TENISON, THOMAS (1636-1715), English archbishop, was born at Cottenham, Cambs., on Sept. 29, 1636. He was edu cated at Corpus Christi college, Cambridge, of which he became a fellow in 1639. After holding cures at Cambridge, where he gave devoted care to sufferers from the plague, and at Norwich, he was presented in 1680 by Charles II. to the vicarage of St. Martin's-in-the-Fields, London, where he endowed schools, estab lished a public library, and was a champion of Protestantism dur ing the reign of James II. Monmouth sent for him before his execution. Under William III., Tenison was in 1689 named a member of the ecclesiastical commission appointed to prepare a reconciliation of the Dissenters, the revision of the liturgy being specially entrusted to him. He preached a funeral sermon on Nell Gwyn (d. 1687) in which he represented her as truly penitent—a charitable judgment which did not meet with universal approval. He was made bishop of Lincoln in 1691 and archbishop of Can terbury in Dec. 1694. He attended Queen Mary during her last
illness and preached her funeral sermon in Westminster Abbey. During William's absence in 1695 Tenison was appointed one of the seven lords justices to whom his authority was delegated. With Burnet he attended the king on his death-bed. He enjoyed little favour with Queen Anne, but was a commissioner for the Union with Scotland in 1706. A strong supporter of the Hanover ian succession, he was one of the three officers of state to whom on the death of Anne was entrusted the duty of appointing regent till the arrival of George I., whom he crowned on Oct. 31, 1714. Tenison died in London on Dec. 14, 1715.
Tenison's works include The Creed of Mr. Hobbes Examined (1670) and Baconia, or Certain Genuine Remains of Lord Bacon (1679). He was one of the founders of the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel.