Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Horne, Thomas (1610-1654)

by Emily Tennyson Bradley

HORNE, THOMAS (1610–1654), master of Eton College, son of William Horne of Cassall, Nottinghamshire, was born at West Hallam, Derbyshire, in 1610. He matriculated at Magdalen Hall, Oxford, in 1624, graduating B.A. 14 Feb. 1628, and M.A. 4 July 1633. He first kept a private school in London; was afterwards master of the free school, Leicester, for about two years; and was master of Tunbridge school from 1640 to 1648. In 1648 he succeeded George Goad [q. v.] as master of Eton College. Robert Boyle [q. v.] was educated under him there. Dying 22 Aug. 1654, he was buried (24 Aug.) in the college chapel. Two of Horne's sons became distinguished scholars, one, William, a scholar of Eton, graduated B.A. in 1660 and M.A. in 1664 from King's College, Cambridge; was elected fellow and became assistant master at Eton, and afterwards master of Harrow. The other, Thomas, also a scholar of Eton, graduated B.A. 1662 and M.A. 1666 from King's College, Cambridge, where he was elected a fellow; became chaplain to the Earl of St. Albans; was senior proctor at Cambridge in 1682, when he also was appointed fellow of Eton; he published several sermons.

Horne was the author of some popular classical school books:

1. ‘Janua Linguarum; or a Collection of Latin Sentences, with the English of them,’ London, 1634, 8vo; chiefly a translation of ‘Janua Linguarum reserata—the Gate of Languages unlocked,’ by J. A. Komensky. Horne's translation was revised by J. Rowbotham, and again corrected and republished by W. D. (possibly William Dugard [q. v.]), with a ‘portal’ prefixed, London, 1659.
2. ‘Manuductio in ædem Palladis, quâ Utilissima Methodus Authores bonos legendi indigitatur,’ London, 1641, 8vo (Bodleian Library).
3. ‘Rhetoricæ compendium Latino-Anglicè,’ London, 1651, 8vo. Wood adds that Horne published some learned observations on the ‘Epitome of the Greek Tongue’ written by Ant. Laubegeois.

[Wood's Athenæ, ed. Bliss, iii. 365; Wood's Fasti, i. 438, 469; Nichols's History of Leicestershire, i. pt. ii. 512; History of the Colleges of Winchester, Eton, &c. p. 60; Watt's Bibl. Brit.; Harwood's Alumni Eton. p. 79; Maxwell Lyte's History of Eton College; Hughes's Tunbridge School Register.]

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