REV. Thomas Bray (Volume 37); His Life and Selected Works Relating to Maryland (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1901. Excerpt: ... INTRODUCTION. Re-. Thomas Bray was born at Marton, in Shropshire, Ensr'and, in 1656, and died on February 17,1730, in London. He was a graduate of All Souls College, Oxford, in 1678, and. a clergyman of the Church of England. A man of unbounded energy and benevolence, he was the founder of the Society for the Promotion of Christian Knowledge, and the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel.. He is said to have interested Oglethorpe in the condition of the poor debtors, which interest resulted in the founding of the Colony of Georgia, and " Dr. Bray's Associates," founded-by him, still support clerical libraries in England and negro schools in the Colonies. His part in the establishment of the Anglican Church in Maryland was an important one, though he spent only a few months in the Province. Most of all for us in the United States, does he deserve remembrance because of his admirable work in the way of establishing libraries both for clergy and laity throughout, the "Plantations.' He was the first advocate of the public library in America, and to his efforts was due the establishment of libraries in most of the parishes in Maryland and in the important towns of the other Colonies. In an article published in the American Historical Reviev , Vol. II, p. 59,1 have traced with some care the fate of Dr. Bray's "American Libraries." We here print a life ot Dr. Bray from an unpublished manuscript, and add to it reprints of some of his writings which particularly deal with the Province of Maryland. Among these is one which is the first extant imprint of any Maryland press, over a quarter of a century before Parks set up his Annapolis Gazette and more ihau ten years before Zenger came to Chestertown. The life of Dr. Bray here printed is the basis of the prin...