Thomas Zouch DD (1737 - 1815)

Born 12 Sep 1737 in Sandal Magna, Yorkshire, England

Husband of Isabella (Emerson) Zouch — married 9 Jul 1772 (to 18 Oct 1803) in Winston, County Durham, England

Husband of Margaret (Brooke) Zouch — married 25 Aug 1808 (to 17 Dec 1815) in Sandal Magna, Yorkshire, England

Died 17 Dec 1815 at age 78 in Sandal Magna, Yorkshire, England

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Biography

Thomas Zouch DD is Notable.

Thomas Zouch DD was born in Sandal Magna, Yorkshire, England.

Thomas Zouch - brilliant scholar, esteemed cleric, prolific author - was a man valued by colleagues and friends for his integrity and humble, benevolent nature. His personal belief that he was descended from the noble La Zouche family cannot be proven but is of little consequence as he held that "no man should derive honour or infamy from the station which his ancestors filled in civil society".

Thomas was born September 12, 1737 in Sandal Magna near Wakefield, Yorkshire. ^[1] His lifelong passion for learning was fostered early by his father, the Rev. Charles Zouch MA who was Vicar of Sandal Magna and for a time, Assistant Master at Wakefield Grammar School.^[2] Thomas had great affection and respect for his father and later eulogized him as "a person truly eminent for his piety and his learning". ^[3] His years at the Free Grammar School of Wakefield provided him with a foundation in the Classics and meticulous study habits, preparing him well for his illustrious academic career at Cambridge.

Thomas was admitted to Trinity College, Cambridge as a pensioner when he was just shy of twenty years of age (rather mature for the time).^[4][5] Charles Zouch had died somewhat suddenly(1754), just at the time when Thomas would have been expected to matriculate and this loss may have delayed the move. His ability for serious focus on his studies and his prodigious memory were rewarded by numerous prizes which included a Craven Scholarship and graduating BA as Third Wrangler.^[4][5] In 1762, he was elected Fellow of the college^[4][5] and remained there until 1770, again being awarded many prizes^[4][5] and winning the respect of his pupils and colleagues. In 1763 he was appointed assistant-tutor and having been ordained in 1761, simultaneously held the position of Curate at Chapelthorpe.^[4][5][6]The duties of this post combined with his Fellowship and Tutorship at Cambridge proved too great a burden and his health began to deteriorate. He resigned his position and was presented by the college to the rectory of Wycliffe in the North Riding. ^[7]

For his writing and studies in botany, he was elected a Fellow of the Linnean Society in 1788.^[7] In 1791, he was made deputy-commissary for the archdeaconry of Richmond.^[6] He remained at Wycliffe until 1793, at which time he accepted the rectory of Scrayingham in the East Riding.^[6] In 1805, he was appointed a Prebendary of Durham Cathedral.^[6] This was also the year in which his life of scholarship culminated in his Doctor of Divinity degree. ^[5] In 1808 the bishopric of Carlisle was offered to him^[8] , but he felt himself to be too advanced in age to fulfil the role in the manner in which he would wish and declined the offer. His always frail health had been worsening and he found his increasing deafness (which had commenced at an early age) to be a significant impediment.

As a theologian, Thomas was devout and conservative, although a liberal thinker and always open to new schools of thought. He sought to faithfully perform the duties of position and had little interest in climbing the ecclesiastical ladder. His faith guided his conduct and he daily studied the scriptures in Hebrew. He never hesitated to assist the poor and was a founder of the endowed school at Sandal Magna.^[8] The message of his sermon preached at Richmond in 1789 illustrates his belief that glory lay in a simple life, well-lived.^[9] The Rev. Francis Wrangham quotes the words of a mutual acquaintance:
"A firm adherence to religion and the duties which it injoined was the governing principle of his life and its influence extended to every part of his conduct . His private charities were large, as became his station, and long and dearly will his memory be cherished by all who had the blessing of intimately knowing his numerous domestic virtues."^[10]

Upon the death of his brother Henry in 1795, he succeeded to an estate at Sandal and not wishing to displace Henry's widow, retired there in 1796 after her death. At this time, he became a Governor of the Wakefield Grammar School.^[8] His ever-curious mind however, did not retire and he continued with his writing and correspondence and the study of the Arabic and Chaldea languages (to add to his mastery of Latin, Greek and Hebrew), as well as Italian and French literature . Of the many volumes authored by Dr. Zouch ^[3][11][12], he is perhaps best remembered for his work on Izaak Walton, published posthumously in 1823.^[12]

Thomas married twice with neither marriage resulting in offspring.^[13] His first marriage in 1772 was to Isabella Emerson, daughter of the Rev. John Emerson, rector at Winston, Durham.^[14] Isabella died in 1803 and he subsequently married Margaret Brooke (who survived him) in 1808.^[15]

Thomas died at the age of 78 on December 17, 1815 in Sandal Magna and was buried there December 23, 1815.^[16] His estate passed probate in December 1816.^[17]

Sources

1. ↑ Baptism: "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975"
   citing Digital film/folder number: 008087594; FHL microfilm: 558354
   FamilySearch Record: NPMM-5JH
   Thomas Zorich baptism on 28 Sep 1737, son of Charles Zorich, in Sandal Magna, Yorkshire, England.
2. ↑ Free Grammar School Of Queen Elizabeth Volume title: History Of Free Grammar School Of Queen Elizabeth At Wakefield, Pub 1892 Year: 1591-1891 Town: Wakefield County: Yorkshire CHARLES ZOUCH, B.A., Trinity College, Cambridge, Assistant in 1717; B.A. in 1714, M.A. in 1718: Vicar of Sandal Magna from 1718 to 1754: died July 27, 1754, and buried at Sandal https://search.findmypast.co.uk/record?id=ANGUL%2FARA082%2F0180&parentid=ANGUL%2FARA082%2F0180
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1} Wrangham, Rev. Francis; The works of the Rev. Thomas Zouch ... With a memoir of his life: T. Wilson and sons for F.C. and J. Rivington, London, and Wilson and Sons, York, 1820. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=hvd.hwczqt&seq=32
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4} Alumni Cantabrigienses pg 635 https://archive.org/details/p2alumnicantabri06univuoft
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5} Cambridge Alumni Database https://venn.lib.cam.ac.uk/cgi-bin/search-2018.pl?sur=&suro=w&fir=&firo=c&cit=&cito=c&c=all&z=all&tex=ZC756T&sye=&eye=&col=all&maxcount=50
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3} Thomas Zouch CCEd Person ID: 103251 https://theclergydatabase.org.uk/jsp/persons/index.jsp
7. ↑ ^{7.0 7.1} Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900, Volume 63 https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Dictionary_of_National_Biography,_1885-1900/Zouch,_Thomas
8. ↑ ^{8.0 8.1 8.2} History Of Free Grammar School Of Queen Elizabeth At Wakefield, Pub 1892 Year: 1591-1891 Town: Wakefield County: Yorkshire Country: England Image number: 242 THOMAS ZOUCH, son of the Rev. Charles Z., Vicar of Sandal, and previously Assistant Master in the School. Born Sep. 12, 1737 : entered as Pensioner of Trin. Coll. Camb. in 1757 : elected Scholar in 1758: Craven Scholar in 1760: 3rd Wrangler in 1761 : Fellow in 1762: Member's Prizeman in 1762 and 1763: Seatonian Prize in 1765 : Assistant Tutor of Trin. Coll. in 1763. M.A. in 1764, D.D. in 1805. Rector of WWrycliff, Yorks. in 1770-93: Rector of Scrayingham, Yorks. in 1793. Retired to live at Sandal in 1795. Prebendary of Durham in 1805. Was offered the Bishopric of Carlisle in 1808. Died Dec. 17, 1815. Governor of the School, and founder of Sandal Endowed School. https://search.findmypast.co.uk/record?id=ANGUL%2FARA082%2F0242&parentid=ANGUL%2FARA082%2F0242
9. ↑ Wrangham, Rev. Francis; The works of the Rev. Thomas Zouch ... With a memoir of his life: T. Wilson and sons for F.C. and J. Rivington, London, and Wilson and Sons, York, 1820. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=hvd.hwczqt&seq=103
10. ↑ Wrangham, Rev. Francis; The works of the Rev. Thomas Zouch ... With a memoir of his life: T. Wilson and sons for F.C. and J. Rivington, London, and Wilson and Sons, York, 1820. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=hvd.hwczqt&seq=65
11. ↑ https://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/webbin/book/lookupname?key=Zouch%2C%20Thomas%2C%201737%2D1815
12. ↑ ^{12.0 12.1} Wikipedia: Thomas Zouch https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Zouch
13. ↑ Wrangham, Rev. Francis; The works of the Rev. Thomas Zouch ... With a memoir of his life: T. Wilson and sons for F.C. and J. Rivington, London, and Wilson and Sons, York, 1820. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=hvd.hwczqt&seq=63
14. ↑ Marriage: "England Marriages, 1538–1973"
    citing FHL microfilm: 962965
    FamilySearch Record: N2RN-VZV
    Thomas Zouch marriage to Isabella Emerson on 9 Jul 1772 in Winston, Durham, England.
15. ↑ Marriage: "England Marriages, 1538–1973"
    citing Digital film/folder number: 008087594; FHL microfilm: 558354
    FamilySearch Record: NVTB-74Z
    Thomas Zorich marriage to Margaret Brooke on 25 Aug 1808 in Sandal Magna, Yorkshire, England, United Kingdom.
16. ↑ Burial: "National Burial Index For England & Wales"
    FindMyPast Transcription
    Thomas Zouch burial (died in 1815 at age 78) on 23 Dec 1815 in Sandal Magna, Yorkshire (West Riding), England.
17. ↑ Probate: "Prerogative & Exchequer Courts Of York Probate Index, 1688-1858"
    FindMyPast Image - FindMyPast Transcription
    Thomas Zouch probate on 1816, DEC. Residence Sandall Magna, Yorkshire, England.

See Also

• The Will of Reverend Thomas Zouch, Doctor in Divinity, Prebendary of the Catholic Church of Durham of Sandal Magna , Yorkshire https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D567944

(free to download but must create an account)

• From the guide to the Letters of Thomas Zouch and Henry Zouch, 1782, c.1792, (Hull University, Brynmor Jones Library) https://snaccooperative.org/ark:/99166/w6912fp2

• Zouch, Thomas, DD https://www.biblicalcyclopedia.com/Z/zouch-thomas-dd.html

• Some unsatisfactory photos of the Zouch family burials at St. Helen's, Sandal Magna may be found at the bottom of the page Here

Research Notes

The use of the surname "Zorich" in the baptismal record is assumed to be a poor transcription of "Zouch". No online record images could be located to validate this. (searched Find My Past, Family Search and general internet search)