William Thomas (bishop of Worcester)

William Thomas (2 February 1613 – 25 June 1689) was a

Bishop of St David's and later the Bishop of Worcester

Life

Thomas was educated at

in 1665 and continued to hold his deanery ‘in commendam' after leaving Laugharne when translated to the see of Worcester. [2] He was elected

Bishop of St David's on 19 November 1677 and consecrated on 27 January 1678; he was allowed to remain in his position as Dean of Worcester. He was regarded as an active bishop, with strong family links to west Wales and fluency in the Welsh language. He was translated to Worcester in 1683, gaining a reputation for generosity to the poor in his time there. He died in Worcester in 1689, and was buried in the cathedral cloisters. His tomb was designed by Thomas White.^[3]

In Antiquities of Laugharne p. 101 Mary Curtis records “He faithfully served Church and State in this See until the Revolution of 1688, when, refusing to take the oath of allegiance to William III, he would have been turned out of his See had not his death intervened to spare him this indignity. His objections to the oath were conscientious, and could not be overcome.’’ In a letter to a friend, he says: If my heart do not deceive me, and God’s grace do not fail me, I think I could suffer at the stake rather than take this oath.” I have obtained this account of Rev. W. Thomas from ‘ Curiosities of the Pulpit,’ by Rev. Prebendary Jackson. It is surprising that Mr. Thomas should hesitate to take this oath, or could be so blind to the miseries and dangerous state James II's policy was bringing on the country, and that any faithful Protestant clergyman could uphold a popish sovereign.” ^[2]

References

^ Antiquities of Laugharne p. 100 by Mary Curtis (1870)
^
doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/27244. Retrieved 16 March 2008. (Subscription or UK public library membership
required.)

^ Dictionary of British Sculptors 1660-1851 by Rupert Gunnis p.430

Church of England titles
Preceded by Thomas Warmestry	Dean of Worcester 1665–1683	Succeeded by George Hickes
Preceded by William Lucy	Bishop of St David's 1677–1683	Succeeded by Lawrence Womach
Preceded by James Fleetwood	Bishop of Worcester 1683–1689	Succeeded by Edward Stillingfleet

v t e Bishops of Worcester
Early medieval	Bosel Oftfor Egwin of Evesham Wilfrith (I) Milred Waermund Tilhere Heathured Denebeorht Heahbeorht Ealhhun Werferth Æthelhun Wilfrith (II) Koenwald Dunstan Oswald Ealdwulf
High medieval	Wulfstan (I) Leofsige Beorhtheah Lyfing Ælfric Puttoc Lyfing Ealdred Wulfstan (II) Samson Theulf Simon John de Pageham Alured Roger Baldwin of Forde William of Northall Robert FitzRalph Henry de Sully John of Coutances Mauger Randulf of Evesham Walter de Gray Sylvester William de Blois Walter de Cantilupe Nicholas of Ely Godfrey Giffard
Late medieval	John St German William Gainsborough Walter Reynolds Walter Maidstone Thomas Cobham Wulstan Bransford Adam Orleton Simon Montacute Thomas Hemenhale Wulstan Bransford John of Thoresby Reginald Brian John Barnet William Whittlesey William Lenn Walter Lyghe Henry Wakefield Robert Tideman of Winchcombe Richard Clifford Thomas Peverel Philip Morgan Thomas Polton Thomas Brunce Thomas Bourchier John Carpenter ("Bishop of Worcester and Westbury") John Alcock Robert Morton Giovanni de' Gigli
Early modern	Silvestro de' Gigli Girolamo Ghinucci Hugh Latimer John Bell Nicholas Heath John Hooper, Bishop of Worcester and Gloucester Nicholas Heath Richard Pate Edwin Sandys Nicholas Bullingham John Whitgift Edmund Freke Richard Fletcher Thomas Bilson Gervase Babington Henry Parry John Thornborough John Prideaux Episcopacy abolished (Commonwealth) George Morley John Gauden John Earle Robert Skinner Walter Blandford James Fleetwood William Thomas Edward Stillingfleet William Lloyd John Hough Isaac Maddox James Johnson Brownlow North Richard Hurd
Late modern	Folliott Cornewall Robert Carr Henry Pepys Henry Philpott John Perowne Charles Gore Huyshe Yeatman-Biggs Ernest Pearce Arthur Perowne William Wilson Cash Mervyn Charles-Edwards Robin Woods Philip Goodrich Peter Selby John Inge

v t e Bishops of St Davids
Early medieval	Saint David Cynog Saint Teilo Ceneu Morfael Haernynin Elwaed Gurnuru Llunwerth I Gwrgwst Gwrgan Clydog Einion Elfodd Ethelman Elaunc Maelsgwyd Sadyrnfyw Cadell Sulhaithnay Nobis Idwal Asser Arthwael Samson Ruelin Rhydderch Elwyn Morfyw Llunwerth II Eneuris Sulhidyr Ivor Morgeneu
High medieval	Nathan Ieuan Arwystl Erbin Trahaearn Joseph Bleiddud Sulien Abraham Sulien Rhygyfarch Wilfrid Daniel Bernard David FitzGerald Peter de Leia Gerald of Wales Geoffrey de Henlaw Iorwerth Anselm le Gras Thomas Wallensis Richard Carew Thomas Bek
Late medieval	David Martyn Henry Gower John of Thoresby Reginald Brian Thomas Fastolf Adam Houghton Richard Mitford John Gilbert Guy Mone Henry Chichele John Catterick Stephen Patrington Benedict Nichols Thomas Rodborne William Lyndwood John Langton John De la Bere Robert Tully Richard Martyn Thomas Langton Hugh Pavy John Morgan
Early modern	Robert Sherborne Edward Vaughan Richard Rawlins William Barlow Robert Ferrar Henry Morgan Thomas Young Richard Davies Marmaduke Middleton Anthony Rudd Richard Milbourne William Laud Theophilus Feild Roger Maynwaring Episcopacy abolished (Commonwealth) William Lucy William Thomas Laurence Womock John Lloyd Thomas Watson George Bull Philip Bisse Adam Ottley Richard Smalbroke Elias Sydall Nicholas Clagett Edward Willes Richard Trevor Anthony Ellys Samuel Squire Robert Lowth Charles Moss James Yorke John Warren Edward Smallwell Samuel Horsley William Stuart Lord George Murray Thomas Burgess John Jenkinson Connop Thirlwall Basil Jones John Owen
Church in Wales	John Owen David Prosser (Archbishop of Wales) William Havard John Richards Eric Roberts George Noakes (Archbishop of Wales) Ivor Rees Huw Jones Carl Cooper Wyn Evans Joanna Penberthy Dorrien Davies

Deans of Worcester

Early modern

Late modern

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