Thomas Christian

Thomas Christian (1754–1828) was the translator of John Milton's Paradise Lost into Manx, an author of Manx carols, and vicar of Marown parish, Isle of Man.

Thomas Christian was the second son of John Christian (1728–1779), Vicar of Marown for 26 years, from 1753 to 1779, and his wife Elizabeth. Thomas Christian's father is notable for having translated the Second Book of Kings from the Bible into the Manx language for Bishop Hildesley, published in 1771. Thomas was John's second son, born in 1753. He showed early academic promise, as testified by Bishop Hildesley, although the Bishop was disappointed upon first meeting him:

Young Christian got to me the day before the snow... I find he is almost a blank paper, notwithstanding the vast cries up of his vehement scholarship. His uncle sent me a list of books he had read, enough to frighten a learned Jew. He is tolerably versed in Greek Testament. But it is time he should know things as well as words

In 1768 or 1769 he was appointed Vicar of Peel. However, Christian was disappointed by this position as he saw as insufficient for him. But his complaints were quieted by Bishop Hildesley's pointing out that "his several appointments" brought him no less than £65 Manx, nearly £56 Sterling.

After his father's death in September 1779, Christian became Vicar of Marown, moving into the family home at Ballakilley and taking up the post of Vicar in 1780. He thus followed both his father, John, and grandfather, Thomas, in being Vicar of the Parish, a line which began with his grandfather's appointment in 1734.

However, in 1796 it is recorded that he was "degraded by being dismissed from the Church,” perhaps for "fornication and drunken and aggressive behaviour." He was replaced by a John Bridson, and served a suspension from his duties in the parish. An Ecclesiastical Court document concerning Christian in 1790, states:

... having quitted the retirement enjoined him by his Lordship, and returned to the scene of his unfortunate connections, has this day promised to repair to Kirk Bride and submit himself to the guidance of his brother-in-law, the Rev. Wm. Clucas, during the period of his probation.

It was not until 1799 that he finally relinquished the office of Marown Vicar. He lived a further 29 years, to the age of 74, dying on 14 September 1828. One possibly questionable source has it that he died "due to an overdose of a medicine – he having insisted on drinking the whole bottle instead of the prescribed dose."

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