Richard Barnes (bishop)
Encyclopedia
Richard Barnes was an Anglican
priest
who served as a bishop
in the Church of England
during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I
.
which was then a village near St Helens
in south Lancashire
. He attended Farnworth grammar school and then was admitted to Brasenose College, Oxford
. Here he was elected a fellow
in 1552, and received his BA
in 1553. This was followed by a BD
and then a MA
in 1557. Finally he became a DD
in 1579.
After receiving Holy Orders
he was made Minister
of Stonegrave
in Yorkshire
. In 1561 he was appointed Chancellor
of the Diocese of York
and later became a canon
and prebendary
of York Minster
.
He married Fredesmund Gifford in the 1560's. Their daughter Mary was born about 1567; she married Richard Jocelyn
of Hyde Hall in Sawbridgeworth
. (Jocelyn was an ancestor of the Baronets Jocelyn of Hyde Hall, the Viscounts Jocelyn and the Earls of Roden by his second wife Joyce Atkinson.)
In 1567 he was appointed Suffragan Bishop
of Nottingham
and later became Bishop of Nottingham
. In 1570 he was appointed Bishop of Carlisle
. As bishop, he soon gained a reputation as someone dedicated to seeking out recusants.
In 1577 he was translated to Durham, as a result of the patronage of Lord Burghley. It seems that he was on bad terms with Edmund Grindal
, then Archbishop of Canterbury
. One possible reason for this is that Barnes disapproved of Grindal's refusal to suppress the prophesyings - which refusal had led to Grindal being suspended from office.
At the first Metropolitan Visitation
of Barnes' tenure, in 1577, Edwin Sandys
, the Archbishop of York
delegated his authority to Barnes. However, he met determined opposition from the Dean
, William Whittingham
, who refused to allow him in to the chapter house
. In retaliation, Barnes excommunicated
Whittingham. Barnes later, during a legitimate episcopal visitation, described the diocese's affairs thus:
However, the conspiracy against Whittingham was brought to an end by his death in 1579.
Anglicanism
Anglicanism is a tradition within Christianity comprising churches with historical connections to the Church of England or similar beliefs, worship and church structures. The word Anglican originates in ecclesia anglicana, a medieval Latin phrase dating to at least 1246 that means the English...
priest
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
who served as a bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
in the Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I
Elizabeth I of England
Elizabeth I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty...
.
Life
He was born in BoldBold, Merseyside
Bold is a civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of St Helens in Merseyside, England. Bold itself is situated to the south east of St Helens, near to the boundaries with Halton and Warrington in Cheshire. The parish extends southwards beyond the M62 motorway and includes the hamlet of Bold Heath...
which was then a village near St Helens
St Helens, Merseyside
St Helens is a large town in Merseyside, England. It is the largest settlement and administrative centre of the Metropolitan Borough of St Helens with a population of just over 100,000, part of an urban area with a total population of 176,843 at the time of the 2001 Census...
in south Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
. He attended Farnworth grammar school and then was admitted to Brasenose College, Oxford
Brasenose College, Oxford
Brasenose College, originally Brazen Nose College , is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. As of 2006, it has an estimated financial endowment of £98m...
. Here he was elected a fellow
Fellow
A fellow in the broadest sense is someone who is an equal or a comrade. The term fellow is also used to describe a person, particularly by those in the upper social classes. It is most often used in an academic context: a fellow is often part of an elite group of learned people who are awarded...
in 1552, and received his BA
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in 1553. This was followed by a BD
Bachelor of Divinity
In Western universities, a Bachelor of Divinity is usually an undergraduate academic degree awarded for a course taken in the study of divinity or related disciplines, such as theology or, rarely, religious studies....
and then a MA
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
in 1557. Finally he became a DD
Doctor of Divinity
Doctor of Divinity is an advanced academic degree in divinity. Historically, it identified one who had been licensed by a university to teach Christian theology or related religious subjects....
in 1579.
After receiving Holy Orders
Holy Orders
The term Holy Orders is used by many Christian churches to refer to ordination or to those individuals ordained for a special role or ministry....
he was made Minister
Minister of religion
In Christian churches, a minister is someone who is authorized by a church or religious organization to perform functions such as teaching of beliefs; leading services such as weddings, baptisms or funerals; or otherwise providing spiritual guidance to the community...
of Stonegrave
Stonegrave
Stonegrave is a village and civil parish in the Ryedale district of North Yorkshire, England. It is situated in the Howardian Hills and 4 miles south east of Helmsley.-External links:...
in 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...
. In 1561 he was appointed Chancellor
Chancellor
Chancellor is the title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the Cancellarii of Roman courts of justice—ushers who sat at the cancelli or lattice work screens of a basilica or law court, which separated the judge and counsel from the...
of the Diocese of York
Archbishop of York
The Archbishop of York is a high-ranking cleric in the Church of England, second only to the Archbishop of Canterbury. He is the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of York and metropolitan of the Province of York, which covers the northern portion of England as well as the Isle of Man...
and later became a canon
Canon (priest)
A canon is a priest or minister who is a member of certain bodies of the Christian clergy subject to an ecclesiastical rule ....
and prebendary
Prebendary
A prebendary is a post connected to an Anglican or Catholic cathedral or collegiate church and is a type of canon. Prebendaries have a role in the administration of the cathedral...
of York Minster
York Minster
York Minster is a Gothic cathedral in York, England and is one of the largest of its kind in Northern Europe alongside Cologne Cathedral. The minster is the seat of the Archbishop of York, the second-highest office of the Church of England, and is the cathedral for the Diocese of York; it is run by...
.
He married Fredesmund Gifford in the 1560's. Their daughter Mary was born about 1567; she married Richard Jocelyn
Jocelyn
Jocelyn is a surname and first name. It is a unisex name. Variants include Joscelyn, Joscelin, Josceline, Jocelin, Jocelyne, Jocelynne, Jocelynn, Joslin, Joslyn, Joclyn, Joselyn, Joselyne and Josslyn; people that have this name may find it is often misspelled by others...
of Hyde Hall in Sawbridgeworth
Sawbridgeworth
Sawbridgeworth is a small, mainly residential, town and also a civil parish in Hertfordshire, England.- Location :Sawbridgeworth is four miles south of Bishop's Stortford, twelve miles east of Hertford and nine miles north of Epping. It lies on the A1184 and has a railway station that links to...
. (Jocelyn was an ancestor of the Baronets Jocelyn of Hyde Hall, the Viscounts Jocelyn and the Earls of Roden by his second wife Joyce Atkinson.)
In 1567 he was appointed Suffragan Bishop
Suffragan bishop
A suffragan bishop is a bishop subordinate to a metropolitan bishop or diocesan bishop. He or she may be assigned to an area which does not have a cathedral of its own.-Anglican Communion:...
of Nottingham
Nottingham
Nottingham is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England. It is located in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire and represents one of eight members of the English Core Cities Group...
and later became Bishop of Nottingham
Anglican Bishop of Nottingham
The Anglican Bishop of Nottingham was an episcopal title used by a Church of England suffragan bishop. The title took its name after the county town of Nottingham and was first created under the Suffragan Bishops Act 1534. Until 1837, Nottingham had been part of the Diocese of York, when it then...
. In 1570 he was appointed Bishop of Carlisle
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...
. As bishop, he soon gained a reputation as someone dedicated to seeking out recusants.
In 1577 he was translated to Durham, as a result of the patronage of Lord Burghley. It seems that he was on bad terms with Edmund Grindal
Edmund Grindal
Edmund Grindal was an English church leader who successively held the posts of Bishop of London, Archbishop of York and Archbishop of Canterbury during the reign of Elizabeth I of England.-Early life to the death of Edward VI:...
, then Archbishop of Canterbury
Archbishop of Canterbury
The Archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and principal leader of the Church of England, the symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. In his role as head of the Anglican Communion, the archbishop leads the third largest group...
. One possible reason for this is that Barnes disapproved of Grindal's refusal to suppress the prophesyings - which refusal had led to Grindal being suspended from office.
At the first Metropolitan Visitation
Canonical Visitation
A canonical visitation is the act of an ecclesiastical superior who in the discharge of his office visits persons or places with a view of maintaining faith and discipline, and of correcting abuses by the application of proper remedies.-Catholic usage:...
of Barnes' tenure, in 1577, Edwin Sandys
Edwin Sandys
Edwin Sandys may refer to:*Edwin Sandys , Bishop of London, Worcester, Archbishop of York*Edwin Sandys , a founder of the colony of Virginia, son of the above...
, the Archbishop of York
Archbishop of York
The Archbishop of York is a high-ranking cleric in the Church of England, second only to the Archbishop of Canterbury. He is the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of York and metropolitan of the Province of York, which covers the northern portion of England as well as the Isle of Man...
delegated his authority to Barnes. However, he met determined opposition from the Dean
Dean (religion)
A dean, in a church context, is a cleric holding certain positions of authority within a religious hierarchy. The title is used mainly in the Anglican Communion and the Roman Catholic Church.-Anglican Communion:...
, William Whittingham
William Whittingham
William Whittingham was an English Biblical scholar and religious reformer. Educated at Brasenose College, Oxford, he became a zealous Protestant; as such he found it prudent to flee to France when Mary I ascended the throne of England....
, who refused to allow him in to the chapter house
Chapter house
A chapter house or chapterhouse is a building or room attached to a cathedral or collegiate church in which meetings are held. They can also be found in medieval monasteries....
. In retaliation, Barnes excommunicated
Excommunication
Excommunication is a religious censure used to deprive, suspend or limit membership in a religious community. The word means putting [someone] out of communion. In some religions, excommunication includes spiritual condemnation of the member or group...
Whittingham. Barnes later, during a legitimate episcopal visitation, described the diocese's affairs thus:
- ...that Augiae StabulumAugeasIn Greek mythology, Augeas , whose name means "bright", was king of Elis and father of Epicaste. Some say that Augeas was one of the Argonauts....
, the church of Durham ... whose stink is grievous in the nose of God and of men and which to purge far passeth Hercules' labours (BL, Lansdowne MS 25, fols. 161–2)
However, the conspiracy against Whittingham was brought to an end by his death in 1579.