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James Matthew Thompson

1878 – 1956

English historian

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About James Matthew Thompson

Lived 1878 – 1956 (aged 78). James Matthew Thompson was a British historian, theologian and priest.

James Matthew Thompson, FBA (27 September 1878 – 8 October 1956) was an English historian and theologian.

The son of the priest Henry Lewis Thompson (warden of Radley College) and his wife Catherine (a daughter of Sir James Paget), he attended Winchester College, Christ Church, Oxford, and Cuddesdon Theological College. He was ordained a deacon in 1903 and was a curate in Poplar before being ordained a priest and elected a fellow of Magdalen College, Oxford, in 1904 (serving until retirement in 1938). He was also the college's dean of divinity from 1906 to 1915 and Senior Proctor at the University of Oxford in 1916–17. Taking leave from his college duties during the First World War, he served with the Red Cross in France, worked at the Admiralty and taught in a school before returning to his college duties in 1919. He served as its bursar in the 1920s and as vice-president (1935–37). Thompson's earlier theological work took a highly liberal stance, which led to calls for his resignation from Magdalen in the early 20th century. Later, he published books on modern European history and was university lecturer in French history from 1931.

Works An Annotated Psalter, (1908) Jesus, According To St Mark, (1910) Synototic Gospels, (1910) Miracles In The New Testament, (1911) Through Facts To Faith, (1912) Lectures On Foreign History 1494-1789, (1925; revised ed. 1930) Leaders Of The French Revolution, (1929) Historical Geography Of Europe, (1929) My Apologia [written as: J M T], (1940) The French Revolution, (1943) Collected Verse, 1939-1946, (1947) Robespierre and the French Revolution, (1952) Louis Napoleon and the Second Empire, (1954)

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Important facts

Birth century
Education
Winchester College
Also known as
James Thompson, J. M. Thompson

People in James Matthew Thompson's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped James Matthew Thompson's

Frequently asked questions

Who was James Matthew Thompson?

English historian

When was James Matthew Thompson born?

James Matthew Thompson was born on 27 September 1878.

When did James Matthew Thompson die?

James Matthew Thompson died on 8 October 1956.

What was James Matthew Thompson's occupation?

James Matthew Thompson was a historian, theologian and priest.

What nationality was James Matthew Thompson?

James Matthew Thompson was British.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: James Matthew Thompson

· Wikidata: Q19042896

· DBpedia: James Matthew Thompson

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). James Matthew Thompson. https://biography.guide/james-matthew-thompson/

MLA: "James Matthew Thompson." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/james-matthew-thompson/.

Chicago: "James Matthew Thompson." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/james-matthew-thompson/.

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