John Pitts (1560 – 17 October 1616) was an English Roman Catholic scholar and writer.

Life

Pitts was born in Alton, Hampshire

Alton, Hampshire

Alton is a historic market town and civil parish in the East Hampshire district of the English county of Hampshire. It had a population of 16,584 at the 1991 census and is administered by East Hampshire district council. It is located on the source of the River Wey and is the highest town in...

 in 1560 and attended Winchester College

Winchester College

Winchester College is an independent school for boys in the British public school tradition, situated in Winchester, Hampshire, the former capital of England. It has existed in its present location for over 600 years and claims the longest unbroken history of any school in England...

. From 1578 to 1580 he studied at New College, Oxford

New College, Oxford

New College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom.- Overview :The College's official name, College of St Mary, is the same as that of the older Oriel College; hence, it has been referred to as the "New College of St Mary", and is now almost always...

. In 1581 he was admitted to the English College, Rome.

In 1588 he was ordained priest, and became professor at the English College, Reims

Reims

Reims , a city in the Champagne-Ardenne region of France, lies east-northeast of Paris. Founded by the Gauls, it became a major city during the period of the Roman Empire....

. He then graduated Lic.D. at Trier

Trier

Trier, historically called in English Treves is a city in Germany on the banks of the Moselle. It is the oldest city in Germany, founded in or before 16 BC....

 (1592) and D.D. at Ingolstadt

Ingolstadt

Ingolstadt is a city in the Free State of Bavaria, in the Federal Republic of Germany. It is located along the banks of the Danube River, in the center of Bavaria. As at 31 March 2011, Ingolstadt had 125.407 residents...

 (1595). He became Canon at Verdun

Verdun

Verdun is a city in the Meuse department in Lorraine in north-eastern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department.Verdun is the biggest city in Meuse, although the capital of the department is the slightly smaller city of Bar-le-Duc.- History :...

, then confessor and almoner to the Duchess of Cleves; after her death he became Dean of Liverdun

Liverdun

Liverdun is a commune in the Meurthe-et-Moselle department in north-eastern France....

. He died in Liverdun, Lorraine.

Work

• Relationum Historicarum de rebus Angliæ in four parts:
  • De Illustribus Angliæ Scriptoribus, published in Paris in 1619
  • De Regibus Angliæ
  • De Episcopis Angliæ
  • De Viris Apostolicis Angliæ

(the last three parts remained in manuscript in Liverdun)

• Tractatus de legibus, published in Trier
  Trier
  Trier, historically called in English Treves is a city in Germany on the banks of the Moselle. It is the oldest city in Germany, founded in or before 16 BC....
  
   in 1592
• Tractatus de beatitudine, published in Ingolstadt
  Ingolstadt
  Ingolstadt is a city in the Free State of Bavaria, in the Federal Republic of Germany. It is located along the banks of the Danube River, in the center of Bavaria. As at 31 March 2011, Ingolstadt had 125.407 residents...
  
   in 1595
• Libri septem de peregrinatione published in Düsseldorf
  Düsseldorf
  Düsseldorf is the capital city of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and centre of the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region.Düsseldorf is an important international business and financial centre and renowned for its fashion and trade fairs. Located centrally within the European Megalopolis, the...
  
  in 1604