Scott, Thomas

(1705-1775)

   The son of a dissenting clergyman, he was born at Hitchin, Hertfordshire, and probably educated by his father. For a time he took charge of a small boarding school at Wortwell in the parish of Redenhall, Norfolk, and once a month preached to the independent congregation at Harleston in the same parish. From 1733 to 1738 he was minister of the dissenting congregation at Lowestoft, Suffolk, dividing his time between that and St. Nicholas Street Chapel, Ipswich. His last position was the chapel at Hapton, Norfolk, where he died and was buried in the parish churchyard. He was better known as a hymn-writer; eleven of his hymns were first contributed to Hymns for Public Worship (1772). His poetry publications: The Table of Cebes: or, the Picture of Human Life, in English Verse, with Notes, 1754. The Book of Job, in English Verse: Translated from the Original Hebrew, with Remarks, Historical, Critical, and Explanatory, 1771 and 1773. Some of his hymns/poems: "Address to Jesus Christ," "Adversity," "Benefit of Early Piety," "Envy," "Humility," "Jewish and Christian Religion Compared," "The Agony of Jesus Christ," "The Penitent."

   Sources: American Hymns Old and New, Vols. 1 and 2. Albert Christ-Janer and Charles W. Hughes, eds. Columbia University Press, 1980. Dictionary of National Biography. Electronic Edition 1.1. Oxford University Press, 1997. Lyric Poems, Devotional and Moral of Thomas Scott. James Buckland, 1773. The Columbia Granger's Index to Poetry. 11th ed. The Columbia Granger's World of Poetry, Columbia University Press, 2005 (http://www.columbiagrangers.org). The Cyber Hymnal (http://www.cyberhymnal.org/index.htm).