# Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Green, Thomas (1658-1738)

[1] His portrait hangs in the hall of Corpus Christi college. Contains subarticle on his elder son Thomas Greene (d. 1780)]] 1904 Errata appended
​GREEN, THOMAS, D.D. (1658–1738), successively bishop of Norwich and of Ely, born in the parish of St. Peter Mancroft, Norwich, 1658, was son of Thomas Green, a citizen of Norwich, and Sarah, his wife. He received his early education in the grammar school of the city, whence he passed to Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, of which he was admitted pensioner, 28 July 1674, and became a fellow in 1680, graduating B.A. 1678-9, M.A. 1682, B.D. 1690, D.D. 1695. Tenison, afterwards bishop of Lincoln (1692) and archbishop of Canterbury (1695), was of Green's college, and used his powerful influence on his behalf. He introduced Green to Sir Stephen Fox [q. v.], made him his domestic chaplain, and appointed him to the incumbency of Minster in Kent. In 1698, on the death of Dr. Castle, Tenison's recommendation secured his election to the mastership of Corpus Christi College. Green's administration of his college (1698-1710) was successful. He was 'a strict disciplinarian.' So that he might know 'what scholars were abroad,' he introduced the practice of 'publick prayers in the Chapel immediately after locking the gates.' He also made some beneficial regulations regarding scholarships, but his vain attempts to remove Robert Moss (afterwards dean of Ely), one of the fellows, who held much preferment, and was rarely in residence in Cambridge, involved him in an awkward controversy. He himself (Nichols, Lit. Anecd. iv. 232) is said to have 'resided as much as he could.' He was twice vice-chancellor, in 1699 and again in 1713. His second term of office was forced upon him at a time peculiarly inconvenient to him, but he acquitted himself well, and liberally entertained visitors to the university.
In 1701 he had received from Tenison a prebendal stall at Canterbury, in 1708 the rectory of Adisham, Kent, and in the same year the archdeaconry of Canterbury. After Tenison's death Green was appointed by the archbishop's trustees, February 1716, to the important living of St. Martin's-in-the-Fields, and thereupon resigned his mastership at Cambridge. Green was a whig, and a warm supporter of the protestant succession, and, according to Masters (Hist. of Corpus Christi College), 'the zeal he shewed for the House of Hanover on the death of Queen Ann, and his prudent conduct at that juncture, laid the foundation of his fortunes.' He was made a domestic chaplain to George I. Green was consecrated bishop of Norwich 8 Oct. 1721, keeping St. Martin's in commendam. In 1723, on the death of Bishop Fleetwood [q. v.], he was removed to Ely, which at that time seems to have been looked on as the natural goal of the bishops of Norwich. His episcopate in both sees was undistinguished.
As bishop of Ely, Green had visitatorial powers over Trinity College, Cambridge, which the quarrel between Richard Bentley, the master, and his fellows forced him to exercise. On 5 May 1729 Green cited Bentley to appear before him at Ely House in London to answer the fellows' charges. Bentley applied to the court of king's bench for a prohibition, which was refused. The bishop sent Bentley a copy of the articles alleged against him, with notice of a day when he was prepared to hear any preliminary objections to them. Bentley appeared in person at Ely House, 5 June, and made his objections, all of which Green overruled. On this Bentley made a second application to the king's bench for another writ of prohibition, which, after sundry legal delays, was granted 10 Nov. On 31 March 1730 the bishop applied to have the prohibition removed and the cause sent back to his jurisdiction. Bentley interposed fresh delays, and it was Michaelmas term before his objections to the bishop's jurisdiction were fully argued. They were overruled by the king's bench, but in Trinity term 1731 the judges, on Bentley's application, reversed their judgment, and continued the prohibition against the bishop. Green appealed to the House of Lords, and, by a majority of twenty-eight against sixteen, 6 May 1732, his authority was re-established, much of his success being attributed to the arguments of Bishop Sherlock. Green again cited Bentley to appear before him at Ely House, 13 June 1733, and after much evidence for the prosecution and defence had been heard, Green pronounced sentence of deprivation on Bentley on 27 April 1734. Bentley declined to yield. His friend Walker, the vice-master, whose duty it was to execute the sentence, refused to act. Attempts to obtain a mandamus to compel either Walker or the bishop himself to execute the sentence failed. Finally Green's death at Ely House on 18 May 1738 'put a period to the controversy by the course of nature, and not by the determination of law' (Monk, Life of Bentley, ii. 385) [see Bentley, Richard, 1662-1742].
Green had the character among his ​contemporaries of 'a very worthy, good man.' Cole speaks of him as 'very nice and somewhat finical,' 'thinly made,' and with a face of almost feminine delicacy, which acquired for him the name of 'Miss Green' from the wags of the university, and gave rise to many feeble witticisms (Cole, MSS. xxx. 155). He was something of an artist, drawing portraits in blacklead pencil on vellum after the manner of Loggan, from whom it is possible that he may have had instruction (ib. xxiii. 132, 136; Walpole, Hist. of Painting, p. 147). He married Catherine, sister of Bishop Trimnell, who survived him, and by her had seven daughters and two sons, Thomas and Charles, both of whom were well provided for by their father. They added a final e to their surname. The elder, Thomas Greene, who was successively fellow of his father's college, Corpus Christi, and of Jesus College, Cambridge, received from him the rich rectory of Cottenham and a prebendal stall at Ely (1737-50). In 1751 he became chancellor of Lichfield, which he held with the deanery of Salisbury, to which he was appointed in 1757, till his death in 1780. Cole describes him as 'of much the same cast as his father, thin and very delicate.' The disuse of incense on the high festivals in Ely Cathedral is attributed to him 'a finical man always taking snuff up his nose' on the plea that it made his head ache (Cole, Add. MSS. 5873, fol. 82). The younger son, Charles, a lawyer, became registrar of Ely and steward of the dean and chapter.
Green published occasional sermons and charges, and some congratulatory Latin verses, on the accession of Anne and of George I, printed in the 'Academ. Cantab. carmina,' 1702, 1714.
E. V.
Dictionary of National Biography, Errata (1904), p.141 N.B.— f.e. stands for from end and l.l. for last line
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| 53 | i | 27 | Green, Thomas (1658-1738): for Dr. Castle read Dr. Stanley |