Henry Parry (bishop of Worcester) facts for kids

Henry Parry, a portrait by Marcus Gheeraerts the Elder.

This special teapot is believed to have been a gift from Queen Elizabeth I to Henry Parry.

Henry Parry (born 1561, died 1616) was an important English bishop during the time of Queen Elizabeth I and King James I. He was known for his religious work and his connections to famous people of his era.

Life of Henry Parry

Henry Parry was born in Wiltshire, England. In 1576, he became a student at Corpus Christi College, Oxford. He worked hard and earned his Master of Arts degree in 1586.

Friends and Royal Connections

Parry was a good friend to two well-known scholars, Lancelot Andrewes and Richard Hooker. Hooker was also a Fellow at Corpus Christi College. After Hooker passed away in 1600, Henry Parry helped to gather and publish his important writings. This showed how much he valued his friend's work.

Henry Parry also served as a chaplain to Elizabeth I, the Queen of England. He was even present when the Queen died. This shows how trusted and close he was to the royal family.

The Queen's Special Gift

A very special teapot is believed to have been a gift from Queen Elizabeth I to Henry Parry. This teapot was made in China during the Ming period. Back then, porcelain was extremely rare and valuable in England. This unique teapot was sold in 2007 for over £1,000,000, showing how precious it was.

His Church Roles

Henry Parry held several important positions in the Church of England:

• He was the Dean of Chester from 1605 to 1607.
• He became the Bishop of Gloucester from 1607 to 1610.
• Finally, he served as the Bishop of Worcester from 1610 until his death in 1616.

You can find a statue of Henry Parry, made from alabaster, in Worcester Cathedral.

Henry Parry's Writings

Henry Parry was also a translator. He helped make religious texts available to more people.

Translating Religious Works

One of his important works was translating the Heidelberg Catechism into English. A catechism is a book of questions and answers used to teach people about Christian beliefs. He translated it from Latin, adding notes from another scholar named Zacharias Ursinus. This book was called The Summe of Christian Religion and was first printed in Oxford in 1587. It was so popular that it was printed many times.

In 1610, he also translated a book into Latin called The Summe of the Conference betwene John Rainoldes and John Hart. This book recorded a famous debate between two religious figures, John Rainolds and John Hart.