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the 17th of May, 1788, and, after enjoying a liberal education in his earlier years, was sent, at the age of seventeen, to study at Homerton for the ministry. After three years of collegiate study, he commenced his first pastorate at Hammersmith in 1809 ; but after a brief but successful ministry of three years there, he removed to Liverpool to succeed the lamented Thomas Spencer, of whose life he soon after published an eloquent memoir.
For fifty years Dr. Raffles continued his ministry at Liverpool with extraordinary success. Nor were his labours confined to his own numerous congregation. In every part of the country his services as a preacher were sought and valued ; and in his own county, local missionary and other associations found in him a most efficient secretary and advocate. The Lancashire Inde pendent College owed its origin and success mainly to his efforts ; of which its Raffles Library remains as a lasting memorial. Dr. Raffles closing days were very happy and peaceful. He often gratefully passed in review his long and successful life, and gave all the glory to God. He died August 18th, 1863. Be sides the popular memoir already referred to, Dr. Raffles was one of the authors of " Poems by the Rev. T. Raffles, of Liverpool, J. Baldwin Brown, Esq., of the Inner Temple, and Jeremiah Holmes Wiffen," 1815 this was originally published under the title of " Poems by Three Friends." He was also the author of " A Tour on the Continent in 1817," and of a work entitled, " Lectures on Christian Faith and Practice." He was also for a few years joint editor with Dr. Collyer and Dr. J. Baldwin Brown, of a London Quarterly. His degree of LL.D. was from the Uni versity of Aberdeen, and his diploma as Doctor of Divinity from a College in America.
As a man of literary tastes he was widely known, and he held no mean place as a religious poet. His original religious pieces were numerous and highly finished, and " some of the most finished classical lyrics have been rendered gracefully into English by his hand ;" and some of his hymns have taken their place
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