Thomas Southouse 1640/1-1676

Thomas SOUTHOUSE or SOWTHOUSE 1640/1-1676

The armorial bookplate used by the Southouse family, from FOL. BV4655 T6 in the Foyle Special Collections Library, King's College London

Biographical Note

Son of Thomas Southouse, of Faversham (d. 1669), he matriculated The Queen's College, Oxford 1658, and left Oxford without taking a degree. He was admitted to Gray's Inn in November 1660 and called to the bar, 1667. He was the author of Monasticon Favershamiense in agro Cantiano: or, A surveigh of the Monastry of Faversham in the county of Kent (1671). Other historical and poetical works have been attributed to him.

He died suddenly in 1676 and was buried in Faversham Church, leaving his wife Elizabeth, three daughters and two sons. His son Thomas was called to the bar and was mayor of Faversham in 1679 and 1688. His younger son Filmer shared his father’s interest in history and local antiquities. Some of Filmer Southouse's manuscripts survive.

Books

The Foyle Special Collections library at King’s College London holds four catechismal works by Gabriel Towerson (1635?-1697) containing Southouse bookplates. Towerson had been a slightly older contemporary of Southouse at Oxford. He was a student at The Queen’s College Oxford, 1650-1659, and was elected to fellowship of All Souls’ College in 1660. Since all but one of the following were published after his death, however, they most likely belonged to one (or both) of his sons. Examples: An explication of the decalogue or ten commandments, with reference to the Catechism of the Church of England... FOL. BV4655 T6; An explication of the catechism of the Church of England. Part I (1678) FOL. BX5139 T6; An explication of the catechism of the Church of England. Part III, (1680) FOL. BX5139 T61; An explication of the catechism of the Church of England. Part IV (1688) FOL. BX5139 T6.

Characteristic Markings

The books listed above contain bookplates bearing an armorial crest with the legend ‘Southouse’. This crest is found on Southouse tombs in Faversham Parish Church.

Sources

• London Marriages Licences for Kent 1521-1869.
• Flight, C. Thomas Southouse, not Thomas Southland, the author of ‘Love à la Mode’ (1663).
• Foster, J. Alumni oxonienses; the members of the University of Oxford, 1500-1714. Vol. 4, 1892.
• Foster, J. The register of admissions to Gray's Inn, 1521-1889.
• Jacob, E. The history of the town and port of Faversham, in the county of Kent, 1774.
• Information from King’s College London, Foyle Special Collections Library.