Clare Hall, Cambridge, and proceeded B.A. 1750, M.A. 1754, and was subsequently fellow of Clare. He was ordained deacon 1751, and priest 1753, by Dr. F. Cornwallis, bishop of Lichfield and Coventry. In 1755 he published 'A New English Translation of the Psalms,' &c. (Monthly Review, xii. 485), and in 1758 a sermon preached at St. Michaels. In 1758 he became master of the free grammar school and rector of St. John the Baptist, Coventry. In this year he married Ann Barrott.
In 1759 Edwards published 'The Doctrine of Irresistible Grace proved to have no foundation in the Writings of the N. T.,' a book of some importance in the Calvinist and Arminian controversy, and in 1762 'Prolegomena in Libros Veteris Testamenti Poeticos' (ib. xx. 32-5), to which he added an attack upon Dr. Lowth's 'Metricæ Harianæ brevis Confutatio,' which led to a controversy of some length. In 1766 he proceeded D.D., and in 1770 was presented to Nuneaton in Warwickshire, where he passed the rest of his life, having severed his connection with Coventry in 1779. He lost his wife in 1784, and dying in June 1785 was buried at Foleshill. He was of a mild and benevolent temper, and fond of retirement. His chief friend was Dr. E. Law, bishop of Carlisle. His other works are:
- 'Epistola ad doctissimum R. Lowthium,' 1765.
- Two Dissertationes, 1767.
- 'Due Dissertationes,' 1768.
- 'The Indispensable Duty of Contending for the Faith,' 1773.
- 'Selecta quædam Theocriti Idyllia' (350 lines of Theocritus, 250 pages of notes, and 20 pages of addenda, &c.)
[Kippis's Biog. Brit. 1793, v. 559; Monthly Review, 1. c. et passim; Cantabrigienses Graduati, p. 128; R. Lowth's De Sucra Poesi Hebræorum, 3rd ed. pp. 473-6; Watt's Bibl. Brit. 1824, p. 331.]
EDWARDS, THOMAS, LL.D. (fl. 1810), divine, was son of Thomas Edwards (1729– 1785) [q. v.] He graduated LL.B. in 1782 from Clare College, Cambridge. In 1787 he was a fellow of Jesus College, and took his LL.D. degree. He published
- Plutarch, 'De Educatione Liberorum,' with notes, 1791, 8vo.
- 'A Discourse on the Limits and Importance of Free Inquiry in matters of Religion,' Butt, 1792, 8vo.
- 'Remarks on Dr. Kipling's Preface to Beza,' part i. 1793, 8vo.
- 'Criticisms relating to the Dead,' London, 1810, 8vo.
- Various sermons. N. Nisbett, rector of Tunstall, made several attacks upon Edwards's biblical criticisms.
[Brit. Mus. Cat.; Cooper's Memorials of Cambridge, i. 48.]
EDWARDS, THOMAS (1775?–1845), legal writer, born about 1775, studied at Trinity Hall, Cambridge, where he proceeded LL.B. in 1800 and LL.D. in 1805. He was also a fellow of Trinity Hall, and was admitted advocate at Doctors' Commons. Edwards was a magistrate for the county of Surrey, and took considerable interest in questions connected with the improvement of the people. He died at the Grove, Carshalton, on 29 Oct. 1845. Edwards wrote:
- 'Reports of Cases argued and determined in the High Court of Admiralty; commencing with the Judgments of Sir William Scott, Easter Term, 1808,' 1812; reprinted in America.
- 'A Letter to the Lord-lieutenant of the County of Surrey on the Misconduct of Licensing Magistrates and the consequent Degradation of the Magistracy,' 1825.
- 'Reasons for Refusing to Sign the Lay Address to the Archbishop of Canterbury,' 2nd edition, 1835 (concerning the ritual of the church).
[Cat. of Cambr. Grad.; Gent. Mag. December 1845, p. 662; Brit. Mus. Cat.]
EDWARDS, THOMAS (Caerfallwch), (1779–1858), Welsh author, born in 1779 at Northop in Flintshire, was apprenticed at fourteen to a saddler named Birch, and in this family he cultivated his taste for Welsh literature. He married in 1801 or 1802, and by this means was enabled to improve his condition very materially. He removed to London and became a secretary to one Bell first of all, and afterwards to Nathaniel M. Rothschild. In 1838 he was selected with five others, in connection with the Abergavenny Eisteddfod, to improve the Welsh Orthography. Nothing, however, came from the united action of these men; but in 1845 Edwards published his 'Analysis of Welsh Orthography.' He was for many years a member of the 'Cymmrodorion' and delivered many of their lectures; that on 'Currency' was afterwards published. But his great work was his 'English and Welsh Dictionary,' published by Evans (Holywell), 1850, second edition 1864. Another edition was published in the United States of America. This is considered by some authorities the best dictionary in the language. He was a frequent contributor to the Welsh magazines of the day. He was married three times. He died at 10 Cloudesley Square, London, 4 June 1858, and was interred in Highgate cemetery.
[Foulkes's Geirlyfr Bywgraffiadol.]
EDWARDS, WILLIAM (1719–1789), bridge-builder, youngest son of a farmer of the same name, was born in 1719 at Eglwys-
