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Thomas Somerville (minister)
Stephencdickson: article created--~~~~
Rev Dr '''Thomas Somerville''' [[Doctor of Divinity|DD]] [[FRSE]] FSA(Scot) (1740–1830) was an 18th/19th century Scottish minister, antiquarian and amateur scientist. From 1793 until death he was King's Chaplain in Scotland.
==Life==
He was born on 9 March 1740 in the manse at [[Hawick]] in the [[Scottish Borders]] the son of Rev William Somerville (d.1757) and his wife, Janet Grierson. He was educated in Hawick Parish School. On the death of his father he and his two sisters were left in the care of a family friend, Mr Cranstoun of [[Ancrum]].<ref>https://ift.tt/2neJPRE>
He then studied Divinity at [[Edinburgh University]]. He was licenced to preach by the [[Church of Scotland]] in 1764.<ref>A Minister of Jedburgh 1773 to 1830, Rev Thomas Somerville DD by W Wells Mabon 1905</ref> In [[Edinburgh]] he fell from his horse near the house of Rev Bain, minister of the Relief Church and spent some months living there recovering. He had an aversion to horses for the rest of his life.<ref>https://ift.tt/2neJPRE>
He did not get a post as a minister immediately and whilst awaiting a church acted as tutor to the children of [[Sir Gilbert Elliot, 3rd Baronet, of Minto]], later Governor General of India. In 1767 Sir Gilbert appointed him minister of the local parish church at [[Minto, Scottish Borders|Minto]] (probably on the death of the previous minister). In 1772 he transferred from Minto to [[Jedburgh]] and remained there for the rest of his life.<ref>Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)</ref>
In May 1787 Somerville met [[Robert Burns]] during his stay in Jedburgh, but Burns complained that Somerville was "sadly addicted to punning".<ref>https://ift.tt/2vD4brj> Somerville claimed that Burns presented him with a gold-topped cane during his visit. This is unlikely, and although Somerville owned a gold-topped cane it was likely self-bought.<ref>https://ift.tt/2neJPRE>
[[St Andrews University]] awarded him an honorary doctorate (DD) in 1789. In 1793 he was elected a Fellow of the [[Royal Society of Edinburgh]]. His proposers were [[Andrew Dalzell]], [[James Hutton]], and [[John Hill (classicist)|Rev John Hill]].<ref>Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)</ref>
He died following a short illness in the manse at Jedburgh on 16 May 1830 aged 90. He is buried in the grounds of [[Jedburgh Abbey]] within the Lady Chapel.<ref>https://ift.tt/2ndSN1v>
==Family==
In 1770 he married Martha Charters (d.1809). They had at least six children<ref>Grave of Rev Thomas Somerville, Jedburgh Abbey</ref> including [[William Somerville (physician)|William Somerville]] who later married their niece [[Mary Somerville|Mary Greig (nee Fairfax)]], who spent much of her childhood with them.<ref>https://ift.tt/2vFgbIS>
His daughter Janet married General [[Henry Elliot]].<ref>https://ift.tt/2LWNZMu>
==Publications==
*''History of Political Transactions and Parties from Charles II to King William'' (1792)
*''On the Constitution and State of Great Britain'' (1793)
*''The History of Great Britain During the Reign of Queen Anne'' (1798)<ref>https://ift.tt/2vDlCIs>
*''My Own Life and Times'' (1814)
*''A Collection of Sermons'' (1815)
==References==
[[Category:1740 births]]
[[Category:1830 deaths]]
[[Category:People from Hawick]]
[[Category:Alumni of the University of Edinburgh]]
[[Category:Scottish clergy]]
[[Category:Scottish historians]]
[[Category:Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh]]
==Life==
He was born on 9 March 1740 in the manse at [[Hawick]] in the [[Scottish Borders]] the son of Rev William Somerville (d.1757) and his wife, Janet Grierson. He was educated in Hawick Parish School. On the death of his father he and his two sisters were left in the care of a family friend, Mr Cranstoun of [[Ancrum]].<ref>https://ift.tt/2neJPRE>
He then studied Divinity at [[Edinburgh University]]. He was licenced to preach by the [[Church of Scotland]] in 1764.<ref>A Minister of Jedburgh 1773 to 1830, Rev Thomas Somerville DD by W Wells Mabon 1905</ref> In [[Edinburgh]] he fell from his horse near the house of Rev Bain, minister of the Relief Church and spent some months living there recovering. He had an aversion to horses for the rest of his life.<ref>https://ift.tt/2neJPRE>
He did not get a post as a minister immediately and whilst awaiting a church acted as tutor to the children of [[Sir Gilbert Elliot, 3rd Baronet, of Minto]], later Governor General of India. In 1767 Sir Gilbert appointed him minister of the local parish church at [[Minto, Scottish Borders|Minto]] (probably on the death of the previous minister). In 1772 he transferred from Minto to [[Jedburgh]] and remained there for the rest of his life.<ref>Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)</ref>
In May 1787 Somerville met [[Robert Burns]] during his stay in Jedburgh, but Burns complained that Somerville was "sadly addicted to punning".<ref>https://ift.tt/2vD4brj> Somerville claimed that Burns presented him with a gold-topped cane during his visit. This is unlikely, and although Somerville owned a gold-topped cane it was likely self-bought.<ref>https://ift.tt/2neJPRE>
[[St Andrews University]] awarded him an honorary doctorate (DD) in 1789. In 1793 he was elected a Fellow of the [[Royal Society of Edinburgh]]. His proposers were [[Andrew Dalzell]], [[James Hutton]], and [[John Hill (classicist)|Rev John Hill]].<ref>Liquid error: wrong number of arguments (1 for 2)</ref>
He died following a short illness in the manse at Jedburgh on 16 May 1830 aged 90. He is buried in the grounds of [[Jedburgh Abbey]] within the Lady Chapel.<ref>https://ift.tt/2ndSN1v>
==Family==
In 1770 he married Martha Charters (d.1809). They had at least six children<ref>Grave of Rev Thomas Somerville, Jedburgh Abbey</ref> including [[William Somerville (physician)|William Somerville]] who later married their niece [[Mary Somerville|Mary Greig (nee Fairfax)]], who spent much of her childhood with them.<ref>https://ift.tt/2vFgbIS>
His daughter Janet married General [[Henry Elliot]].<ref>https://ift.tt/2LWNZMu>
==Publications==
*''History of Political Transactions and Parties from Charles II to King William'' (1792)
*''On the Constitution and State of Great Britain'' (1793)
*''The History of Great Britain During the Reign of Queen Anne'' (1798)<ref>https://ift.tt/2vDlCIs>
*''My Own Life and Times'' (1814)
*''A Collection of Sermons'' (1815)
==References==
[[Category:1740 births]]
[[Category:1830 deaths]]
[[Category:People from Hawick]]
[[Category:Alumni of the University of Edinburgh]]
[[Category:Scottish clergy]]
[[Category:Scottish historians]]
[[Category:Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh]]
August 05, 2018 at 11:29PM
