Thomas Percy
Thomas Percy was an influential English clergyman, scholar, and literary figure born on April 13, 1729, in Bridgnorth, Shropshire. He pursued higher education at Oxford University, where he earned both a bachelor's and a master's degree. After becoming a vicar in Northamptonshire, he later held the positions of dean of Carlisle and bishop of Dromore. Percy was notably dedicated to the study and collection of traditional English ballads, a passion that culminated in the publication of his acclaimed work, *Reliques of Ancient English Poetry*, in 1765. This collection not only showcased his extensive research of folk poetry but also played a significant role in inspiring later poets such as Robert Burns, William Wordsworth, and Samuel Taylor Coleridge. Percy’s scholarly contributions included translations of various manuscripts, but his legacy primarily lies in his efforts to preserve and elevate the ballad tradition in English literature. His work remains an important part of the cultural heritage surrounding English poetry.
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Subject Terms
Thomas Percy
Bishop
- Born: April 13, 1729
- Birthplace: Bridgnorth, Shropshire, England
- Died: September 30, 1811
- Place of death: Dromore, County Down, Ireland
Biography
Thomas Percy was born in Bridgnorth, Shropshire, England, on April 13, 1729. As a child he attended Bridgnorth Grammar School. He received a bachelor’s degree from Oxford University in 1750, and a master’s degree from the same university in 1753. After receiving his master’s degree, he became the vicar of the church at Easton Maudit in Northamptonshire, and three years later he was appointed vicar at the rectory in Wilby, in the same county. He remained at Wilby until 1782. In 1759, Percy married a woman named Anne Gutterridge. In 1770, Percy graduated from Emmanuel College, Cambridge, with a doctor of divinity degree. He was ordained as the dean of Carlisle in 1778, and as the bishop of Dromore in 1782, largely because of the patronage of the Duke and Duchess of Northumberland.
Percy’s first work, published in 1761, was a translation of a Portuguese manuscript which contained a Chinese proverb. Two years later he translated another manuscript, this time from the original Icelandic. For the next several years, he continued to translate poetry and other works.
Percy’s real interest, however, was in collecting ballads from the local countryside. In the early 1760’s he obtained a manuscript of ballads from someone in Northumberland. His idea was to write a history of the Percy family, the family name of the Duke of Northumberland. He collected ballads from Alnwick, the Duke’s ancestral home, among other places. At the encouragement of friends, including writers Samuel Johnson and James Boswell, Percy turned his collected ballads into a manuscript, Reliques of Ancient English Poetry, which was published in 1765. The publication was quite successful, and Percy’s work encouraged other poets to compose in the ballad form. Percy continued to work on his project commemorating the Northumberland Percys, and he composed an original tribute ballad, The Hermit of Warkworth, in 1771. Percy’s Reliques of Ancient English Poetry set the stage for other, more famous English poets, in particular, Robert Burns, William Wordsworth, and Samuel Taylor Coleridge.