Background
He was the son of Stremer Thomas, a colonel in the Guards Regiment, born on 17 August 1696 at Westminster, and educated at Charterhouse school.
He was the son of Stremer Thomas, a colonel in the Guards Regiment, born on 17 August 1696 at Westminster, and educated at Charterhouse school.
He was educated at Charterhouse School and Christ Church, Oxford, where he graduated Master of Arts
In 1719 and became Fellow of All Souls College, Oxford in 1720. He became Bishop of Peterborough in 1747, and was made preceptor to the future George III, then Prince of Wales, in 1752. In 1757 be became Bishop of Salisbury, and in 1761 Bishop of Winchester.
He matriculated from Christ Church, Oxford, on 28 March 1713, and took the degrees of Bachelor of Arts 1716, Master of Arts 1719, Bachelor of Divinity 1727, and Doctor of Divinity 1731.
Here his preaching attracted attention. In 1731 he was given a prebend in Street Paul"s Cathedral, and was presented by the dean and chapter in 1733 to the rectory of Saint Bene"t and Saint Peter, Paul"s Wharf, which he retained till 1757.
In 1742 Thomas succeeded to a canonry of Saint Paul"s, and held it till 1748. In 1742 he had been made one of George II"s chaplains, and preached the Boyle lectures, which he did not publish.
And, having secured the favour of the king when Prince of Wales, he was given the bishopric of Peterborough, and consecrated at Lambeth Palace on 4 October 1747.
In 1752 Thomas was selected to succeed Thomas Hayter as preceptor to the young Prince of Wales, later George III, James Waldegrave, 2nd Earl Waldegrave being governor. These appointments were directed against the influence of the Princess Dowager. In 1757 he followed John Gilbert as bishop of Salisbury and also as clerk of the closet, and in 1761 was translated to Winchester in succession to Benjamin Hoadly.
Thomas died at Winchester Palace, on 1 May 1781, and was buried in Winchester Cathedral.
There are portraits of the bishop at the palaces of Salisbury and Lambeth, and a fine mezzotint engraving (three-quarter length in robes of the Garter) by R. Sayer from a picture by Benjamin Wilson, published on 24 January 1771. Mistress Thomas died on 19 November 1778, leaving three daughters, who married respectively Newton Ogle, dean of Winchester.
William Buller. And Rear-admiral Sir Chaloner Ogle, 1st Baronet.