Thomas, Ed'ward, an Episcopal clergyman, was born in St. Stephen's Parish, S. C, Sept. 28, 1800, and received his early education at the grammar-school in Pineville. In 1817 he entered the sophomore class in the South Carolina College, Columbia, and graduated in 1819. He lived in Cambridge, JNIass., in order to studv at Harvard College; and, after a few months, transferred Ids residence to New Haven, prosecuting his studies at Yale. He entered the Theological Seminary, city of New York, in 1822; returned to his native state in the fall of 1824; and, in February, 1825, was ordained dea- con by bishop Bowen, and became a missionary first to Fairfield District, and afterwards to Greenville. In April, 1826, he was admitted to priest's orders by bish- op Bowen, and, after filling out his unexpired term at Greenville, became rector, Feliruary, 1827, of Trinity Church on Edisto Island. In 1834 he resigned his charge on account of ill-health, and went to reside at St. Augustine, Fla., where his health so improved that the rectorship of the Church there was offered to him. He declined, and after a further residence there returned to South Carolina, and in I83() accepted a call to the par- ish of St. JoJin's, Berkeley County. In the winter of 1837-.38 the disease of which he died (an affection of the bowels) began to show itself, but he continued to labor on until May 24, 1840, when he gave up work en- tireh% dying July 11 of the same year. A volume of Sermons was published after his death, under the super- vision of his widow. See Sprague, Annals of' the Amer. Pulpit, v, 664.
Thomas, Eleazer, D.D., a minister of the Meth- odist Episcojial Church, was born in the State of New York; received an academic education at Cazenovia; was converted when seventeen ; and entered Genesee Conference as a probationer in 1839. He was trans- ferred to California in 1852, and was pastor one year of the Powell Street Church, San Francisco. In 1866 he was elected editor of the Culifurnid Christian A dvorate ; and re-elected in 1860 and 1864. He was chosen book- agent in 1868, and, at the end of his four years' term in 1872, was appointed presiding elder of the Petalimia District. In the spring of 1873 he was appointed a member of the Peace Commission, and sent to treat with the Modoc Indians. On April 11 the commission- ers were decoyed into the Lava Beds, Soutliern Ore- gon, and Dr. Thomas and Gen. Canby were killed. Dr.
Thomas was a man of good presence, fine address, and great zeal and energy as a minister. See Simpson, Cy- clop. of Metliodism, s. v.
Thomas, Enoch, a Presbyterian minister, was born Dec. 31, 1805, at St. George's, Newcastle Co., Del. He was prepared for college at the Phillips Academy at Andover, Mass., under John Adams, principal, and was graduated from Amherst College in 1833. About this time he united with the Second Presbyterian Church of Wilmington, Del. He then engaged for six montlis as assistant teacher in a seminary at Newark, Del., after which he entered Princeton Seminary, N. J., and remained there until near the close of 1835, when he left; because of feeble health. He was licensed by the Wilmington Presbytery Oct. 14, 1835, after which he began to labor as a missionary in Kockingham Coun- ty, Va. He was ordained sine tutelu by the Ltxington Presbytery at High Bridge Church, Va., June 17, 1837. For al)out a year he preached at Union, Port Kepublic, and Shiloh, where his labors were blessed and large con- gregations attended his ministry. Having accepted a call to Shemariah Church, Augusta Co., Va., he was in- stalled as pastor Dec. 1, 1838. His health having im- proved, and the community having provided an acad- emy, ]Mr. Thomas also commenced a classical school, which became in a short time quite flourishing. But the united duties of pastor and teacher were too onerous, and he was, at his own request, released from his for- mer charge, Oct. 12, 1843. This was his only pastoral charge. Thenceforth he resided about eighteen years at Beverly, Kandolph Co., and labored as a missionary in that and several adjacent counties, ranging over a wide extent of wild and mountainous country, preach- ing in court-houses, jails, school-houses, barns, and pri- vate houses, wherever any would gather to hear the Word of God. There was no minister nearer on the west than Clarksburg, and on the south-west than Par- kersburg. Much of the wide region he traversed was a mountain wilderness; often his onl}"^ road was an ob- scure path ; dangerous rivers were to be forded ; and many of the best people were living in log-cabins, often in a single room. But he enjoyed the work, gladly breaking the bread of life to the hungry and the starv- ing. The breaking -out of the Civil War, in 1861, sto|iped his work, and bis inission field became a scene of strife. Having removed his family from Beverly to Craigsville, Augusta Co., he occasionally supplied, during tfte war, the churches of Wind}' Cove, Warm Springs, and Lebanon. After 1865 he preached as o]>portunity offered. He generally taught school in the winter sea- son. For several of his last years he suffered severely from chronic throat-disease. He died at Craigsville, Jan. 25, 1879. (W. P. S.)