John May (bishop)
Encyclopedia
John May (died 1598) was an English academic and churchman, who became bishop of Carlisle
.
and brother of William May. He matriculated as a pensioner of Queens' College, Cambridge
, on 2 May 1544. He was appointed bible-clerk of his college, and in 1550 proceeded B.A., being elected fellow in 1550. He commenced M.A. in 1553, and acted as bursar of the college during 1553, 1554, and 1555. Queens' was split in religious sympathies in the Marian period, and May belonged to the Catholic group rather than the reformers.
At midsummer 1557, he was ordained priest, and on 16 November following he was instituted to the rectory of Aston Sandford
, Buckinghamshire
, owned by Edward de Vere
, resigning in 1558. In 1559 he was elected to the mastership of Catharine Hall, Cambridge. In 1560 he commenced B.D., and was collated to the rectory of Long Stanton St. Michael, Cambridgeshire
. In 1562 Archbishop Matthew Parker
collated him to the rectory of North Creake
, Norfolk
; and he held also the moiety of the rectory of Darfield
, Yorkshire
. About 1564 he obtained a canonry of Ely
, which he held until May 1582. Also, in 1564 he was created D.D.
In 1565 he was nominated one of the Lent preachers at court. On 26 September in that year he was collated by Archbishop Parker to the rectory of St. Dunstan-in-the East, London, which he vacated in January 1574. He was admitted to the archdeaconry of the East Riding of Yorkshire by proxy on 3 August 1569, in person on 8 October 1571, and retained it until the end of 1588. He served the office of vice-chancellor of the University of Cambridge for the year from November 1569, and was in a commission to visit King's College, Cambridge
, in a state of confusion over the conduct of Dr. Philip Baker
, the Provost.
Through the influence of George Talbot, 6th Earl of Shrewsbury
, May was raised to the see of Carlisle, being consecrated on 29 September 1577. He obtained the Queen's license to hold his other preferments in commendam
, but had long-term financial troubles. From his correspondence with Shrewsbury, he appears to have taken a serious interest in Scottish affairs. On 15 February 1593, the Queen presented William Holland to the rectory of North Creake, which May still held, and there arose a suit in the Queen's bench; it was held that the rectory might be treated as void by reason of May having been subsequently inducted to Darfield.
May died at Rose Castle
on 15 February 1598, being about seventy years of age. He was buried at Carlisle, according to the parish register of Dalston, Cumbria
, a few hours after his death, which was probably caused by the plague.
are some notes of a sermon which he preached at Paul's Cross in 1565.
Bishop of Carlisle
The Bishop of Carlisle is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Carlisle in the Province of York.The diocese covers the County of Cumbria except for Alston Moor and the former Sedbergh Rural District...
.
Life
He was a native of SuffolkSuffolk
Suffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east...
and brother of William May. He matriculated as a pensioner of Queens' College, Cambridge
Queens' College, Cambridge
Queens' College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England.The college was founded in 1448 by Margaret of Anjou , and refounded in 1465 by Elizabeth Woodville...
, on 2 May 1544. He was appointed bible-clerk of his college, and in 1550 proceeded B.A., being elected fellow in 1550. He commenced M.A. in 1553, and acted as bursar of the college during 1553, 1554, and 1555. Queens' was split in religious sympathies in the Marian period, and May belonged to the Catholic group rather than the reformers.
At midsummer 1557, he was ordained priest, and on 16 November following he was instituted to the rectory of Aston Sandford
Aston Sandford
Aston Sandford is a small village and civil parish in the Aylesbury Vale district of Buckinghamshire, England, about east of Haddenham and northwest of Princes Risborough.The "Aston" part of the toponym is derived from the Old English for "Eastern Estate"...
, Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. The county town is Aylesbury, the largest town in the ceremonial county is Milton Keynes and largest town in the non-metropolitan county is High Wycombe....
, owned by Edward de Vere
Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford
Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford was an Elizabethan courtier, playwright, lyric poet, sportsman and patron of the arts, and is currently the most popular alternative candidate proposed for the authorship of Shakespeare's works....
, resigning in 1558. In 1559 he was elected to the mastership of Catharine Hall, Cambridge. In 1560 he commenced B.D., and was collated to the rectory of Long Stanton St. Michael, Cambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire is a county in England, bordering Lincolnshire to the north, Norfolk to the northeast, Suffolk to the east, Essex and Hertfordshire to the south, and Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire to the west...
. In 1562 Archbishop Matthew Parker
Matthew Parker
Matthew Parker was Archbishop of Canterbury from 1559 until his death in 1575. He was also an influential theologian and arguably the co-founder of Anglican theological thought....
collated him to the rectory of North Creake
North Creake
North Creake is a village and civil parish in the north west of the English county of Norfolk.It covers an area of and had a population of 414 in 184 households as of the 2001 census....
, Norfolk
Norfolk
Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...
; and he held also the moiety of the rectory of Darfield
Darfield, South Yorkshire
Darfield is a village within the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley, South Yorkshire, England. It lies east of the town of Barnsley. It had a population of 8,066 at the 2001 UK Census.-History:...
, Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
. About 1564 he obtained a canonry of Ely
Ely Cathedral
Ely Cathedral is the principal church of the Diocese of Ely, in Cambridgeshire, England, and is the seat of the Bishop of Ely and a suffragan bishop, the Bishop of Huntingdon...
, which he held until May 1582. Also, in 1564 he was created D.D.
In 1565 he was nominated one of the Lent preachers at court. On 26 September in that year he was collated by Archbishop Parker to the rectory of St. Dunstan-in-the East, London, which he vacated in January 1574. He was admitted to the archdeaconry of the East Riding of Yorkshire by proxy on 3 August 1569, in person on 8 October 1571, and retained it until the end of 1588. He served the office of vice-chancellor of the University of Cambridge for the year from November 1569, and was in a commission to visit King's College, Cambridge
King's College, Cambridge
King's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England. The college's full name is "The King's College of our Lady and Saint Nicholas in Cambridge", but it is usually referred to simply as "King's" within the University....
, in a state of confusion over the conduct of Dr. Philip Baker
Philip Baker (provost)
Philip Baker, D.D. , was provost of King's College, Cambridge.-Life:Baker was born at Barnstaple, Devonshire, in or about 1523, and educated at Eton College, whence he was elected in 1540 to King's College, Cambridge . He was nominated provost of King's College by Queen Elizabeth in 1558...
, the Provost.
Through the influence of George Talbot, 6th Earl of Shrewsbury
George Talbot, 6th Earl of Shrewsbury
George Talbot, 6th Earl of Shrewsbury, 6th Earl of Waterford, 12th Baron Talbot, KG, Earl Marshal was a 16th century English statesman.-Life:...
, May was raised to the see of Carlisle, being consecrated on 29 September 1577. He obtained the Queen's license to hold his other preferments in commendam
In Commendam
In canon law, commendam was a form of transferring an ecclesiastical benefice in trust to the custody of a patron...
, but had long-term financial troubles. From his correspondence with Shrewsbury, he appears to have taken a serious interest in Scottish affairs. On 15 February 1593, the Queen presented William Holland to the rectory of North Creake, which May still held, and there arose a suit in the Queen's bench; it was held that the rectory might be treated as void by reason of May having been subsequently inducted to Darfield.
May died at Rose Castle
Rose Castle
Rose Castle is a fortified house in Cumbria, England, on a site that was home to the bishops of Carlisle from 1230 to 2009. It is within the parish of Dalston, from Dalston itself...
on 15 February 1598, being about seventy years of age. He was buried at Carlisle, according to the parish register of Dalston, Cumbria
Dalston, Cumbria
Dalston is a large village and civil parish within the City of Carlisle district of Cumbria, England. It is situated on the B5299 road about four miles south-south-west of Carlisle city centre, and approximately five miles from Junction 42 of the M6 motorway.The village has a population of around...
, a few hours after his death, which was probably caused by the plague.
Works
May wrote some plays, now lost, which were acted by the members of Queens' College in 1551 and 1553. He was concerned in the compilation of the statutes given to the university by Elizabeth in 1570. Among the Tanner manuscripts in the Bodleian LibraryBodleian Library
The Bodleian Library , the main research library of the University of Oxford, is one of the oldest libraries in Europe, and in Britain is second in size only to the British Library...
are some notes of a sermon which he preached at Paul's Cross in 1565.
Family
His wife was Amy, daughter of William Vowel of Creake Abbey, Norfolk, and widow of John Cowel of Lancashire. By her he had issue: John of Shouldham, Norfolk, who married Cordelia, daughter of Martin Bowes of Norfolk; Elizabeth, wife of Richard Bird, D.D.; Alice, wife of Richard Burton of Burton, Yorkshire; and Anne, wife of Richard Pilkington, D.D., rector of Hambleden, Buckinghamshire.External links
- http://matterdalematters.multiply.com/journal/item/113/Founding_of_chapelry