Introduction

Biography

Thomas was the son of Tho­mas Grin­field of Bris­tol and An­na Jo­an­na Bar­ham.

He was edu­cat­ed at Wing­field, near Trow­bridge, and Tri­ni­ty Col­lege, Cam­bridge (BA 1811).

Ordained in 1813, he served as cur­ate at St. Sid­wells, Exe­ter; rec­tor of Shir­land, Der­by­shire; and, for 23 years, cur­ate in charge of St. Ma­ry le Port Church, Bris­tol.

Though he pub­lished lit­tle, his com­po­si­tions were nu­mer­ous, es­pe­cial­ly his ser­mons. Stu­di­ous and con­temp­la­tive, he ming­led lit­tle with so­cie­ty.

Works

He was an ac­comp­lished schol­ar and po­et. As well as the works list­ed be­low, he wrote a large num­ber of small po­ems and lec­tures, ma­ny of which were pub­lished in the Wes­ton Mer­cu­ry. There re­main un­pub­lished se­ver­al ma­nu­scripts, in­clud­ing a ser­ies of theo­lo­gic­al lec­tures.

• Epistles and Mis­cel­la­ne­ous Po­ems (Lon­don: 1815)
• The Om­ni­pre­sence of God, with Oth­er Sac­red Po­ems (Bris­tol, Eng­land: 1824)
• The Vi­sions of Pat­mos, 1827
• A Cen­tu­ry of Orig­in­al Sac­red Songs (Lon­don: 1836)
• Sacred Po­ems
• Fifty Ser­mons by Ro­bert Hall, from Grin­field’s Notes, 1843, de­di­cat­ed to Dr. Chal­mers
• The Mo­ral In­flu­ence of Shakes­peare’s Plays, 1850
• The His­to­ry of Preach­ing (ed. Can­on Eden, 1880, with pre­face and me­moir)