Henry Airay facts for kids

Henry Airay (around 1560 – 6 October 1616) was an important English priest, scholar, and teacher. He was part of the Anglican Church, which is the main church in England.

Early Life and Education

Henry Airay was born in a place called Kentmere, near Kendal, in Westmorland, England. We don't know his exact birthday. His father, William Airay, worked for a kind man named Bernard Gilpin. Gilpin was known as "the apostle of the North" because he was a very good and religious leader.

Bernard Gilpin was so generous that he paid for Henry and his brother, Evan, to go to his own special school. There, they learned important subjects like grammar. They were both studying at the Oxford University when Gilpin passed away.

Studying at Oxford

Henry Airay started studying at St Edmund's Hall in 1579. He was about 19 years old then. Soon after, he moved to Queen's College. At Queen's College, he was a "poor serving child." This meant he helped the older students (called fellows) during meals and with other tasks around the college.

He probably moved to Queen's College because it was the same college Bernard Gilpin had attended. Also, because Henry was from Westmorland, he had a special right to study there.

Henry worked hard and earned several degrees from Queen's College:

• He got his first degree (B.A.) on 19 June 1583.
• He earned his master's degree (M.A.) on 15 June 1586.
• He became a Bachelor of Divinity (B.D.) in 1594.
• Finally, he received his Doctor of Divinity (D.D.) degree on 17 June 1600.

Around 1586, when he got his master's degree, Henry Airay became a priest. He was known for being a very active and passionate preacher at the university.

Important Roles and Beliefs

Henry Airay wrote a book called Commentary on the Epistle to the Philippians. It was published in 1618, after he died. This book shows what his sermons were like. He strongly spoke out against Roman Catholicism. He also strongly supported Calvinism, which was a popular type of Protestant Christianity in England at that time.

In 1598, Henry Airay was chosen to be the Provost of Queen's College. This means he was the head of the college. Later, in 1606, he was named the Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University. This was a very important job, like being the main leader of the whole university.

Conflict with William Laud

While he was Vice-Chancellor, Henry Airay had disagreements with William Laud. Laud later became the Archbishop of Canterbury, a very powerful church leader. Laud was starting to oppose Calvinism, which Henry Airay strongly believed in. This led to some conflicts between them.

Later Life and Legacy

Henry Airay was also the rector (a type of priest in charge of a church) of a place called Otmore, near Oxford. This job involved a difficult legal case, but he won it. The people who held his job after him benefited from his success.

Henry Airay passed away on 6 October 1616. He was buried in the chapel at Queen's College. Christopher Potter, another scholar, wrote about Henry Airay's good character as a person, a preacher, and a leader in the university. This description can be found in a special introduction to Henry Airay's book, the Commentary.