Thomas Robertson
English clergyman and Dean of Durham
About Thomas Robertson
Lived 1509 – 1561 (aged 51–52). Thomas Robertson was a philologist, secondary school teacher, priest, theologian and grammarian.
Thomas Robertson was an English clergyman and Dean of Durham in the Tudor era.
Robertson was from Wakefield, Yorkshire and educated at Magdalen College, Oxford. In 1532 he published a book on grammar dedicated to the Bishop of Lincoln and was rewarded by being appointed Archdeacon of Leicester in 1541. He served on a number of commissions, including the one producing the Bishop's Book under Archbishop Thomas Cranmer and the one which investigated the validity of the marriage of Henry VIII and Anne of Cleves. He was also selected to join a group set up by the king to produce a standard Latin grammar.
In 1549 he was one of the committee led by Archbishop Cranmer which produced the First Prayer Book of Edward VI. A conservative at heart, he was appointed Dean of Durham under Mary I, keeping his Archdeaconry in commendam. On the accession of Queen Elizabeth he refused to subscribe to the Oath of Supremacy in 1559 and consequently forfeited his offices and retired to private life. He had also served as Vicar of Wakefield (1546 to 1559).
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Important facts
People in Thomas Robertson's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
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Frequently asked questions
Who was Thomas Robertson?
English clergyman and Dean of Durham
When was Thomas Robertson born?
Thomas Robertson was born in 1509 in Wakefield.
When did Thomas Robertson die?
Thomas Robertson died in 1561.
What was Thomas Robertson's occupation?
Thomas Robertson was a philologist, secondary school teacher, priest, theologian and grammarian.
Sources & further reading
· DBpedia: Thomas Robertson (priest)
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Thomas Robertson. https://biography.guide/thomas-robertson-philologist/
MLA: "Thomas Robertson." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/thomas-robertson-philologist/.
Chicago: "Thomas Robertson." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/thomas-robertson-philologist/.
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