Biography of Bishop John Clerk -1541
In 1519 Bishop John Clerk was appointed Dean of Windsor.
In 1523 Bishop John Clerk was appointed Bishop of Bath and Wells.
Letters and Papers 1528. 11 Jun 1528. R. O. 4358. Brian Tuke to Thomas Derby (age 19).
Perceived by his letters that my Lord's pleasure is that Lady Margaret's secretaries should be with him on Friday morning. Tuke will be there, but is forbidden to ride, and will therefore go by water. Is to assure Wolsey (age 55) that Stephens' letters did not come in the packet, as the bishop of Bath stated; and therefore Tuke supposed they were either in Mr. Peter's (Vannes') packet, or the same as the letters in Latin to Wolsey (age 55). Doubts not that the Cardinal will find they were not sent in the packet Tuke had. Missed them as soon as he read the bishop of Bath's letters, expecting himself to have heard from Mr. Stephens. This is all he can say. Thinks they have been left out of the packet by inadvertence, or else that my Lord of Bath called Mr. Gregory's Mr. Stephens' letters. The bishop of Bath's packet came whole in a cover from the deputy of Calais, who said they had "flyen over the walls to him at 10 of the clock at night, and should fly over again to the post, to send them over incontinently; and with that packet was a truss in canvas, directed to my Lord's grace, which was not cast over the walls." The letters of sundry dates were put by Twichet into one packet. Sends various letters, and mentions others that came; some directed to the ambassador of Florence, others for Anthony Vivaldi, one to Nich. Carewe. Begs he may come on Friday, as, but for the King and Wolsey's (age 55) commandment, he would not stir from his chamber for £100, "till a thing that is amiss in my body be better amended, for stirring is the most dangerous thing I can do, and besides potions and other medicines I am anointed morning and evening, and have other things administered to me not meet to be used in Court." London, Corpus Christ evening, late.
Letters and Papers 1529. 25 Oct 1529. Rym. XIV. 349. 6025. Cardinal Wolsey (age 56).
Memorandum of the surrender of the Great Seal by Cardinal Wolsey, on 17 Oct., to the dukes of Norfolk (age 56) and Suffolk (age 45), in his gallery at his house at Westminster, at 6 o'clock p.m., in the presence of Sir William Fitzwilliam (age 39), John Tayler, and Stephen Gardiner (age 46). The same was delivered by Tayler to the King (age 38) at Windsor [Map], on the 20 Oct., by whom it was taken out and attached to certain documents, in the presence of Tayler and Gardiner, Henry Norris (age 47), Thomas Heneage (age 49), Ralph Pexsall, clerk of the Crown, John Croke, John Judd, and Thomas Hall, of the Hanaper.
On the 25th Oct. the seal was delivered by the King at East Greenwich to Sir Thomas More (age 51), in the presence of Henry Norres (age 47) and Chr. Hales, Attorney General, in the King's privy chamber; and on the next day, Tuesday, 26 Oct., More took his oath as Chancellor in the Great Hall [Map] at Westminster, in presence of the dukes of Norfolk (age 56) and Suffolk (age 45), Th. marquis of Dorset (age 52), Henry marquis of Exeter (age 33), John Earl of Oxford (age 58), Henry Earl of Northumberland (age 27), George Earl of Shrewsbury (age 61), Ralph Earl of Westmoreland (age 31), John Bishop of Lincoln (age 56), Cuthbert Bishop of London (age 55), John Bishop of Bath and Wells, Sir Rob. Radclyf, Viscount Fitzwater (age 46), Sir Tho. Boleyn, Viscount Rocheforde (age 52), Sir WilliamSandys, Lord (age 52) and others.
Close Roll, 21 Henry VIII. m. 19d.
Ellis' Letters S1 V2 Letter CXIV. 01 Jun 1533. Nowe than on Soundaye was the Coronacion, which allso was of such a maner.
In the mornynge ther assembled withe me at Westminster Churche the bysshop of Yorke, the Bishop of London (age 58), the Bishop of Wynchester (age 50), the Bishop of Lyncoln (age 60), the Bishop of Bathe, and the Bishop of Saint Asse (age 58), the Abbote of Westminstre with x or xij moo Abbottes, whiche all revestred ourselfs in our pontificalibus, and, soo furnysshed, withe our Crosses and Crossiers, procedid oute of th' Abbey in a procession unto Westminstre Hall, where we receyved the Queene (age 32) apareled in a Robe of purple velvet, and all the ladyes and gentillwomen in robes and gownes of scarlet accordyng to the maner vsed before tyme in such besynes: and so her Grace sustayned of eche syde with ij to bysshops, the Bysshope of London (age 58) ande the Bysshop of Wynchester (age 50), came furthe in processyon unto the Churche of Westminster, she in her here, my Lord of Suffolke (age 49) berying before herr the Crowne, and ij to other Lords beryng also before her a Ceptur and a white Rodde, and so entred up into the highe Alter, where diverse Ceremoneys used aboute her, I did sett the Crowne on her hedde, and then was songe Te Deum, &c. And after that was song a solempne Masse, all which while her grace sjatt crowned upon a scaffold whiche was made betwene the Highe Alter and the Qwyer in Westminstre Churche; which Masse and ceremonyes donne and fynysshed, all the Assemble of noble men broughte her into Westminstre Hall agayne, where was kepte a great solempne feaste all that daye; the good ordre therof were to longe to wrytte at this tyme to you. But nowe Sir you may nott ymagyn that this Coronacion was before her mariege, for she was maried muche about sainte Paules daye last, as the condicion therof dothe well appere by reason she ys nowe sumwhat bygg with chylde. Notwithstandyng yt hath byn reported thorowte a greate parte of the realme that I (age 43) maried her; whiche was playnly false, for I myself knewe not therof a fortenyght after yt was donne. And many other thyngs be also reported of me, whiche be mere lyes and tales.
Other newys have we none notable, but that one Fryth, whiche was in the Tower in pryson, was appoynted by the Kyngs grace to be examyned befor me, my Lorde of London, my lorde of Wynchestre, my Lorde of Suffolke, my Lorde Channcelour, and my Lorde of Wylteshere, whose opynion was so notably erroniouse, that we culde not dyspache hym but was fayne to leve hym to the determynacion of his Ordinarye, whiche ys the bishop of London. His said opynyon ys of suche nature that he thoughte it nat necessary to be beleved as an Article of our faythe, that ther ys the very corporall presence of Christe within the Oste and Sacramente of the Alter, and holdethe of this poynte muste after the Opynion of Oecolampadious. And suerly I myself sent for hym iij or iiij tymes to perswade hym to leve that his Imaginacion, but for all that we could do therin he woulde not applye to any counsaile, notwithstandyng nowe he ys at a fynall ende with all examinacions, for my Lorde of London hathe gyven sentance and delyuerd hym to the secular power, where he loketh every daye to goo unto the fyer. And ther ys also condempned with hym one Andrewe a taylour of London for the said self same opynion.
And thus farr you well, from my manor of Croydon the xvij. daye of June.
Note a. Hall, Chron. edit. 1809. p. 794. Holinsh. edit. 1808. vol. iii. p. 777.
Note b. Queen Elizabeth was born on September the 7th. 1533.
Note c. Stow, Ann. edit. 1631. p. 562.
Note d. Herb. Life of Hen. VIII. edit. 1649. p. 341. Bumet in his History of the Reformation has likewise fallen into this error.
Note e. Lingard's Hist Engl. 1st. edit. vol. iv. p. 190.
a1. re-journying.
a2. shaums.
b2. all day.
On 03 Jan 1541 Bishop John Clerk died.