17 Facts About Thomas Tenison

Thomas Tenison was an English church leader, Archbishop of Canterbury from 1694 until his death.

Thomas Tenison was born at Cottenham, Cambridgeshire, the son and grandson of Anglican clergymen, who were both named John Tenison; his mother was Mercy Dowsing.

Thomas Tenison was educated at Norwich School, going on to Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, as a scholar on Archbishop Matthew Parker's foundation.

Thomas Tenison graduated in 1657, and was chosen fellow in 1659.

Under King William III, Thomas Tenison was in 1689 named a member of the ecclesiastical commission appointed to prepare matters towards a reconciliation of the Dissenters, the revision of the liturgy being specially entrusted to him.

Thomas Tenison strongly supported, at least in public, the Glorious Revolution, though not without some private misgivings, especially concerning the ejection of Archbishop William Sancroft and the other "non-juring" bishops.

Thomas Tenison attended Queen Mary during her last illness and preached her funeral sermon in Westminster Abbey.

In 1695, when William went to take command of the army in the Netherlands, Thomas Tenison was appointed one of the seven lords justices to whom his authority was delegated.

Thomas Tenison was sworn in as a member of the Privy Council of England in 1695 upon his appointment as Archbishop of Canterbury.

Thomas Tenison crowned William's successor, Queen Anne, but during her reign was in very little favour at court: the Queen thought that he inclined too much to the Low Church, and clashed repeatedly with him over her sole right to appoint bishops.

Thomas Tenison was instrumental in the last years of his life in the literary executorship of Sir Thomas Browne's manuscript writings known as Christian Morals.

Besides the sermons and tracts above mentioned, and various others on the "Popish" controversy, Thomas Tenison was the author of The Creed of Mr Hobbes Examined and Baconia, or Certain Genuine Remains of Lord Bacon.

Thomas Tenison was one of the founders of the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel.

Thomas Tenison married Anne, daughter of Richard Love; but died without issue.

Thomas Tenison is said to have advanced Richard in his career: in his will he left legacies to all of Richard's five sons.

The arms of Thomas Tenison, placed on the sinister side of the escutcheon are blazoned as: Gules, a bend engrailed argent voided azure, between three leopard's faces or jessant-de-lys azure.

Two archbishops were identified from nameplates on their coffins; with church records revealing that a further three archbishops, including Thomas Tenison, were likely to be buried in the vault.