sketch of Dr Samuel Johnson being the first short postmortem biography. Hawkins was friends with Johnson, but many...
, credits Broughton with being the real translator of Jarvis
Charles Jervas
Charles Jervas [Jarvis] was an Irish portrait painter, translator, and art collector of the early 18th century.-Early life:...
's Don Quixote. 'The fact is that Jarvis laboured at it many years, but could make but little progress, for being a painter by profession, he had not been accustomed to write, and had no style. Mr. Tonson, the bookseller, seeing this, suggested the thought of employing Mr. Broughton . . . who sat himself down to study the Spanish language, and in a few months acquired, as was pretended, sufficient knowledge thereof to give to the world a translation of "Don Quixote" in the true spirit of the original, and to which is prefixed the name of Jarvis.' Broughton was a lover of music, and acquainted with Handel
HANDEL
HANDEL was the code-name for the UK's National Attack Warning System in the Cold War. It consisted of a small console consisting of two microphones, lights and gauges. The reason behind this was to provide a back-up if anything failed....
, whom he furnished with words for some of his compositions, including the drama of 'Hercules,' first given at the Haymarket
Haymarket
-United Kingdom:* Haymarket , street in Westminster, London* Newcastle Haymarket, section of Newcastle upon Tyne city centre, England** Haymarket bus station, bus station in Newcastle upon Tyne, above* Haymarket, Edinburgh, area of Edinburgh, Scotland...
in 1745. In private life he was of a mild and amiable disposition, but in controversy, though not discourteous according to the standard of his time, he was very economical in his concessions to his opponents, and he has been characterised in some respects as a weak and credulous writer.