Bernard Gilpin facts for kids

A portrait of Bernard Gilpin from the 1600s.

Bernard Gilpin (born 1517 – died 4 March 1583) was an important church leader in England. He lived during a time when the Church of England was just starting. This was during the reigns of several kings and queens, including Henry VIII, Edward VI, Mary I, and Elizabeth I. People called him the 'Apostle of the North' because of his important work in the wild, northern parts of England.

Bernard Gilpin's Life Story
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Bernard Gilpin's Life Story

His Family and Childhood

Kentmere Hall, where Bernard Gilpin was born and grew up.

Bernard Gilpin came from a family in Westmorland, a county in northern England. His family history went back a long way, to someone named Richard de Gylpyn around the year 1206. Bernard was born at a place called Kentmere Hall. His parents were Edwin and Margaret Gilpin. He grew up in the beautiful Kentmere valley. The local church, St Cuthbert's, still looks much like it did in the 1600s. There's even an old yew tree in the churchyard that is over 1,000 years old, which Gilpin would have known. His older brother was George Gilpin. Bernard's mother's uncle was Cuthbert Tunstall, who was a powerful bishop. Bernard went to Lancaster Royal Grammar School in the 1530s.

Studying at Oxford University

In 1533, Bernard Gilpin started studying at The Queen's College, Oxford. He earned his first degree in 1540 and continued his studies, getting more degrees in 1542 and 1549. He became a fellow (a kind of senior academic) at Queen's College and was ordained as a priest in 1542. Later, he also became a "Student" at Christ Church, Oxford. He spent a lot of time studying the writings of a famous scholar named Erasmus.

Changing Beliefs During Difficult Times

When he was at Oxford, Bernard Gilpin first supported the older, more traditional church teachings. He even argued against reformers like John Hooper, who was later killed for his beliefs during the Marian Persecutions.

However, things started to change. A leading Italian reformer named Peter Martyr (whose full name was Pietro Martire Vermigli) became a professor at Oxford. He gave talks where he questioned the traditional idea of transubstantiation (the belief that bread and wine truly become the body and blood of Christ during communion). Bernard Gilpin was one of the people who debated against Peter Martyr's new ideas at first.

Becoming a Church Leader

In 1552, Bernard Gilpin became the vicar (a type of priest) of Norton in the diocese of Durham. At that time, if the King chose you for a church job, you had to preach in front of him. This was so the King could make sure your beliefs were correct. So, in 1553, Gilpin went to Greenwich to preach for King Edward VI. His sermon (a church talk) was about sacrilege (treating holy things without respect). It showed how much he believed in the importance of a priest's job.

Because of this sermon, Gilpin received a special licence from William Cecil. This licence allowed him to preach anywhere in the kingdom as long as the King was alive. Only about 22 or 23 such licences were given during King Edward VI's reign. Another famous preacher, John Knox, who later started the Presbyterian Church, also had one.

Studying Abroad

When Queen Mary became queen in 1553, Bernard Gilpin went to other countries to continue his studies about religion. He visited places like Leuven, Antwerp, and Paris. In a letter from 1554, he wrote about how happy he was to find an "excellent library" at a monastery.

Important Roles in the Church

When he returned to England near the end of Queen Mary's reign, his mother's uncle, Cuthbert Tunstall, who was the bishop of Durham, gave him an important job. In 1556, Gilpin became the Archdeacon of Durham. He also became the rector of Easington.

Bernard Gilpin often spoke out against the bad habits he saw, especially among other church leaders. This made some people angry. He was even accused of thirteen different things and brought before the bishop. But Bishop Tunstall not only dismissed the case in 1557, he also gave Gilpin the rich church position at Houghton-le-Spring. When the accusations were brought up again, Tunstall protected him once more.

A Narrow Escape

Gilpin's enemies were very angry that they couldn't get him in trouble. So, they complained to Edmund Bonner, the bishop of London. Bishop Bonner got a special order from the Queen to arrest Gilpin. Bernard Gilpin prepared himself for martyrdom, meaning he thought he might be killed for his beliefs. He even asked his house manager to get him a long robe so he could look proper at the stake (where people were burned).

He started his journey to London, but luckily for him, he broke his leg along the way. This delayed his arrival. Before he could reach London, news came that Queen Mary had died. This freed him from danger! He immediately went back to Houghton-le-Spring and continued his important work there.

Turning Down High Honors

After Queen Elizabeth I became queen, the Roman Catholic bishop was removed from his position in 1560. Bernard Gilpin was offered the important job of Bishop of Carlisle, but he said no. He also turned down the job of Provost of Queen's College, Oxford, in 1561. He preferred to stay and work directly with his community.

Amazing Generosity and Hospitality

At Houghton-le-Spring, Bernard Gilpin spent his life helping others. In June 1560, he even hosted important people like William Cecil and Dr. Nicholas Wotton when they were traveling. Everyone admired how welcoming and generous he was. His church position was quite wealthy, and his house was even nicer than many bishops' homes. He was like a very important church leader.

Every two weeks, his household used a lot of food: forty bushels of corn, twenty bushels of malt, and an ox, plus many other foods. Strangers and travelers were always welcome. He even took such good care of their horses that people joked if a horse was let loose anywhere, it would find its way back to the rector of Houghton!

Every Sunday, from September until Easter, was a public day at Gilpin's house. He had three tables set up with plenty of food: one for gentlemen, one for farmers, and one for day-laborers. He never stopped this tradition, even when times were tough or food was scarce.

Starting a School

Bernard Gilpin cared deeply about education. He built and paid for a grammar school, spending over £500 (a huge amount of money back then). He also paid for many poor children to go to school and live there. He even helped the most promising students go to universities. So many young people came to his school that there wasn't enough room in Houghton. He had to turn part of his own house into a place for students to live. This school still exists today as Kepier School.

Helping People in Remote Areas

Bernard Gilpin was sad to see how much ignorance and old superstitions existed in nearby areas because other church leaders weren't doing their jobs well. So, every year, he would visit the most neglected parts of Northumberland, Yorkshire, Cheshire, Westmorland, and Cumberland. To make sure his own church members didn't suffer while he was away, he always paid for an assistant to help them.

His parishioners looked up to him like a judge. He did a great job helping them avoid lawsuits. If a hardworking person lost something, he loved to help them get it back. If the harvest was bad, he was generous in reducing the tithes (money paid to the church).

Taking Down the Challenge Glove

Bernard Gilpin was also very brave. One day, he was about to preach in a church when he saw a challenge-glove stuck on the church door. This glove was a sign that someone was challenging anyone to a duel (a fight to the death). Gilpin took the glove down himself and then went to the pulpit to preach against this unchristian custom.

Sir Walter Scott wrote about this event in 1831:

Bernard Gilpin, the 'Apostle of the North,' was the first to preach Protestant ideas to the people living near the border. When he entered one of their churches, he was surprised to see a gauntlet, or mail-glove, hanging above the altar. He asked why such an improper symbol was in a holy place. The clerk told him it belonged to a famous swordsman who hung it there as a challenge to anyone brave enough to take it down. "Reach it to me," said the churchman. The clerk and sexton were too afraid to do it. So, good Bernard Gilpin had to remove the glove himself. He told those present to inform the champion that he, and no one else, had taken the challenge. But the champion was too ashamed to face Bernard Gilpin, just as the church officials had been afraid to remove his challenge.

A Respected Leader

Bernard Gilpin's religious views didn't perfectly fit with any single group at the time. William Ewart Gladstone, a famous British Prime Minister, believed that Gilpin was a great example of the Anglican Church's broadness. Gladstone felt that Gilpin showed a true connection between the old Catholic Church and the new Church of England.

Gilpin wasn't completely happy with all the changes made by Queen Elizabeth I. He had great respect for the early Church fathers (important Christian writers from long ago). He was also friendly with other bishops like Bishop Pilkington and Thomas Lever. Even the Puritans (a group who wanted to make the church simpler) hoped he would support them.

His Death

A memorial from 1901 to Bernard Gilpin in St. Cuthbert's Church, Kentmere.

Bernard Gilpin died on 4 March 1583. This happened several weeks after an accident in Durham Market-place, where an ox ran into him and hurt him badly. His tomb is in Houghton-le-Spring Church. You can also see him in a stained-glass window in Liverpool's Anglican Cathedral.

George Carleton, who later became a bishop, was one of Bernard Gilpin's students at the Royal Kepier Grammar School in Houghton-le-Spring. Carleton wrote a book about Gilpin's life in 1628, which was published in English in 1638 as "The Life of Bernard Gilpin." It also included the sermon Gilpin preached to King Edward VI. Another book, "Memoirs of Bernard Gilpin," was written by Reverend C. S. Collingwood in 1884.

Images for kids

A portrait of Bernard Gilpin from the 1600s.
Kentmere Hall, where Bernard Gilpin was born and grew up.
A memorial from 1901 to Bernard Gilpin in St. Cuthbert's Church, Kentmere.