Editing Laurence Tomson

{{Short description|English politician, author, and translator}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2017}}
{{Use British English|date=April 2017}}
'''Laurence Tomson''' (1539 &ndash; 29 March 1608) was an English politician, author, and translator. He acted as the personal secretary of Sir [[Francis Walsingham]], the secretary of state to [[Elizabeth I of England]].

Tomson revised both the text and the annotations of the [[New Testament]] of the [[Geneva Bible]].  His revised edition appeared in 1576.  Tomson was a [[Calvinism|Calvinist]], and his annotations reflect that system of [[theology]].

==Life==
He was born in [[Northamptonshire]], and was admitted a [[Demyship|demy]] of Magdalen College, Oxford, in 1553. He graduated B.A. in 1559, was elected a fellow of his college, and commenced M.A. in 1564. He accompanied [[Sir Thomas Hoby]] on an embassy to France in 1566, and resigned his Magdalen fellowship in 1569.<ref name="DNB">{{cite DNB|wstitle=Tomson, Laurence}}</ref>

Between 1575 and 1587 Tomson represented [[Weymouth (UK Parliament constituency)|Weymouth and Melcombe Regis]] in the House of Commons, and he was member for [[Downton (UK Parliament constituency)|Downton]] in 1588–9. In 1582 he was in attendance at court at [[Windsor Castle]]. According to his epitaph he travelled in Sweden, Russia, Denmark, Germany, Italy, and France; was conversant with twelve languages; and at one period gave public lectures on the Hebrew language at Geneva. He was employed in political affairs by Sir Francis Walsingham, after whose death he retired into private life.<ref name="DNB"/>

Tomson died on 29 March 1608, and was buried in the chancel of the church at [[Chertsey]], Surrey, where a black marble was erected to his memory with a curious Latin inscription.<ref name="DNB"/>

==Works==
His works are:<ref name="DNB"/>

* ‘{{lang|enm|italic=no|An Answere to certeine Assertions and Obiections of M. Fecknam,’ London [1570]}}.
* ‘Statement of Advantages to be obtained by the establishment of a Mart Town in England,’ 1572, manuscript in the Public Record Office. 
* ‘The New Testament … {{lang|enm|italic=no|translated out of Greeke by T. Beza. Whereunto are adjoyned brief summaries of doctrine … by the said T. Beza: and also short expositions … taken out of the large annotations of the foresaid authour and J. Camerarius. By P. Loseler, Villerius. Englished by L. Tomson,’ London, 1576, dedicated to Sir Francis Walsingham; again 1580, 1587, 1596.}} Several other editions of Tomson's revision of the Genevan version of the New Testament were published in the whole Bible. It was based on the work of [[Pierre Loiseleur]].<ref>{{ODNBweb|id=94258|title=Loiseleur, Pierre|first=Andrew|last=Spicer}}</ref>
* ‘{{lang|enm|italic=no|A Treatise of the Excellencie of a Christian Man, and how he may be knowen}}. Written in French. ... {{lang|enm|italic=no|Whereunto is adioyned a briefe description of the life and death of the said authour}} (set forth by P. de Farnace). ... Translated into English,’ London, 1576, 1577, 1585, dedicated to Mrs. Ursula Walsingham. 
* ‘Sermons of J. Calvin on the Epistles of S. Paule to Timothie and Titus … Translated,’ London, 1579.
* ‘{{lang|enm|italic=no|Propositions taught and mayntained by Mr. R[ichard] Hooker}}. The same briefly confuted by L. T. in a private letter’ (Harleian MS. 291, f. 183). 
* ‘Treatise on the matters in controversy between the Merchants of the Hanze Towns and the Merchants Adventurers,’ 1590, a Latin manuscript in the Public Record Office.
* ‘Mary, the Mother of Christ: her tears,’ London, 1596.
* ‘Brief Remarks on the State of the Low Countries’ (Cottonian MS., Galba D vii. f. 163).

==References==
*{{ODNBweb|id=27530|title=Tomson, Laurence|last=MacMahon|first=Laurence}}

==Notes==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[https://archive.org/details/biblethatisholys00toms The Bible, that is, the Holy Scriptures conteined in the Olde and New Testament, translated according to the Ebrew and Greeke, and conferred with the best translations in diuers languages. With most profitable annotations vpon all the hard places, and other things of great importance (1595)]
*[https://archive.org/details/biblethatisholys00bz The Bible, that is, the Holy Scriptures conteined in the Olde and Newe Testament : translated according to the Ebrew and Greeke, and conferred with the best translations in diuers languages ; with most profitable annotations upon all the hard places, and other things of great importance .. (1599)]

;Attribution
{{DNB|wstitle=Tomson, Laurence}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tomson, Laurence}}
[[Category:1539 births]]
[[Category:1608 deaths]]
[[Category:English Calvinist and Reformed Christians]]
[[Category:17th-century English writers]]
[[Category:17th-century English male writers]]
[[Category:Transcription (linguistics)]]
[[Category:Fellows of Magdalen College, Oxford]]
[[Category:English Calvinist and Reformed theologians]]
[[Category:Linguists from England]]
[[Category:16th-century Calvinist and Reformed theologians]]
[[Category:17th-century Calvinist and Reformed theologians]]
[[Category:English MPs 1572–1583]]
[[Category:English MPs 1584–1585]]
[[Category:English MPs 1586–1587]]
[[Category:English MPs 1589]]
[[Category:English expatriates in Switzerland]]
[[Category:Academic staff of the University of Geneva]]