William Whittingham
Encyclopedia
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.
By 1554, Whittingham made his way to Frankfurt
, Germany, where he joined a group of Protestant exiles from Mary's reign. There, he met up with John Knox
and became a supporter of Calvinism
. He also married the sister of John Calvin
. He took over Knox's role as minister to the English congregation of exiles in Geneva
. In Geneva, he started the work for which he is best remembered, a Bible translation that came to be known as the Geneva Bible
.
In 1560, Whittingham returned to England, and was made dean of Durham in 1563, an office he held at his death.
about 1524, he was son of William Whittingham, by his wife, a daughter of Haughton of Hoghton Tower
, Lancashire
. In 1540, at the age of sixteen, he entered Brasenose College, Oxford
, as a commoner, graduating B.A. and being elected fellow of All Souls' College in 1545. In 1547 he became senior student of Christ Church, Oxford
. commencing M.A. on 5 Feb. 1547–8, and on 17 May 1550 he was granted leave to travel for three years. He went to France, where he spent his time chiefly at the University of Orleans
, but he also visited Lyon
and studied at Paris, where his services as interpreter were used by the English ambassador, Sir John Mason
or Sir William Pickering.
Towards the end of 1552 Whittingham visited universities in Germany and Geneva
, and returned to England in May 1553. Whittingham had adopted extreme Protestant views, and the accession of Queen Mary ruined his prospects for the time. Late in August, however, he made intercession, which was ultimately successful, for the release of Peter Martyr; but after a few weeks he himself left England with difficulty by way of Dover
to France.
on the continent, and Whittingham was one of the first who reached the city on 27 June 1554; he sent out invitations to exiles in other cities to join them. Difficulties soon arose, however, between those who wished to use Edward VI's second prayer-book without much modification, and those led by Whittingham and John Knox
, who insisted on revising the prayer-book in a Calvinist direction. Whittingham was one of those appointed to draw up a service-book, and he procured a letter from John Calvin
, dated 18 January 1555, which won over some; but the compromise adopted was disturbed by the arrival of Richard Cox
, who was an uncompromising champion of the prayer-book. In the ensuing struggle between Knox and Cox Whittingham was Knox's chief supporter, but he failed to prevent Knox's expulsion from Frankfort on 26 March; he thereupon said to have given in his adhesion to the form of church government established at Frankfort under Cox's influence. He was dissatisfied with the outcome, and about 22 September in the same year he followed Knox to Geneva.
Whittingham was probably the author of a detailed account of the struggle. It is the only full narrative, but is polemical.
, which was issued at Geneva in 12mo by Conrad Badius on 10 June 1557, but this differs from the version included in the Geneva or ‘Breeches’ bible, for which Whittingham is generally held to be mainly responsible. He also took part in the revision of the Old Testament
. The critical and explanatory notes were of a Calvinist character. It was printed at Geneva by Rowland Hall in 1560; after 1611 its vogue was not exhausted, ten editions appearing between that date and 1640.
Besides the translation of the Bible, Whittingham while at Geneva turned into metrical versions some of the Psalms
. Seven of these were included among the fifty-one psalms published at Geneva in 1556 as part of the service-book which Whittingham and his colleagues had been appointed to draw up at Frankfort; the others were revised versions of Thomas Sternhold
's psalms. A metrical rendering of the Ten Commandments
by Whittingham is appended. Another edition in 1558, now lost, is believed to have contained nine fresh psalms by Whittingham; these were reprinted in the edition of 1561, to which Whittingham also contributed a version of the ‘Song of Simeon’ and two of the Lord's Prayer. Besides these Whittingham translated four psalms in the Scottish psalter, which do not appear in any English edition. Whittingham also wrote a preface to Nicholas Ridley
's ‘Brief Declaration of the Lord's Supper’ (Geneva? 1555), revised for press Knox's work on predestination
, which was published at Geneva in 1560, and contributed a dedicatory epistle to Christopher Goodman
's ‘How Superior Powers ought to be obeyed’ (Geneva, 1558), in which views similar to Knox's were adopted with regard to the ‘regiment of women.’
, during his embassy to the French court. In the following year he became chaplain to Ambrose Dudley, 3rd Earl of Warwick
, and one of the ministers at Le Havre
, which was then occupied by the English under Warwick. He won general praise; but William Cecil
complained of his neglect of conformity to the English prayer-book. He was collated on 19 July 1563 to the deanery of Durham, a promotion which he owed to the support of Warwick and Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester
. On his way to Durham he preached before the queen at Windsor on 2 September 1563.
Whittingham took his religious duties seriously, holding two services a day, devoting time to his grammar school and song school, and church music. Before the outbreak of the Rising of the North
in 1569 he unsuccessfully urged James Pilkington, the bishop of Durham, to put the city in a state of defence, but he was more successful at Newcastle, which resisted the rebels. In 1572, when Lord Burghley became lord treasurer, Whittingham was suggested, probably by Leicester, as his successor in the office of secretary. In 1577 Leicester also promised Whittingham his aid in securing the see of York or Durham, both of which were vacant; but Whittingham did not press for preferment.
and cope
; Whittingham eventually gave way, alleging Calvin's advice not to leave the ministry for external matters of order. In 1577, however, he incurred the enmity of Edwin Sandys
, the new archbishop of York, by resisting his claim to visit Durham Cathedral
. According to William Hutchinson
a commission, had been issued in 1576 or 1577 to examine matters of complaint against him, but had proved ineffectual because the Earl of Huntingdon and Matthew Hutton sided with the dean against the third commissioner, Sandys. A fresh commission was issued on 14 May 1578, including the three former commissioners and about a dozen others. The articles against Whittingham are printed from the domestic state papers in the ‘Camden Miscellany’; the charge that ‘he is defamed of adulterie’ is entered as ‘partly proved’ and that of drunkenness as ‘proved;’ but the real allegation against Whittingham was the invalidity of his ordination. He had admittedly not been ordained according to the rites of the church of England, but parliament had already passed an act (13 Eliz. c. 12) practically acknowledging the validity of the ordination of ministers whether according to Roman Catholic or the rites of the reformed churches on the continent. Sandys maintained that Whittingham had not been validly ordained even according to the Genevan rite, but only elected preacher without the imposition of hands. Huntingdon, however, wrote that ‘it could not but be ill-taken of all the godly learned both at home and in all the reformed churches abroad, that we should allow of the popish massing priests in our ministry, and disallow of the ministers made in a reformed church’. He suggested the stay of the proceedings.
Whittingham's death came on 10 June 1579. He was buried in Durham Cathedral, where his tomb was destroyed by the Scots in 1640. His will, dated 18 April 1579, is printed in ‘Durham Wills and Inventories’ (Surtees Soc. ii. 14–19).
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
Biblical
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
scholar and religious reformer. Educated at 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...
, he became a zealous Protestant; as such he found it prudent to flee to France when Mary I
Mary I of England
Mary I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from July 1553 until her death.She was the only surviving child born of the ill-fated marriage of Henry VIII and his first wife Catherine of Aragon. Her younger half-brother, Edward VI, succeeded Henry in 1547...
ascended the throne of England.
By 1554, Whittingham made his way to Frankfurt
Frankfurt
Frankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010...
, Germany, where he joined a group of Protestant exiles from Mary's reign. There, he met up with John Knox
John Knox
John Knox was a Scottish clergyman and a leader of the Protestant Reformation who brought reformation to the church in Scotland. He was educated at the University of St Andrews or possibly the University of Glasgow and was ordained to the Catholic priesthood in 1536...
and became a supporter of Calvinism
Calvinism
Calvinism is a Protestant theological system and an approach to the Christian life...
. He also married the sister of John Calvin
John Calvin
John Calvin was an influential French theologian and pastor during the Protestant Reformation. He was a principal figure in the development of the system of Christian theology later called Calvinism. Originally trained as a humanist lawyer, he broke from the Roman Catholic Church around 1530...
. He took over Knox's role as minister to the English congregation of exiles in Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
. In Geneva, he started the work for which he is best remembered, a Bible translation that came to be known as the Geneva Bible
Geneva Bible
The Geneva Bible is one of the most historically significant translations of the Bible into the English language, preceding the King James translation by 51 years. It was the primary Bible of the 16th century Protestant movement and was the Bible used by William Shakespeare, Oliver Cromwell, John...
.
In 1560, Whittingham returned to England, and was made dean of Durham in 1563, an office he held at his death.
Early life
Born at ChesterChester
Chester is a city in Cheshire, England. Lying on the River Dee, close to the border with Wales, it is home to 77,040 inhabitants, and is the largest and most populous settlement of the wider unitary authority area of Cheshire West and Chester, which had a population of 328,100 according to the...
about 1524, he was son of William Whittingham, by his wife, a daughter of Haughton of Hoghton Tower
Hoghton Tower
Hoghton Tower is fortified manor house near the village of Hoghton in the Borough of Chorley to the east of Preston in Lancashire, England. It has been the ancestral home of the De Hoghton family since the time of William the Conqueror. It features a mile long driveway to the main gates...
, 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...
. In 1540, at the age of sixteen, he entered 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...
, as a commoner, graduating B.A. and being elected fellow of All Souls' College in 1545. In 1547 he became senior student of Christ Church, Oxford
Christ Church, Oxford
Christ Church or house of Christ, and thus sometimes known as The House), is one of the largest constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England...
. commencing M.A. on 5 Feb. 1547–8, and on 17 May 1550 he was granted leave to travel for three years. He went to France, where he spent his time chiefly at the University of Orleans
University of Orléans
-History:In 1230, when for a time the doctors of the University of Paris were scattered, a number of the teachers and disciples took refuge in Orléans; when pope Boniface VIII, in 1298, promulgated the sixth book of the Decretals, he appointed the doctors of Bologna and the doctors of Orléans to...
, but he also visited Lyon
Lyon
Lyon , is a city in east-central France in the Rhône-Alpes region, situated between Paris and Marseille. Lyon is located at from Paris, from Marseille, from Geneva, from Turin, and from Barcelona. The residents of the city are called Lyonnais....
and studied at Paris, where his services as interpreter were used by the English ambassador, Sir John Mason
Sir John Mason
Sir John Mason was an English diplomat, spy and Member of Parliament.Mason was born in Abingdon in Berkshire , southern England. He was educated at Abingdon School, part of the local abbey in his native town, where his uncle, Thomas Rowland, was abbot. Later, he went to All Souls College, Oxford...
or Sir William Pickering.
Towards the end of 1552 Whittingham visited universities in Germany and Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
, and returned to England in May 1553. Whittingham had adopted extreme Protestant views, and the accession of Queen Mary ruined his prospects for the time. Late in August, however, he made intercession, which was ultimately successful, for the release of Peter Martyr; but after a few weeks he himself left England with difficulty by way of Dover
Dover
Dover is a town and major ferry port in the home county of Kent, in South East England. It faces France across the narrowest part of the English Channel, and lies south-east of Canterbury; east of Kent's administrative capital Maidstone; and north-east along the coastline from Dungeness and Hastings...
to France.
At Frankfort
In the spring of 1554 Frankfort was the ecclesiastical centre for the English Marian exilesMarian exiles
The Marian Exiles were English Calvinist Protestants who fled to the continent during the reign of Queen Mary I.-Exile communities:According to English historian John Strype, more than 800 Protestants fled to the continent, mainly to the Low Countries, Germany, Switzerland, and France, and joined...
on the continent, and Whittingham was one of the first who reached the city on 27 June 1554; he sent out invitations to exiles in other cities to join them. Difficulties soon arose, however, between those who wished to use Edward VI's second prayer-book without much modification, and those led by Whittingham and John Knox
John Knox
John Knox was a Scottish clergyman and a leader of the Protestant Reformation who brought reformation to the church in Scotland. He was educated at the University of St Andrews or possibly the University of Glasgow and was ordained to the Catholic priesthood in 1536...
, who insisted on revising the prayer-book in a Calvinist direction. Whittingham was one of those appointed to draw up a service-book, and he procured a letter from John Calvin
John Calvin
John Calvin was an influential French theologian and pastor during the Protestant Reformation. He was a principal figure in the development of the system of Christian theology later called Calvinism. Originally trained as a humanist lawyer, he broke from the Roman Catholic Church around 1530...
, dated 18 January 1555, which won over some; but the compromise adopted was disturbed by the arrival of Richard Cox
Richard Cox (bishop)
Richard Cox was an English clergyman, who was Dean of Westminster and Bishop of Ely.-Biography:Cox was born of obscure parentage at Whaddon, Buckinghamshire, in 1499 or 1500....
, who was an uncompromising champion of the prayer-book. In the ensuing struggle between Knox and Cox Whittingham was Knox's chief supporter, but he failed to prevent Knox's expulsion from Frankfort on 26 March; he thereupon said to have given in his adhesion to the form of church government established at Frankfort under Cox's influence. He was dissatisfied with the outcome, and about 22 September in the same year he followed Knox to Geneva.
Whittingham was probably the author of a detailed account of the struggle. It is the only full narrative, but is polemical.
At Geneva
On 16 December 1555, and again in December 1556, Whittingham was elected an elder of the church at Geneva; on 16 December 1558 he was appointed deacon, and in 1559 he succeeded Knox as minister. He had received no ordination but his reluctance was overcome by Calvin's insistence. On Queen Mary's death most of the exiles at Geneva returned to England, but Whittingham remained to complete the translation of the Geneva Bible. He had already produced a version of the New TestamentNew Testament
The New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....
, which was issued at Geneva in 12mo by Conrad Badius on 10 June 1557, but this differs from the version included in the Geneva or ‘Breeches’ bible, for which Whittingham is generally held to be mainly responsible. He also took part in the revision of the Old Testament
Old Testament
The Old Testament, of which Christians hold different views, is a Christian term for the religious writings of ancient Israel held sacred and inspired by Christians which overlaps with the 24-book canon of the Masoretic Text of Judaism...
. The critical and explanatory notes were of a Calvinist character. It was printed at Geneva by Rowland Hall in 1560; after 1611 its vogue was not exhausted, ten editions appearing between that date and 1640.
Besides the translation of the Bible, Whittingham while at Geneva turned into metrical versions some of the Psalms
Psalms
The Book of Psalms , commonly referred to simply as Psalms, is a book of the Hebrew Bible and the Christian Bible...
. Seven of these were included among the fifty-one psalms published at Geneva in 1556 as part of the service-book which Whittingham and his colleagues had been appointed to draw up at Frankfort; the others were revised versions of Thomas Sternhold
Thomas Sternhold
Thomas Sternhold was an English courtier and the principal author of the first English metrical version of the Psalms, originally attached to the Prayer-Book as augmented by John Hopkins.-Life:...
's psalms. A metrical rendering of the Ten Commandments
Ten Commandments
The Ten Commandments, also known as the Decalogue , are a set of biblical principles relating to ethics and worship, which play a fundamental role in Judaism and most forms of Christianity. They include instructions to worship only God and to keep the Sabbath, and prohibitions against idolatry,...
by Whittingham is appended. Another edition in 1558, now lost, is believed to have contained nine fresh psalms by Whittingham; these were reprinted in the edition of 1561, to which Whittingham also contributed a version of the ‘Song of Simeon’ and two of the Lord's Prayer. Besides these Whittingham translated four psalms in the Scottish psalter, which do not appear in any English edition. Whittingham also wrote a preface to Nicholas Ridley
Nicholas Ridley (martyr)
Nicholas Ridley was an English Bishop of London. Ridley was burned at the stake, as one of the Oxford Martyrs, during the Marian Persecutions, for his teachings and his support of Lady Jane Grey...
's ‘Brief Declaration of the Lord's Supper’ (Geneva? 1555), revised for press Knox's work on predestination
Predestination
Predestination, in theology is the doctrine that all events have been willed by God. John Calvin interpreted biblical predestination to mean that God willed eternal damnation for some people and salvation for others...
, which was published at Geneva in 1560, and contributed a dedicatory epistle to 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...
's ‘How Superior Powers ought to be obeyed’ (Geneva, 1558), in which views similar to Knox's were adopted with regard to the ‘regiment of women.’
Return to England
Whittingham took formal leave of the council at Geneva on 30 May 1560. In January 1561 he was appointed to attend on Francis Russell, 2nd Earl of BedfordFrancis Russell, 2nd Earl of Bedford
Francis Russell, 2nd Earl of Bedford, KG was an English nobleman, soldier and politician and godfather to Sir. Francis Drake.-Early life:...
, during his embassy to the French court. In the following year he became chaplain to Ambrose Dudley, 3rd Earl of Warwick
Ambrose Dudley, 3rd Earl of Warwick
Ambrose Dudley, 3rd Earl of Warwick, KG was an English nobleman and general, and an elder brother of Queen Elizabeth I's favourite, Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester...
, and one of the ministers at Le Havre
Le Havre
Le Havre is a city in the Seine-Maritime department of the Haute-Normandie region in France. It is situated in north-western France, on the right bank of the mouth of the river Seine on the English Channel. Le Havre is the most populous commune in the Haute-Normandie region, although the total...
, which was then occupied by the English under Warwick. He won general praise; but William Cecil
William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley
William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley , KG was an English statesman, the chief advisor of Queen Elizabeth I for most of her reign, twice Secretary of State and Lord High Treasurer from 1572...
complained of his neglect of conformity to the English prayer-book. He was collated on 19 July 1563 to the deanery of Durham, a promotion which he owed to the support of Warwick and Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester
Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester
Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester, KG was an English nobleman and the favourite and close friend of Elizabeth I from her first year on the throne until his death...
. On his way to Durham he preached before the queen at Windsor on 2 September 1563.
Whittingham took his religious duties seriously, holding two services a day, devoting time to his grammar school and song school, and church music. Before the outbreak of the Rising of the North
Rising of the North
The Rising of the North of 1569, also called the Revolt of the Northern Earls or Northern Rebellion, was an unsuccessful attempt by Catholic nobles from Northern England to depose Queen Elizabeth I of England and replace her with Mary, Queen of Scots.-Background:When Elizabeth I succeeded her...
in 1569 he unsuccessfully urged James Pilkington, the bishop of Durham, to put the city in a state of defence, but he was more successful at Newcastle, which resisted the rebels. In 1572, when Lord Burghley became lord treasurer, Whittingham was suggested, probably by Leicester, as his successor in the office of secretary. In 1577 Leicester also promised Whittingham his aid in securing the see of York or Durham, both of which were vacant; but Whittingham did not press for preferment.
As Dean of Durham
In 1564 Whittingham wrote a long letter to Leicester protesting against the ‘old popish apparel,’ and proceedings had in 1566 been taken against him for refusing to wear the surpliceSurplice
A surplice is a liturgical vestment of the Western Christian Church...
and cope
Cope
The cope is a liturgical vestment, a very long mantle or cloak, open in front and fastened at the breast with a band or clasp. It may be of any liturgical colour....
; Whittingham eventually gave way, alleging Calvin's advice not to leave the ministry for external matters of order. In 1577, however, he incurred the enmity of Edwin Sandys
Edwin Sandys (archbishop)
Archbishop Edwin Sandys was an English prelate.He was Anglican Bishop of Worcester , London and Archbishop of York during the reign of Elizabeth I of England...
, the new archbishop of York, by resisting his claim to visit Durham Cathedral
Durham Cathedral
The Cathedral Church of Christ, Blessed Mary the Virgin and St Cuthbert of Durham is a cathedral in the city of Durham, England, the seat of the Anglican Bishop of Durham. The Bishopric dates from 995, with the present cathedral being founded in AD 1093...
. According to William Hutchinson
William Hutchinson (topographer)
-Life:By 1760 he was established as a solicitor in Barnard Castle, County Durham. He was elected Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries on 15 February 1781, and communicated in November 1788 an 'Account of Antiquities in Lancashire' . Hutchinson died on 7 April 1814, having survived his wife only two...
a commission, had been issued in 1576 or 1577 to examine matters of complaint against him, but had proved ineffectual because the Earl of Huntingdon and Matthew Hutton sided with the dean against the third commissioner, Sandys. A fresh commission was issued on 14 May 1578, including the three former commissioners and about a dozen others. The articles against Whittingham are printed from the domestic state papers in the ‘Camden Miscellany’; the charge that ‘he is defamed of adulterie’ is entered as ‘partly proved’ and that of drunkenness as ‘proved;’ but the real allegation against Whittingham was the invalidity of his ordination. He had admittedly not been ordained according to the rites of the church of England, but parliament had already passed an act (13 Eliz. c. 12) practically acknowledging the validity of the ordination of ministers whether according to Roman Catholic or the rites of the reformed churches on the continent. Sandys maintained that Whittingham had not been validly ordained even according to the Genevan rite, but only elected preacher without the imposition of hands. Huntingdon, however, wrote that ‘it could not but be ill-taken of all the godly learned both at home and in all the reformed churches abroad, that we should allow of the popish massing priests in our ministry, and disallow of the ministers made in a reformed church’. He suggested the stay of the proceedings.
Whittingham's death came on 10 June 1579. He was buried in Durham Cathedral, where his tomb was destroyed by the Scots in 1640. His will, dated 18 April 1579, is printed in ‘Durham Wills and Inventories’ (Surtees Soc. ii. 14–19).