BROUGHTON, Thomas, a learned divine, and one of the original writers of the Biographia Britannica, was born at London, July 5, 1704, in the parish of St Andrew, Holborn, of which parish his father was minister. At an early age he was sent to Eton School, where he soon distinguished himself by the acuteness of his genius and the studiousness of his disposition. Being superannuated on this foundation, he removed about 1722 to the university of Cambridge; and, for the sake of scholarship, entered himself of Caius College. Here two of the principal objects of his attention were the acquisition of knowledge of the modern languages, and the study of the mathematics, under the famous Professor Sanderson. In May 1727, Mr Broughton, after taking the degree of bachelor of arts, was admitted to deacon’s orders, and in the succeeding year was ordained priest, and proceeded to the degree of Μ. A. At this time he removed from the university to the curacy of Offley in Hertfordshire. In 1739 he was instituted to the rectory of Stepington, otherwise Stibington, in the county of Huntingdon, on the presentation of John duke of Bedford, and was appointed one of that nobleman’s chaplains. Soon afterwards he was chosen reader to the Temple, by which means he became known to Bishop Sherlock, then master of it, and who conceived so high an opinion of our author’s merit, that in 1744 this eminent prelate presented Mr Broughton to the valuable vicarage of Bedminster, near Bristol, together with the chapels of St Mary Redcliff, St Thomas, and Abbot’s Leigh annexed. Some short time afterwards he was collated, by the same patron, to the prebend of Bedminster and Redcliff, in the cathedral of Salisbury. Upon receiving this preferment he removed from London to Bristol, where he married the daughter of Thomas Harris, clerk of that city, by whom he had seven children, six of whom survived him. Here-sided on his living till his death, which happened on the 21st December 1774, in the seventy-first year of his age. He was interred in the church of St Mary Redcliff.

From the time of Mr Broughton’s quitting the university till he was considerably advanced in life, he was engaged in a variety of publications, of which a list is given in the Biographia Britannica, second edition. Some little time before his death he composed “a short view of the principles upon which Christian churches require, of their respective clergy, subscription to established articles of religion but this work never appeared in print. He possessed, likewise, no inconsiderable talent for poetry, as is evident from many little fugitive pieces in manuscript, found among his papers; and particularly from two unfinished tragedies, both written at the age of seventeen. He was a great lover of music, particularly the ancient; which introduced him to the knowledge and acquaintance of Mr Handel, whom he furnished with the words for many of his compositions. In his public character Mr Broughton was distinguished by an active zeal for the Christian cause, joined with a moderation of mind. In private life he was devoted to the interests and happiness of his family; and was of a mild, cheerful, and liberal temper. In 1778 a posthumous volume of sermons, on select subjects, was published by his son, the Rev. Thomas Broughton, Μ. A. of Wadham College, Oxford.