Thomas Ken
Thomas Ken, Bishop and Non-juror (1637–1711)
| Thomas Ken | |
|---|---|
| Bishop Thomas Ken (1637–1711) | |
| Born | 1637 Little Berkhampstead, Hertfordshire, England |
| Died | 19 March 1711 Longleat, Wiltshire, England |
| Nationality | English |
| Occupation | Bishop of Bath and Wells; hymn-writer; Non-juror |
| Known for | One of the Seven Bishops imprisoned in 1688; author of “Praise God from whom all blessings flow” |
| Church / Tradition | |
| Feast Day | 21 March |
| Signature | |
Thomas Ken (1637 – 19 March 1711) was the most eminent of the English non-juring bishops and one of the fathers of modern English hymnody. He served as Bishop of Bath and Wells and became renowned for his fearless integrity, his refusal to compromise conscience for royal favour, and his authorship of enduring hymns such as the doxology, “Praise God from whom all blessings flow.”
Early Life and Education
Ken was born at Little Berkhampstead, Hertfordshire, in 1637, the son of Thomas Ken of Furnival’s Inn and grandson of an old Somerset family, the Kens of Ken Place. His mother was the daughter of the poet John Chalkhill, an “acquaintant and friend of Edmund Spenser.” When she died, young Thomas was raised by his half-sister Anne and her husband, the gentle angler and writer Izaak Walton, whose devout example deeply influenced him.
Educated at Winchester College (1652) and Hart Hall, Oxford (1656), Ken won a fellowship at New College (1657), taking his B.A. in 1661 and M.A. in 1664. He served as tutor there and was remembered for his musical gifts—Anthony Wood records that “Thomas Ken of New College would be sometimes among them and sing his part.”
Ordained in 1662, Ken successively held the livings of Little Easton (Essex), Brighstone (Isle of Wight), and East Woodhay (Hampshire). In 1672 he returned to Winchester as prebendary of the cathedral, chaplain to the bishop, and fellow of Winchester College. There he prepared his famous Manual of Prayers for the Use of the Scholars of Winchester College (1674) and composed his morning, evening, and midnight hymns—including
- “Awake, my soul, and with the sun” and “Glory to Thee, my God, this night.”
Early Travels and Royal Service
In 1674 Ken visited Rome with young Izaak Walton Jr., strengthening his attachment to the Anglican via media. In 1679 he became chaplain to **Princess Mary of Orange** at The Hague, where he angered William of Orange by insisting that a promise of marriage made by one of the Prince’s kinsmen be honoured. He returned to England in 1680 and was appointed royal chaplain to **Charles II**.
When Charles sought to lodge his mistress **Nell Gwyn** in the chaplain’s residence at Winchester, Ken refused, declaring that “a woman of ill repute ought not to be endured in the house of a clergyman, and especially the King’s chaplain.” Charles, admiring his courage, later said, “None shall have it but that little man who refused lodging to poor Nelly!”
In 1683 Ken accompanied Lord Dartmouth to Tangier as chaplain to the fleet; **Samuel Pepys** recorded affectionate impressions of him. Returning in 1684, he was appointed **Bishop of Bath and Wells** and consecrated at Lambeth (25 January 1685). One of his first duties was to attend the dying Charles II, whose peaceful death owed much to Ken’s ministry.
Imprisonment and the Seven Bishops
In 1688 James II ordered that his **Declaration of Indulgence** be read from every pulpit. Ken and six other bishops refused, fearing it would compromise the Church’s spiritual liberty and advance Roman interests. They were arrested for “high misdemeanour” and confined in the **Tower of London**. Their trial on 29–30 June 1688 ended in **acquittal**, sparking popular rejoicing and elevating them as heroes of conscience.
The Non-juring Stand
After the Glorious Revolution, William and Mary required new oaths of allegiance. Ken, already sworn to James II, refused to swear again while James lived. He was **deprived of his see** in August 1691, succeeded by Bishop Kidder, and thus joined the ranks of the **Non-jurors**—those clergy who chose deprivation over perjury.
Ken retired chiefly to **Longleat House** in Wiltshire, the home of his friend Lord Weymouth. There he lived a life of prayer and writing, declining in 1703 to reclaim his see after Kidder’s death. His devotion at Longleat, where his cell and chapel are still preserved, earned him veneration as a saintly confessor of conscience.
Writings and Hymns
Ken’s works blend High-Church theology with deep personal piety. His chief prose work, An Exposition on the Church Catechism (1685), better known as *The Practice of Divine Love*, set forth the faith and duty of a devout Anglican in simple, fervent style.
His Manual of Prayers (1674) remained a staple of Anglican devotion for generations. His hymns—especially the morning and evening hymns—are sung wherever the English tongue is known. The closing stanza of his evening hymn became the universal Doxology:
- “Praise God from whom all blessings flow;
- Praise Him, all creatures here below;
- Praise Him above, ye heavenly host;
- Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.”
Although some early editions begin “Glory to Thee, my God, this night,” the 1712 edition published by Charles Brome with the line “All praise to Thee, my God, this night” likely carried Ken’s own sanction.
Death and Character
Ken died peacefully at **Longleat** on **19 March 1711** and was buried at sunrise under the east window of the parish church of **Frome Selwood**, in accordance with his own wish that he might face the rising sun and the Resurrection. He is commemorated in the **Anglican calendar on 21 March**.
As the *1911 Encyclopædia Britannica* observes,
“He lives in history, apart from his hymns, as a man of unstained purity and invincible fidelity to conscience … a High Churchman of the old school.”
Selected Works
- A Manual of Prayers for the Use of the Scholars of Winchester College (1674)
- An Exposition on the Church Catechism; or, The Practice of Divine Love (1685)
- Morning Hymn – “Awake, my soul, and with the sun”
- Evening Hymn – “All praise to Thee, my God, this night”
- Midnight Hymn – “My God, now I from sleep awake”
- Collected Poetical Works (4 vols., W. Hawkins, 1721)
Legacy
Ken’s influence shaped both **Anglican spirituality** and the later **Oxford Movement**, inspiring figures like Keble and Newman. He combined the fervour of devotion with the integrity of principle, earning the admiration of High Churchmen and Evangelicals alike.
He remains a symbol of the faithful Anglican conscience: loyal to Church and King, yet obedient first to God.
See also
References
- *Encyclopædia Britannica*, 11th ed. (1911), vol. 15, “Ken, Thomas.”
- J. Lavicount Anderdon, The Life of Thomas Ken, Bishop of Bath and Wells (1851, rev. 1854).
- E. H. Plumptre, Life of Thomas Ken (2 vols., 1888; rev. 1890).
- W. Hawkins (ed.), The Poetical Works of Thomas Ken (1721).
- J. T. Round (ed.), Prose Works of Thomas Ken (1838).
- Dictionary of National Biography, art. “Ken, Thomas.”