Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Patten, Thomas
PATTEN, THOMAS (1714–1790), divine, the son of Thomas Patten, a grocer in Manchester, was born on 5 Oct. 1714, and educated at the Manchester grammar school, afterwards at Brasenose and Corpus Christi Colleges, Oxford. He graduated B.A. in 1733, M.A. on 17 Feb. 1736–7, B.D. in 1744, and D.D. in 1754; was for a time fellow and tutor of Corpus, and afterwards rector of Childrey, Berkshire. He was a friend of Dr. Johnson and of Thomas Wilson of Clitheroe, and was probably the means of the latter dedicating his ‘Archæological Dictionary’ to Johnson. He was esteemed as ‘a sound and excellent churchman,’ a poet and scholar, and an exemplary parish priest. He was married at Rostherne, Cheshire, on 25 April 1765, to Elizabeth, daughter of Peter Brooke of Mere, high sheriff of Cheshire, and died at Childrey on 20 Feb. 1790.
He published: 1. ‘The Christian Apology: a Sermon preached before the University of Oxford,’ 1755. To this a reply was published by the Rev. Ralph Heathcote [q. v.] 2. ‘The Sufficiency of the External Evidence farther supported against the Reply of the Rev. Mr. Heathcote,’ 1756. 3. ‘The Opposition between the Gospel of Jesus Christ and what is called the Religion of Nature: a Sermon,’ Oxford, 1759. 4. ‘King David vindicated from a late Misrepresentation of his Character,’ 1762 [see Porteus, Beilby]. 5. ‘A Letter to Lord North concerning Subscription to the XXXIX Articles,’ 1773.
[Raines's Vicars of Rochdale (Chetham Soc.), i. 168; Byrom's Remains (Chetham Soc.), ii. 503; Wilson's Miscell. Correspondence (Chetham Soc.), p. 127; Boswell's Johnson, ed. Hill, iv. 162; Foster's Alumni Oxon.; Fowler's Corpus Christi College (Oxf. Hist. Soc.), p. 282; Foster's Lancashire Pedigrees; Finlayson's Brooke Genealogy, 1869, p. 18; Brit. Mus. Cat.]