John Young (bishop)
Encyclopedia
John Young was an English academic and bishop.
in London, and graduated BA at the University of Cambridge
in 1552. He became a Fellow of Pembroke Hall, Cambridge in 1553, and Master there in 1567. He was Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge in 1569.
He became Bishop of Rochester
in 1578, employing Edmund Spenser
as secretary for a short time early in his tenure. In The Shepheardes Calender
Young appears as Roffy, which abbreviates Roffensis, alluding to his see.
Life
He was educated at Mercers' SchoolMercers' School
The Mercers' School was a private school in the City of London, England, with a history going back to at least 1542, which closed in 1959.After the disestablishment of the Hospital of St Thomas of Acon in 1538, the hospital's land was bought by the Mercers' Company , and the school was founded in...
in London, and graduated BA at the University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
in 1552. He became a Fellow of Pembroke Hall, Cambridge in 1553, and Master there in 1567. He was Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge in 1569.
He became Bishop of Rochester
Bishop of Rochester
The Bishop of Rochester is the ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Rochester in the Province of Canterbury.The diocese covers the west of the county of Kent and is centred in the city of Rochester where the bishop's seat is located at the Cathedral Church of Christ and the Blessed Virgin...
in 1578, employing Edmund Spenser
Edmund Spenser
Edmund Spenser was an English poet best known for The Faerie Queene, an epic poem and fantastical allegory celebrating the Tudor dynasty and Elizabeth I. He is recognised as one of the premier craftsmen of Modern English verse in its infancy, and one of the greatest poets in the English...
as secretary for a short time early in his tenure. In The Shepheardes Calender
The Shepheardes Calender
The Shepheardes Calender was Edmund Spenser's first major poetic work, published in 1579. In emulation of Virgil's first work, the Eclogues, Spenser wrote this series of pastorals to begin his career. However, Spenser's models were rather the Renaissance eclogues of Mantuanus. M. Y. Hughes. Virgil...
Young appears as Roffy, which abbreviates Roffensis, alluding to his see.
Further reading
- Percy W. Long, Spenser and the Bishop of Rochester, PMLA, Vol. 31, No. 4 (1916), pp. 713-735.
- Alexander Corbin Judson (1935), A biographical sketch of John Young, bishop of Rochester, with emphasis on his relations with Edmund Spenser