Thomas Young (writer and theologian)

For other people named Thomas Young, see Thomas Young (disambiguation).

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

Thomas Young (bapt. 29 December 1772 – 11 November 1835) was an English writer, theologian, educator, and Anglican clergyman. He was educated at Trinity College, Cambridge, where he matriculated as a sizar in 1789, became a scholar in 1793, and graduated as the Twelfth Wrangler in the Mathematical Tripos of 1794. He was elected a Fellow of Trinity in 1795 and went on to serve as an Assistant Tutor, Tutor, and Senior Dean. In 1813, he was appointed Rector of Gilling East, Yorkshire, a post he held until his death in 1835.

Young wrote about animal ethics, particularly in his 1798 publication An Essay on Humanity to Animals. In this work, he used Christian theology and moral philosophy to criticise cruelty to animals, arguing that animals possess sentience and should receive humane treatment and the protection of certain natural rights. He drew on scripture to condemn various common practices involving the abuse of animals and held that moral responsibility extended to non-human creatures. In addition to his writings on animals, Young published sermons and theological tracts addressing doctrines of Christian belief, including the resurrection, righteousness, and prayer.

Biography

Early life and education

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 and being recorded as the Twelfth Wrangler. He proceeded M.A. in 1797.[5]

Academic career

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

Ecclesiastical career

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 East, Yorkshire, and held the benefice until his death.[5]

Writing

An Essay on Humanity to Animals

In his 1798 work, An Essay on Humanity to Animals, Young presented a theological argument against animal cruelty. He analysed nine key scriptural references to condemn approximately 15 common forms of cruelty and argued that God values animals, expecting humans to show similar care.[6][7] He asserted that animals are capable of experiencing both pleasure and pain and that they deserve rights based on this.[8][9] While he criticised the mistreatment of animals in activities such as hunting and blood sports, he accepts the practice of scientific vivisection.[10] Young is particularly critical of clergy members who participate in blood sports.[11]

Other theological works

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).[12]

Personal life and death

Young married Mary Simpson Blamire on 15 August 1814. They had six sons and two daughters. William Blamire Young was his grandson.[13]

Young died on 11 November 1835, aged 63.[5] He was buried at Holy Cross Church, Gilling, and a memorial to him was installed inside.[14][15]

Selected publications

See also

References

  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. ^ French, Roger Kenneth; Wear, Andrew; Geyer-Kordesch, Johanna (1993). Doctors and Ethics: The Earlier Historical Setting of Professional Ethics. Rodopi. p. 211. ISBN 978-90-5183-553-3.
  7. ^ 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.
  8. ^ Ozarska, Magdalena (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)
  9. ^ Magel, Charles R. (1989). Keyguide to Information Sources in Animal Rights. London, England: Mansell Publishing. pp. 76–77. ISBN 978-0-89950-405-6.
  10. ^ Ach, Johann S.; Borchers, Dagmar (23 November 2018). Handbuch Tierethik: Grundlagen – Kontexte – Perspektiven (in German). Springer-Verlag. p. 17. ISBN 978-3-476-05402-9.
  11. ^ May, Allyson N. (16 March 2016). The Fox-Hunting Controversy, 1781-2004: Class and Cruelty. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-317-03139-0.
  12. ^ "Thomas Young". WorldCat Entities. Retrieved 11 January 2025.
  13. ^ Foster, Joseph (1884). The Royal Lineage of Our Noble and Gentle Families. London: Hazell, Watson and Viney. p. 58.
  14. ^ "Thomas Young grave monument details at Holy Cross Church burial ground, Gilling East, Yorkshire, England". Gravestone Photographic Resource. Retrieved 21 November 2024.
  15. ^ "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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