• Name: Morgan, Reverend Dr Thomas
• Gender: Male
• Birth Date: 1752
• Death Date: 21  July  1821
• Occupation: librarian
• Occupation: minister

Not in DNB.

Thomas Morgan was born in Langharn in South Wales, the only son of the Dissenting minister, Thomas Morgan. He was educated at grammar schools in Batley and Leeds and attended Hoxton Academy when he was 15, and where it is likely he first met Godwin (the 1796 diary list has Morgan alongside Kippis in 1773). He left after six years and became minister to a congregation in Abingdon before moving to another congregation in Aliffe St, Goodman's Field in 1768. He became a member of the Dr WIlliams's Trust in 1783 and was appointed librarian in 1804. The Gentleman's Magazine (July-December 1821) notes that 'He was well acquainted with general literature, had a good knowledge of Books - was regular and punctual in his habits, and never absent from his station during the hours of business, till a few days before his decease, when he was compelled reluctantly to withdraw to a sick chamber, and lay his head on the pillow of death' (p. 181). His death was reported in Jackson's Oxford Journal 28 July 1821; Godwin records Dr Thomas Morgan dies..

He was made LLD by the University of Aberdeen in 1819. He also reviewed domestic and foreign literature for the New Annual Register. He was a very close friend of Theophilus Lindsey whose death disturbed him significantly. All Dr Morgans and Morgans associated with the Red Cross Library have been coded as Thomas.

There are a number of other Morgans in the diary:

G. Morgan appears in 1789. Godwin's 1796 Diary records meeting Morgan with Kippis, Rees and others in 1773 - when he enters the Hoxton Academy where George Cadogan Morgan was teaching. This 1789 reference is in association with Price and the Revolutionists and is probably George Cadogan Morgan (see DNB - he was a nephew of Richard Price). The same pattern is there in 1791. It is possible that Godwin reads Morgan's pamphlet An address to the Jacobine and other patriotic societies: urging the establishment of a republican form of government in February 1796, since he cites 45 pages, and does not return to the text - and that was approximately the length of Morgan's pamphlet. G C Morgan dies in November 1798 but there is no mention of his death in the Diary, and no change in the pattern of recording Morgans.

William Morgan was a nephew of Richard Price and was a renowned host of radical figures. His brother, George Cadogan Morgan, also appears in the diary. The first W Morgan appears in 1793 - this might be G C Morgan's brother, also radically inclined, and an actuary who worked with (his uncle) Richard Price - see DNB. It seems probable that Godwin knew them both - but it is unclear what proportion of 'Morgan' entries the brothers account for. W Morgan's eldest son, also William, was also an actuary , working from at least 1817, although he died aged 28 in 1819. He was succeeded by his youngest brother Arthur. Morgan actuary has been coded as W Morgan; as have entries for W Morgan. In addition, there are a close set of entries in 1818 that begin with W Morgan and continue as Morgan, which occur while Godwin is writing Of Population where it seems likely that Godwin is consulting him on the statistics. All instances of G Morgan have been identified as George Cadogan Morgan as well as one instance of Morgan. All instances of 'Morgans' in the 1790s have been identified as either William and George Cadogan.

There are a number of references to Morgans in relation to Coleridge. This seems to be Mary and John Morgan (d. end of 1819, beginning of 1820) and her sister Charlotte Brent, who are old friends of Coleridge and who move to Calne with Coleridge in 1815 - hence the reference on 5 May 1817 Morgan of Calne - but this suggests that Godwin was not intimate with John Morgan and that we should not take the Morgan references in the Diary to be references to him except where stated - eg 10 March 1811; 26 August 1811; 6 November 1811; 13 December 1812; 8 January 1813; 6 April 1813. However, it also seems that the Lambs become close to John Morgan, through Coleridge, and that we should code Morgans at Lambs accordingly (there is a confirming instance on 15.November 1816 when Morgan and Miss Brent are at Lambs's. This would include 23 May 1813; 3 April 1816; 8 May 1816; 3 June 1816; 20 July 1816; 15.11.1816; 5.5.1817; 30. January 1818; 1 April 1818 (again with Miss Brent); 7 July 1818; That then exhausts the possibilities for John Morgan who dies at the end of 1819. However on 27 August 1821 Godwin has to tea Morgan and Brent - the coincidence seems too striking - and this must refer to Mary Morgan and Charlotte Brent. If that is so, it might suggest that earlier entries of M Morgan might also be Mary., but there is nothing really to support this hypothesis - he calls on M Morgan, and sees M Morgan with Hone. As a result we have coded the later entries for Mary Morgan, but not the earlier.

Thereafter the references in the Diary are often to W Morgan, on whom he calls several times. That this is William Morgan senr might be supported by the fact that he writes to Morgan and to A Rees on 8 June 1821. The Morgans of the late 1820s and early 1830s are often in relation to Uwins, Pickersgill, Martin. See DNB; The Gentleman's Magazine (July-December 1821) and Jackson's Oxford Journal, 28 July 1821.

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This table lists the people this person is most frequently noted with in the diary.