Thomas Cushing

Thomas Cushing, an American statesman, born in Boston, March 24, 1725, died Feb. 28, 1788. He graduated at Harvard college in 1744, and for many years represented Boston in the general court. He became speaker of that body in 1763, and his signature being affixed as speaker to all public papers, he became so prominent in the disputes with Great Britain that Dr. Johnson, in his "Taxation no Tyranny," remarked, " One object of the Americans is said to be, to adorn the brows of Mr. Cushing with a diadem." He was a member of the first and second congresses, was commissary general in 1775, judge of probate and of common pleas in 1777, and in 1779 was elected lieutenant governor of Massachusetts, a station which he retained until his death.

Thomas Daniell

Thomas Daniell, an English landscape painter and engraver, born in 1749, died in 1840. In company with his nephew, William, he made an extraordinary journey through India, preparing sketches and illustrations of the scenery, which were afterward published. He was originally a heraldry painter, and became fellow of the royal, Asiatic, and antiquarian societies. He published several works on India.

Thomas Davis

Thomas Davis, an Irish poet, born at Mallow, county Cork, in 1814, died in Dublin, Sept. 16, 1845. He was educated at Trinity college, Dublin, and on the establishment of the "Nation " newspaper in 1842 became one of its principal writers. A conviction of the importance of stirring national ballads in the formation of the "Young Ireland" party, to which the "Nation" was devoted, induced him to make his first attempts at poetical composition in the columns of that paper; and during the rest of his life he continued to write for it, under the pseudonyme of "A Celt," a variety of lyrical and ballad pieces, which became widely popular. An edition of them appeared in New York in 1860.

Thomas De Courcelles

Thomas De Courcelles, a French theologian, born in 1400, died in Paris, Oct. 23, 1469. He was educated at the university of Paris, of which institution he became one of the brightest ornaments. In 1430 he was chosen rector of the university, and in 1431 was made canon of Amiens, Laon, and Therouanne. He took a prominent part in the trial and condemnation of Joan of Arc, but was not present at her execution. In the process of her rehabilitation in 1456 he made no excuse for his conduct in this affair. He appeared as a theologian at the council of Basel, and was orator of the university at the council of Mentz, where he defended the liberties of the Gallican church. Charles VII. employed him successfully in several important negotiations, and he pronounced the funeral oration of that king at St. Denis in 1461.

Thomas Denman

Thomas Denman, lord chief justice of England, born in London, Feb. 23, 1779, died at Stoke Albany, Northamptonshire, Sept. 22, 1854. The only son of Thomas Denman, M. D., author of a well known work on midwifery, he graduated in 1800 at St. John's college, Cambridge, was called to the bar in 1806, returned to parliament for Wareham at the general election of 1818, and in 1820 for Nottingham, representing that town from this time till 1826, and again in 1830-'31. In 1820 he took a distinguished part as solicitor in the trial of Queen Caroline. In 1822 he was appointed common serjeant of the city of London; from 1830 to 1832 he was attorney general; and from 1832 till 1850, he was chief justice of the king's bench. He was raised to the peerage in 1834. His "Life," by Sir Joseph Arnould, was published in 1873.