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Thomas Young (writer and theologian)

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The Reverend
Thomas Young
Title page of An Essay on Humanity to Animals (1798)
Baptised29 December 1772
Dalston, Cumberland, England
Died (aged 63)
Gilling, Yorkshire, England
Burial place
Holy Cross Church, Gilling
Education
Occupations
  • Writer
  • theologian
  • educator
  • clergyman
Notable workAn Essay on Humanity to Animals (1798)
Spouse
Mary Simpson Blamire
​
​
(m. 1814)​
Children8
Relatives
ReligionAnglicanism
Offices held
Rector of Gilling (1813–1835)

Thomas Young (1772 – 11 November 1835) was an English writer, theologian, educator, and Anglican clergyman. He was educated at Hawkshead Grammar School and Trinity College, Cambridge. He was elected a Fellow of Trinity in 1795 and later served there as assistant tutor, tutor, and senior dean. In 1813, he became rector of Gilling, Yorkshire, where he remained until his death.

Young is chiefly associated with An Essay on Humanity to Animals (1798), a theological and moral argument against cruelty to animals. The work argues that animals are sentient beings and that humans have duties toward them. It uses biblical passages to criticise hunting, blood sports, and other forms of animal mistreatment. Young also published sermons and theological tracts on Christian doctrine, including the resurrection, righteousness, and prayer.

Biography

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Early life and education

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Thomas Young was born in 1772, the son of Thomas Young of Cumdivock (later of Greensyke), and his wife Rachel Young (née Bewley).[1][2][3] He was baptised on 29 December 1772 in Dalston, Cumberland.[2][3] Young later attended Hawkshead Grammar School, Lancashire, where he was a contemporary of William Wordsworth.[4]

Young enrolled at Trinity College, Cambridge, in October 1789 as a sizar. He became a scholar in 1793 and took his B.A. in 1794, placing 12th in the Mathematical Tripos. He proceeded M.A. in 1797.[5]

Academic career

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Young was elected a Fellow of Trinity College in 1795. He served as assistant tutor from 1801 to 1811, tutor from 1811 to 1813, and senior dean from 1806 to 1809.[5]

Ecclesiastical career

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Young was ordained deacon on 31 May 1801 and priest on 13 June 1802 by George Pretyman (later Tomline), Bishop of Lincoln. In 1813, he was appointed rector of Gilling, Yorkshire, and held the benefice until his death.[5]

From 1809, Young was a subscribing member of the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge.[6]

Writing

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An Essay on Humanity to Animals

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In An Essay on Humanity to Animals (1798), Young presented a theological argument against animal cruelty. He discussed nine biblical passages and used them to criticise approximately 15 common forms of cruelty, arguing that God values animals and expects humans to show care toward them.[7][8] He argued that animals can experience pleasure and pain and that this capacity grounds claims to rights.[9][10] He criticised the mistreatment of animals in hunting and blood sports, but accepted scientific vivisection.[11] He was especially critical of clergy who took part in blood sports.[12]

Other theological works

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Young published several other theological texts, including Christ's Resurrection the Cause and Pattern of Ours (1811), Christian Righteousness: A Sermon (1811), Three Sermons on St. Paul's Doctrine (1820), and Seven Sermons on the Lord's Prayer (1827).[13]

Personal life and death

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Young married Mary Simpson Blamire on 15 August 1814; her brother was William Blamire, MP for Cumberland. They had six sons and two daughters. William Blamire Young was his grandson.[14]

Young died in Gilling on 11 November 1835, aged 63.[5] He was buried at Holy Cross Church, Gilling, where a memorial to him was installed on an interior wall.[15][16]

Selected publications

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  • An Essay on Humanity to Animals. London: T. Cadell, jun. and W. Davies. 1798.
  • Christ's Resurrection the Cause and Pattern of Ours: A Sermon. Cambridge: J. Smith. 1811.
  • Christian Righteousness: A Sermon. Cambridge: J. Smith. 1811.
  • Three Sermons on St. Paul's Doctrine. York: J. Wolstenholme. 1820.
  • Seven Sermons on the Lord's Prayer. York: J. Wolstenholme. 1827.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Young, Thomas, 1772-1835". Library of Congress. Retrieved 21 February 2026.
  2. ^ a b Parker, Donald Dean (1946). The Bewley and Related Families. p. 71 – via Internet Archive.
  3. ^ a b Wilson, James, ed. (1895). The Parish Registers of Dalston, Cumberland: Baptisms, marriages, burials, 1678-1812. Dalston, Cumberland: William R. Beck. p. 64 – via Google Books.
  4. ^ Maycock, Christopher (2003). A Passionate Poet: Susanna Blamire, 1747-94: A Biography. Penzance: Hypatia Publications. p. 116. ISBN 978-1-872229-42-3.
  5. ^ a b c d "Person: Young, Thomas (1801 - 1813)". Clergy of the Church of England database. Retrieved 21 November 2024.
  6. ^ Marsh, Herbert (1811). The National Religion the Foundation of National Education: A Sermon Preached in the Cathedral Church of St. Paul, London. London: Ann Rivington. p. 120 – via Google Books.
  7. ^ French, Roger Kenneth; Wear, Andrew; Geyer-Kordesch, Johanna (1993). Doctors and Ethics: The Earlier Historical Setting of Professional Ethics. Amsterdam, New York: Rodopi. p. 211. ISBN 978-90-5183-553-3.
  8. ^ Preece, Rod; Fraser, David (1 January 2000). "The Status of Animals in Biblical and Christian Thought: A Study in Colliding Values" (PDF). Society & Animals. 8 (1): 245–263. doi:10.1163/156853000X00165. ISSN 1568-5306.
  9. ^ Ozarska, Magdalena (30 July 2020). "Frances Burney Gazes at Animals. Or Is It Women? Evidence from Her Life Writing" (PDF). Teksty Drugie. 1 (English ed.): 41. doi:10.18318/td.2020.en.1.4 (inactive 1 July 2025).{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of July 2025 (link)
  10. ^ Magel, Charles R. (1989). Keyguide to Information Sources in Animal Rights. London: Mansell Publishing. pp. 76–77. ISBN 978-0-89950-405-6.
  11. ^ Ach, Johann S.; Borchers, Dagmar (23 November 2018). Handbuch Tierethik: Grundlagen – Kontexte – Perspektiven (in German). Stuttgart: J. B. Metzler. p. 17. ISBN 978-3-476-05402-9.
  12. ^ May, Allyson N. (16 March 2016). The Fox-Hunting Controversy, 1781-2004: Class and Cruelty. Abingdon: Routledge. ISBN 978-1-317-03139-0.
  13. ^ "Thomas Young". WorldCat Entities. Retrieved 11 January 2025.
  14. ^ Foster, Joseph (1884). The Royal Lineage of Our Noble and Gentle Families. London: Hazell, Watson and Viney. p. 58.
  15. ^ "Thomas Young grave monument details at Holy Cross Church burial ground, Gilling East, Yorkshire, England". Gravestone Photographic Resource. Retrieved 21 November 2024.
  16. ^ "Church of the Holy Cross, Gilling East". Twenty Trees. Archived from the original on 25 April 2025. Retrieved 21 November 2024.
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