Thomas Hayter

Thomas Hayter (1702 – 9 January 1762) was an English whig divine, who served as a Church of England bishop for 13 years as Bishop of Norwich (1749–1761) then Bishop of London (1761–1762), and was a royal chaplain. As a party advocate of the Pelhamites and a friend of the Duke of Newcastle, he was at the height of his powers in the 1750s. A scholar renowned in his days, it was for his divinity that Hayter was recommended, but his friendship with the court and royalty that exemplified his actual powers. He was considered tolerant and eclectic, learned and intelligent.