Laurence Tomson

was born in Northamptonshire, elected Demy of Magd. coll. 1556. aged 17. and soon after being a great proficient in Logick and Philosopy was admitted Probationer, 11. Sept. 1559. and the year after perpetual fellow of the said coll. In 1564. he proceeded in Arts, was with Sir Tho. Hoby in his Embassie to France; and in 1568. he resigned his fellowship. What became of him afterward, let his Epitaph following speak, while I tell you that he translated from Lat. into English (1) Sermons on the Epistles to Timothy and Titus. Lond. 1579. qu. written by John Calvin. (2) Version and annotations on the New Test. Lond. 1589. in oct. Which version and annot. were made in lat. by Theod. Beza. He also translated from French into English (1) A Treatise of the excellency of a Christian man. Lond. 1576. and 85. in oct. written by Monsieur Peter de la Place one of the Kings Councel, and chief President of the Court of Aides in Paris. (2) The life and death of Pet. de la Place, &c. Lond. 1576. and 85. in oct. What other things he hath translated, or what he hath written, I cannot tell. 1608 He concluded his last day in sixteen hundred and eight, and was buried in the Chancel of the Church at Chertsey in Surrey. Over his grave was this Epitaph soon after fastned on the east wall of the said chancel. Laurentio Tomsono honesta Tomsoniorum familia in agro Northamptoniensi oriundo, in collegio Magdal. Oxon. educato, perigrinatione Sueviae, Russiae, Daeniae, Germaniae, Italiae, Galliae nobilitato: duodecem linguarum cognitione instructo; Theologiae, Juris civilis & municipalis nostri, totiusque literaturae politioris scientiae claro: ingenii acumine, disputandi subtilitate, cloquenai suavitate & lepore, virtute omni pietateque insigni: linguae Hebraicae publica Genevae professione celebri: accurata Novi Testamenti translatione notabili: In politicis apud Walsinghamam Elizabethae Reginae Scribam pracipuum diu multumque exercitato: post cujus mortem vitae privatae umbratilisque jucunditate annos XX. (e)(e) Sir Fr. Walsingham died 1590. and therefore he lived not there 20. years. continuos Lalamiae Middlisexiae persuncto, & septuagenario placidissime religiosissmoque desuncto quarto calendas Aprilis an. 1608. Vxor Jana, & Jana filia ex quinque una superstes filiabus amoris ergo posuerunt & pietatis. The report at Chersey is, that he built the House which now stands on the top of S. Anns-hill in Chertsey parish, out of the ruins of S. Anns-chappel, and on the very place where that chappel stood; having a prospect into several Counties: In which House, the Inhabitants of the neighbourhood will tell you that this learned author died.