Thomas Elrington (18 December 1760 – 12 July 1835) was an Irish academic and bishop. He was Donegall Lecturer in Mathematics (1790-1795) at Trinity College Dublin (TCD). While at TCD he also served as Erasmus Smith's Professor of Mathematics (1795–1799) and as Erasmus Smith's Professor of Natural and Experimental Philosophy (1799–1807). Later, he was Provost of Trinity College Dublin (1811-1820), then Bishop of Limerick, Ardfert and Aghadoe (1820-1822), and finally Bishop of Ferns and Leighlin till his death in Liverpool in 1835.
Life
The only child of Richard and Catherine Elrington of Dublin, he was born near that city on 18 December 1760. He entered Trinity College Dublin, on 1 May 1775 as a pensioner, under the tutorship of the Rev. Dr. Drought, and was elected a Scholar in 1778. He graduated B.A. in 1780, M.A. in 1785, and B.D. and D.D. in 1795.
In 1781 he was elected a fellow of his college. He was Donegall Lecturer of Mathematics (1790-1795), and in 1794 he was the first to hold the office of Donnellan Divinity Lecturer. In 1795 he was appointed Archbishop King's Lecturer in Divinity, succeeded to a senior fellowship, and also became the third Erasmus Smith's Professor of Mathematics (1795–1799). In 1799 he exchanged the Erasmus Smith's professorship of mathematics for the Erasmus Smith's Professor of Natural and Experimental Philosophy.
In 1789, he published the mathematical treatise Euclidis Elementorum Sex Libri Priores, Cum Notis (Dublin University Press), whose 10th edition appeared in 1833.
On resigning his fellowship in 1806 Elrinton was presented by his college to the rectory of Ardtrea, in the diocese of Armagh, which he held until December 1811. He resigned, having been appointed to the provostship of Trinity College. During his tenure in this office, he was the acting manager of almost every public board, and a supporter of charitable institutions.
Elrington was advanced on 25 September 1820 to the bishopric of Limerick, and on 21 December 1822, he was translated to Leighlin and Ferns. While on his way to attend Parliament duties in London he died of paralysis at Liverpool on 12 July 1835. He was buried under the chapel of Trinity College Dublin, in which there was a monument with a Latin inscription to his memory. Another monument was erected by his clergy in the cathedral church of Ferns. Elrington was an active member of the Royal Irish Academy, and of other literary and scientific societies. The Elrington theological essay prize was instituted in Trinity College in 1837.
A portrait of the bishop was painted in 1820 for his brother, Major Elrington, by Thomas Foster; engraved by William Ward, it was published in 1836 by Graves & Co. There was a marble bust in the library of Trinity College.
Elrington was a highly intelligent man, but contemporaries found him inflexible, rigid and narrow-minded. Students, while praising him for his learning, found him personally obnoxious.
Works
His works are: