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Rev. Thomas Tregosse (alternate spellings: Tregrosse, Tregoss, Tregoose) (c. 17th century, St Ives, England - c. 1670-71, Penryn, England) of Cornwall was a Puritan minister and vicar of the Rebellion period who was silenced for being a Nonconformist.

Early years

He was born in St Ives, the son of William Tregosse. He received his BA from Exeter College of Oxford University in 1655.

Career

After taking Holy Orders, he preached for two years as an English Presbyterian minister at St. Ives. In October 1659, he was instituted as vicar in Mylor and Mabe, and ejected 24 August 1662 under the Act of Uniformity for being a nonconformist. According to Miss Susan Gay's Falmouth chronology, Tregosse formed an Independent Congregation in Falmouth in 1662. At the first congregation at the Congregational Sunday School, Falmouth was gathered by the Reverend Mr. Tregoss. After preaching to this family and neighbours, Falmouth was jailed for three months.

In 1663, he preached privately at Budock. For preaching at the Church of Saint Laud, Mabe, he was again jailed for three months at Launceston gaol (jail). After his release, he preached again at the same church, and was subsequently imprisoned again. Under the Conventicle Act 1664 non-Anglican services were only permitted in private homes, limited to members of the household and no more than five others. Tregosse's imprisonment for holding a Conventicle at Budock is noted in "The Episcopal Returns of 1665-6" section of the Congregational Historical Society's Transactions. After his fourth time in custody, he was set free September 1667 by special order of King Charles. He was jailed again in 1669 for preaching privately in a house at Great Torrington. In his later years, he preached on Sundays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays.

Personal life

Tregosse married Margaret Sparnan of Gwynier in 1658, and had at least one child, a son, the Rev. James Tregoss.

Though Tregosse was committed to Launceston Gaol on multiple occasions, Wesley bestowed high praises upon Tregosse a century later.

Tregosse died in Penryn. Different sources place his date of death at different years in the 1670s: 18 January 1670, January 1672, 18 January 1673, or even 18 January 1679. However, Theophilus Gale's biography, The life and death of Thomas Tregosse late minister of the Gospel at Milar and Mabe in Cornwal : With his character, and some letters of his, not long before his death, published in 1671, makes the year of death likely to be 1671 or earlier.

Further reading

• Gale, Theophilus. (1671). The life and death of Thomas Tregosse late minister of the Gospel at Milar and Mabe in Cornwal: With his character, and some letters of his, not long before his death. London: s.n.

References

1. ^ Foster, Joseph (1892). Alumni Oxonienses: The Members of the University of Oxford, 1500-1714: Their Parentage, Birthplace, and Year of Birth, with a Record of Their Degrees. Vol. 4 (Digitized 11 Apr 2007 ed.). Parker and Co. p. 1505.
2. Clark, Davis Wasgatt (1851). Death-bed scenes, or, Dying with and without religion : designed to illustrate the truth and power of Christianity (Digitized 12 Jun 2007 ed.). Carlton & Porter. pp. 232–233.
3. "AD409 Cornish Clergy". cornwall.gov.uk. Cornwall County Council. Retrieved 3 September 2010.
4. Oxford Journals (Firm) (1874). Notes and queries (Digitized 4 Aug 2005 ed.). Oxford University Press. p. 341.
5. Matthews (1892), pp. 472
6. ^ Matthews, John Hobson (1892). A history of the parishes of St. Ives, Lelant, Towednack and Zennor: in the county of Cornwall. E. Stock. p. 471. Thomas Tregosse.
7. Olivey, Hugh P. (1907). Notes on the parish of Mylor, Cornwall (Digitized 17 Mar 2007 ed.). Barnicott & Pearce. p. 96. Tregosse.
8. Gay, Susan E. (2010). Old Falmouth. General Books LLC. ISBN 978-1-151-76251-1.
9. ^ Olivey (1907), pp. 240
10. Brown, H. Miles (1964). The church in Cornwall. Oscar Blackford Ltd. pp. 83–85.
11. Congregational Historical Society (1908). Transactions. Vol. 3 (Digitized 30 Jun, 200 ed.). p. 353.
12. ^ Olivey (1907), pp. 241
13. ^ Oxford Journals (1874), pp. 493

• 1670s deaths
• Alumni of Exeter College, Oxford
• People from St Ives, Cornwall
• People from Penryn, Cornwall
• 17th-century Presbyterian ministers
• English Presbyterian ministers of the Interregnum (England)