Hamish Riley-Smith

THOM,William. The Motives, Which have determined the University of Glasgow to desert the Blackfriar Church, And betake themselves to a Chapel. In a Letter from Pr-f--r---, to H--M--,Esq; from Airshire. To which is added, An Appendix. Glasgow, Printed and Sold by the Booksellers in Town and Country, 1764

D Octavo, old marbled paper covers, 62pp + (2pp) adverts (listing six of Thom's pamphlets 'lately published').

First edition. William Thom was an eccentric minister of Govan who through a series of satirical pamphlets published in the 1760's criticised the University of Glasgow and its Professors including Adam Smith. Recently Thom has become the object of serious interest and several commentators have pointed to him as a notable publicist and reformer. William Thom received his M.A. degree from Glasgow University in 1732 but waited years for a parish of his own, until in 1746 the University presented him to nearby Govan. He had a lawsuit with the University (which he lost) over a matter of a chalder of meal in the amount of his stipend, and there was scarcely any act of, or any absence of action by, the University which did not form a text for one of his pamphlets or letters. Here in this pamphlet Thom makes fun of the professors: "if we stay away from church, we must either ride in the fields, or walk in the College-garden, or stay on our rooms: if we ride abroad, the people...imagine we are profane; if we walk in the College-garden, they make the same conclusion; if we stay in our rooms, we must either read plays, or our own systems: if our servants catch us reading plays, they whisper to every body that we are graceless; if we read our own systems, we very soon fall asleep upon them..." p.7. "Wrangling with his patrons over a dilapidated manse, a meagre stipend and what he saw as University mismanagement occupied him for years...Thom has a pronounced evangelical outlook and impeccable Popular party credentials. Thom's opposition to church patronage would mark him as a Popular party man, but his friendships, his views on church and state politics, and his ethical and spiritual beliefs also reveal that allegiance". Donovan.
Robert Donovan, Evangelical Civic Humanism in Glasgow...William Thom pp.227-243 in Hook & Sher, ed. The Glasgow Enlightenment. Tuckwell Press, 1995. Viner, Guide to John Rae's Life of Adam Smith 1965, pp.81-83 William Thom.

£500

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