Rev. William Tooke (1744-1820)

The son of a vintner, William Tooke studied with John Shield at his Islington Academy; in 1771 he was ordained and became chaplain to the English Factory at Kronstadt, near St. Petersburg; from 1774 to 1791 he was English chaplain at St. Petersburg. He became a member of Jesus College, Cambridge in 1784. On receiving a legacy he retired to London in 1792, undertaking scholarly projects including a revision of the General Biographical Dictionary.

TEXT RECORDS:

1765Grimalkin.
1780Amarantha.

PUBLICATIONS:

Antient Funeral Monuments of Great-Britain [John Weever, ed. Tooke.] 1767.
The loves of Othniel and Achsah: translated from the Chaldee. 1769.
Mary Magdalene's funeral tears [Robert Southwell, ed. Tooke.] 1772.
Pieces written by Mons. Falconet and Mons. Diderot on sculpture in general. 1777.
Russia, or, A Compleat Historical Account of All the Nations which Compose that Empire [Georgi, trans. Tooke.] 1780-83.
Moral and philosophical estimates of the state and faculties of man; and of the nature and source of human happiness. 4 vols, 1789.
Moral and philosophical suggestions on various subjects related to human perfection and happiness. 4 vols, 1790.
Varieties of literature from foreign literary journals and original MSS. 2 vols, 1795.
The general biographical dictionary, ed. Tooke. 15 vols, 1795.
Private history of Peregrinus Proteus the philosopher [Wieland, trans. Tooke.] 1796.
The Life of Catharine II, Empress of Russia. 1798.
History of Russia from the foundation of the monarchy by Rurik to the accession of Catharine the Great. 1800.
The picture of Petersburg: from the German of Henry Storch. 1801.
Poetical works of Charles Churchill, ed. Tooke. 2 vols, 1804.
Devotional Prayers and Exercises [Zollikofer, trans. Tooke.] 1815.
Lucian of Samosata: from the Greek [trans. Tooke.] 2 vols, 1820.

PROFILE AND
ASSOCIATES:

English
Anglican

Islington Academy
Jesus College Cambridge
Fellow of the Royal Society

book trade
clergyman
poet
novelist
translator
antiquary
historian

Gentleman's Magazine
Monthly Review

Rev. John Duncombe
Richard Gough
John Nichols

REFERENCE:

DNB; NCBEL.

David Rivers, Literary Memoirs of Living Authors (1798); John Nichols, Literary Anecdotes (1812-15); Biographical Dictionary of Living Authors (1816); [portrait in Tooke, Works of Lucian, 1820]; obituary in Gentleman's Magazine 90 (November 1820) 466-68; William Tooke, "Memorials of the Family of Tooke" Gentleman's Magazine NS 12 (1839) 602-06; Nangle, Index to Monthly Review (1955); A. G. Cross, "The Rev. William Tooke's Contribution to English Knowledge of Russia" Canadian Slavic Studies 3 (1969) 106-15.

COMMENTARY RECORDS
for Rev. William Tooke:

1.	1765 John Nichols, "Spring. Inscribed to Mr. T." 1765; Nichols, Select Collection of Poems (1780-82) 8:141-43.

BIOGRAPHY RECORDS
for Rev. William Tooke:

1.	1798 David Rivers, in Literary Memoirs of Living Authors (1798) 2:317-18.
2.	1816 Anonymous, in Biographical Dictionary of Living Authors (1816) 351.
3.	1820 Anonymous, Obituary in Gentleman's Magazine 90 (November 1820) 466-68.

AUTHOR AS CRITIC:
(commentary records)

1.	1804 Dr. John Armstrong: William Tooke, Note to The Journey; Poetical Works of Charles Churchill (1804) 2:375-77n.
2.	1804 Rev. John Brown: William Tooke, Note to The Ghost; Poetical Works of Charles Churchill (1804) 2:174-75n.
3.	1804 Lord Chesterfield: William Tooke, Note to The Ghost; Poetical Works of Charles Churchill (1804) 2:101-02n.
4.	1804 George Colman: William Tooke, Note to The Rosciad; Poetical Works of Charles Churchill (1804) 1:7-8n.
5.	1804 Thomas Davies: William Tooke, Note to The Rosciad; Poetical Works of Charles Churchill (1804) 1:23-24n.
6.	1804 Rev. William Dodd: William Tooke, Note to The Times; Poetical Works of Charles Churchill (1804) 2:319-21n.
7.	1804 Robert Dodsley: William Tooke, Note to The Journey; Poetical Works of Charles Churchill (1804) 2:367-68n.
8.	1804 Thomas Gray: William Tooke, Note to The Journey; Poetical Works of Charles Churchill (1804) 2:266n.
9.	1804 William Gerard Hamilton: William Tooke, Note to Independence; Poetical Works of Charles Churchill (1804) 2:350n.
10.	1804 David Hume: William Tooke, Note to The Journey; Poetical Works of Charles Churchill (1804) 2:372n.
11.	1804 Bp. Richard Hurd: William Tooke, Note to The Duellist; Poetical Works of Charles Churchill (1804) 1:219-20.
12.	1804 William King of Oxford: William Tooke, Note to The Candidate; Poetical Works of Charles Churchill (1804) 2:263-65n.
13.	1804 Rev. John Langhorne: William Tooke, Note to The Candidate; Poetical Works of Charles Churchill (1804) 2:231-32n.
14.	1804 William Lauder: William Tooke, Note to The Ghost; Poetical Works of Charles Churchill (1804) 2:53-54n.
15.	1804 Robert Lloyd: William Tooke, Note to Independence; Poetical Works of Charles Churchill (1804) 2:346-48n.
16.	1804 David Mallet: William Tooke, Note to The Prophecy of Famine; Poetical Works of Charles Churchill (1804) 1:128-29n.
17.	1804 Andrew Marvell: William Tooke, Note to The Author; Poetical Works of Charles Churchill (1804) 1:318-19n.
18.	1804 Rev. John Ogilvie: William Tooke, Note to The Journey; Poetical Works of Charles Churchill (1804) 2:373-74n.
19.	1804 James Ralph: William Tooke, Note to The Conference; Poetical Works of Charles Churchill (1804) 1:344n.
20.	1804 William Smith of Covent Garden: William Tooke, Note to The Rosciad; Poetical Works of Charles Churchill (1804) 1:41n.
21.	1804 Tobias Smollett: William Tooke, Note to The Apology; Poetical Works of Charles Churchill (1804) 1:85-86n.
22.	1804 Gilbert West: William Tooke, Note to The Prophecy of Famine; Poetical Works of Charles Churchill (1804) 1:133-34n.
23.	1804 William Whitehead: William Tooke, Note to The Prophecy of Famine; Poetical Works of Charles Churchill (1804) 1:135n.

AUTHOR AS CRITIC:
(biography records)

1.	1804 Rev. Charles Churchill: William Tooke, "Life of Charles Churchill" Poetical Works of Charles Churchill (1804) 1:1-lii.