THOMAS, Abel Charles, clergyman, born in Exeter, Pennsylvania, 11 June, 1807 ; died in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 28 September, 1880. His grandfather, Abel Thomas, was a Quaker preacher. The grandson was educated at Lancaster, Pc., and at an early age entered the ministry of the Universalist church. He was first established for ten years over the Lombard street church in Philadelphia, to which, after a few years in Lowell, Massachusetts, Brooklyn, New York, and Cincinnati, Ohio, he returned, remaining for seventeen years. With the Reverend Thomas B. Thayer he wrote the "Lowell Tracts," in 1840-'42, during the crusade against Universalism in Lowell, and organized " The Lowell Offering," whose sole contributors and editors were the mill-operatives. He was the author of "Allegories and Divers Day-Dreams" (Lowell, 1841); an "Autobiography" (Boston, 1852) ; and "A Centenary of Universalism " (Philadelphia, 1872). He prepared "Hymns of Zion," with music (Philadelphia, 1839); "The Gospel Liturgy" (1857) ; and "The Christian Helper, or Gospel Sermons" (1857). He published also many tracts, sermons, and discussions, among the last, "Discussions on Universalism," with Reverend Dr. Ezra S. Ely (New York, 1835), and he was connected editorially with many papers of his denomination.--His wife, M. Louise Palmer, born in Mount Holly, New Jersey, about 1830, is a daughter of Judge Strange N. Palmer, of Pennsylvania. She received a classical education and read Blackstone with her brother, Robert M. Pahner, who was United States minister to the Argentine Republic in 1861-'2. For many years, owing to the failing health of her husband, Mrs. Thomas managed a large estate near Philadelphia. This gave her an opportunity to educate eighteen children, eleven being taken from the colored orphan asylum of New York city. She has been president of the Woman's centenary association of the Universalist church since 1880, and in 1886 was elected president of Sorosis, a woman's club in New York. She is also treasurer of the national council of women. Since 1873 she has been editor and publisher of the tract department of the Universalist church, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania