At the age of fourteen Thomas was placed under the tuition of Mr. Newcomb whose school was near Hackney, England. He graduated at Trinity College under Dr. Beilby Porteus, the bright literary ornament of that time and afterwards Bishop of London. Guided by the master genius of this finished scholar, accomplished gentleman and pious divine, Mr. Nelson traced the fair lines of science and explored the avenues of literature. The principles of strict virtue and stern integrity were deeply impressed upon his mind and governed his actions through life. After spending eight years at the classic fountain in England he returned to his native home highly improved in mind and person. He entered upon the enjoyment of a large real estate and over one hundred and thirty thousand dollars in money. Not selfish at heart--unwilling to enjoy so much alone, as in duty bound he led to the hymenial altar Lucy--daughter of Philip Grimes of Brandon and settled happily and quietly at his native place. His house became the seat of domestic felicity and hospitality. For a long time great intimacy existed between the leading men of Virginia and England. This arose from consanguinity and the wealth that enabled the most prominent men of the Old Dominion to educate their sons in the mother country. For more than a century an interchange of good feelings and kind offices were kept up. The sons who were educated in Great Britain imbibed the same ideas of Independence as those which were the boast of the noblemen of that kingdom and very properly felt themselves entitled to as much confidence from the King as a native resident of Albion. For this reason, when the British ministry put the car of oppression in motion in Virginia, her wealthy and noblest sons were the most vigorous opposers of regal power. The very fact of former intimacy charged this opposition with stronger bitterness. The very chivalry that the proud Britons had taught the sons of the Old Dominion was brought to bear upon the hirelings of the crown with the force of an avalanche. In 1774 Mr. Nelson was elected to the House of Burgesses and took a bold stand in favor of liberal principles. He was one of the eighty-nine members who assembled at a tavern the day after Lord Dunmore dissolved them and formed themselves into an association of non-intercourse with Great Britain. At the next election he was again returned. He was a member of the two conventions that appointed Congressional delegates in 1774-5. He supported the bold measures proposed by the daring Henry from which many of the patriots at first recoiled with terror and amazement. He had no ear for the siren song of peace when the shores of his country were darkened by foreign fleets and armies. At the convention in March 1775 the following resolutions were proposed by Patrick Henry and passed. The first germ of our militia system then burst from embryo.