Thomas Cooper

Thomas Cooper (or Couper; 29 April 1594) was an English bishop, lexicographer, theologian, and writer. Life Cooper was born in Oxford, England, where he was educated at Magdalen College. He became Master of Magdalen College School and afterwards practised as a physician in Oxford. Elizabeth I was greatly pleased with his Thesaurus, generally known as Cooper's Dictionary; and its author, who had been ordained about 1559, was made Dean of Christ Church, in 1567. Two years later, on 27 June 1569, he became Dean of Gloucester; he was elected Bishop of Lincoln on 4 February 1571, consecrated a bishop on 24 February 1571, then translated to Winchester on 12 March 1584. Cooper was a stout controversialist; he defended the practice and precept of the Church of England against the Roman Catholics on the one hand and against the Martin Marprelate writings and the Puritans on the other. He took some part, the exact extent of which is disputed, in the persecution of religious recusants in his diocese, and died at Winchester on 29 April 1594.