Thomas Dampier

Thomas Dampier
Bishop of Ely
Church	Church of England
Diocese	Diocese of Ely
Elected	1808
Term ended	1812 (death)
Predecessor	James Yorke
Successor	Bowyer Sparke
Other post(s)	Bishop of Rochester 1802–1809 Dean of Rochester 1782–1802
Orders
Consecration	c. 1802
Personal details
Born	1748
Died	(1812-05-13)13 May 1812 Ely House, London
Denomination	Anglican
Residence	Ely House, London
Parents	Dr Thomas Dampier
Spouse	wife
Alma mater	King's College, Cambridge

Thomas Dampier (1748 – 13 May 1812) was a Bishop of Rochester and Bishop of Ely.

Life

He was eldest son of Dr Thomas Dampier, who was lower master at Eton College and from 1774 Dean of Durham. He was educated at Eton, and in 1766 elected to King's College, Cambridge. He graduated B.A. 1771, M.A. 1774, D.D. 1780. After taking his degree he resided for some time at Eton as private tutor to the Earl of Guilford, holding at the same time the vicarage of Bexley in Kent, while a few years later he succeeded to the mastership of Sherborne Hospital, which his father obtained leave to resign in his favour.

In 1782 he was promoted to the deanery of Rochester, and in 1802 to the bishopric of that diocese. As bishop of Rochester he proposed an address from the clergy thanking the crown for requiring an undertaking from the ministry not to move in the matter of Catholic emancipation. The bishopric of Rochester was a poor one, and it was in his case, for the first time for some years past, separated from the deanery of Westminster. Dampier therefore looked for fresh promotion, and in 1808 was translated to Ely. He died suddenly on the evening of 13 May 1812 at Ely House in London. Dampier published several sermons.

He was known for his love of literature, and for the library and collection of prints which he accumulated throughout his life. He left a bibliophile's account in Latin, the manuscript of which was extensively used by Thomas Frognall Dibdin in compiling his Aedes Althorpianae. His library was sold by his half-brother (lawyer Sir Henry) and widow to the Duke of Devonshire at a valuation amounting to nearly £10,000.

References

Attribution

•  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: "Dampier, Thomas". Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900.