George Lily facts for kids
George Lily (died 1559) was an English Catholic priest and a very smart scholar. He was good at writing about history, geography, and drawing maps. He lived during a time of big changes in England, especially with religion.
George Lily's Life
George Lily was born in London. His father, William Lily, was a famous teacher. George might have gone to St Paul's School, where his father was the headmaster.
Later, George started working for Reginald Pole. Pole was an important English Catholic leader. George traveled with Pole to France and Italy. He also studied at the University of Padua, learning from famous scholars.
Around 1538, George lived in Rome. He then traveled with Pole to Viterbo. Because of his strong connection to Reginald Pole, who was against the English king's religious changes, George faced some trouble in England.
Between 1549 and 1554, George Lily helped manage the English Hospice in Rome. This was a place for English visitors. In 1554, he went with Pole to Brussels.
In November 1555, George Lily and Reginald Pole returned to England. At this time, England was Catholic again under Queen Mary I. Pole became the Archbishop of Canterbury in 1556. George Lily became Pole's personal chaplain. He also received important church positions in St. Paul's Cathedral and Canterbury Cathedral.
George Lily died on July 14, 1559, in Canterbury. People believe he was buried near his father at St Paul's Cathedral in London.
George Lily's Works
His Writings
George Lily helped a lot with a big book called Descriptio Britanniae. This book was about the geography and history of the British Isles. It was put together by Paolo Giovio and published in Venice in 1548.
Lily gave Giovio information for the maps and descriptions. He also wrote several parts of the book himself. These included:
- "Virorum aliquot in Britannia...:" Short biographies of famous English scholars. His own father was one of them.
- "Nova et Antiqua Locorum Nomina...:" A list of old and new place names in England and Scotland.
- "A Bruto...:" A discussion about the early history of Britain. Lily was not sure about the old stories of Britain being founded by Brutus.
- "Lancastrii et Eboracensis...:" An account of the Wars of the Roses, which were battles for the English throne.
- "Regum Angliae genealogia:" A family tree of the Kings of England.
His Maps
George Lily drew the first detailed map of the British Isles to be printed. It was probably made to go with the Descriptio Britanniae book. This map was printed in Rome in 1546.
Lily's map was based on an older map from the 1300s called the Gough Map. However, Lily made many improvements. For example, the coastline of Scotland was much more accurate on his map.
His map was copied by others in Italy. Lily and Pole brought the original printing plates back to England. An engraver named Thomas Geminus updated them for a new London edition published in 1555.
Some people also think George Lily helped create a large map of London. This map was printed around 1559.
