William Downham
Encyclopedia
William Downham was bishop of Chester
.
Under Mary of England, he was chaplain to her sister Princess Elizabeth. He became bishop of Chester in 1561, shortly after Elizabeth's accession.
As bishop, he was considered rather ineffectual against the Roman Catholics, preferring not to offend the gentry. The reformer Christopher Goodman
attacked him in 1571, as supine, on a pretext of the continuing Whitsun
plays.
He had further problems with the diocesan finances, being dependent on rents that could prove hard to collect. He also had very few university graduates among his candidates for ordination.
Bishop of Chester
The Bishop of Chester is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Chester in the Province of York.The diocese expands across most of the historic county boundaries of Cheshire, including the Wirral Peninsula and has its see in the City of Chester where the seat is located at the Cathedral...
.
Under Mary of England, he was chaplain to her sister Princess Elizabeth. He became bishop of Chester in 1561, shortly after Elizabeth's accession.
As bishop, he was considered rather ineffectual against the Roman Catholics, preferring not to offend the gentry. The reformer Christopher Goodman
Christopher Goodman
Christopher Goodman BD was an English reforming clergyman and writer. He was a Marian exile, who left England to escape persecution during the counter-reformation in the reign of Queen Mary I of England. He was the author of a work on limits to obedience to rulers, and a contributor to the Geneva...
attacked him in 1571, as supine, on a pretext of the continuing Whitsun
Whitsun
Whitsun is the name used in the UK for the Christian festival of Pentecost, the seventh Sunday after Easter, which commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon Christ's disciples...
plays.
He had further problems with the diocesan finances, being dependent on rents that could prove hard to collect. He also had very few university graduates among his candidates for ordination.