Thomas Troward (1846–1916) was Her Majesty's Assistant Commissioner and later Divisional Judge of the North Indian Punjab from 1869 until his retirement in 1896. It is this later period for which he is best remembered and most celebrated; in it he was at last able to devote himself to his great interest in metaphysical and esoteric studies.

The most notable results were a few small volumes that have had a profound effect on the development of spiritual metaphysics, in particular that of the the New Thought Movement, of which the teaching known as Science of Mind is Troward's most direct legacy. He was a much influential figure in the development of Ernest Holmes' Religious Science/Science of Mind organization due to the impact his philosophy had on Holmes, and Troward's teachings are regularly taught in Science of Mind classes.

Thomas Troward was born in Punjab, India, in 1847 of British parents, Albany and Frederica Troward. His father was a full colonel in the Indian Army. He was brought back to England to attend school and in 1865, at the age of 18, he graduated from college with gold medal honors in literature. He then decided to study Law, although at heart he always considered himself an artist and a painter. He studied all of the bibles of the world, including the Koran, Hindu scriptures and books of Raja Yoga. His studies in original Hebrew provided the foundation for his book, Bible Mystery and Bible Meaning.

Shortly after returning to England, Troward begin to write for the New Thought Expressions publication. He had already developed, in some detail, his philosophy of Mental Science when he was accidentally introduced to the "Higher Thought Center" of London through a Mrs. Alice Callow, who happened to meet him in a London tea room. This group immediately recognized him as an extremely articulate and learned individual. He was invited to give a series of lectures and in 1904 delivered his famous Edinburgh lectures at Queens Gate in Edinburgh, Scotland. These lectures were given to a very small but appreciative group of persons. However, it is said that even this captive, willing audience hardly understood what he was saying.

Still, Troward’s genius did not go unrecognized. The philosopher William James characterized Troward’s Edinburgh Lectures on Mental Science as "far and away the ablest statement of philosophy I have met, beautiful in its sustained clearness of thought and style, a really classic statement."

Troward was a major influence on the works of Ernest Holmes, Frederick Bailes, Joseph Murphy and Emmett Fox, and has been quoted by numerous other writers.

On May 16, 1916, at the age of 69, Thomas Troward passed from this plane. He will be recognized in history as a contributing influence to Religious Science, the New Thought Movement in the United States and Great Britain, and also, to some extent, to the more liberal ideas of the Church of England