John Capgrave facts for kids
John Capgrave (born April 21, 1393 – died August 12, 1464) was an important English historian and writer. He was also a scholastic theologian, which means he studied and taught about religious ideas. Capgrave is mostly remembered for his book Nova Legenda Angliae. This book was the first large collection of stories about the lives of English saints.
John's Education
John Capgrave was born in a town called Bishop's Lynn, which is now known as King's Lynn in Norfolk, England. He once wrote, "My country is Norfolk, of the town of Lynn." We don't know much about his parents.
Around 1410, John joined a religious group called the Augustinian friars in Lynn. He became a priest in 1416 or 1417. After that, he studied theology, which is the study of religion, at his order's school in London.
By 1421, he was a "lector." This meant he was qualified to teach at almost all levels within his religious order. He was then sent to Cambridge for more studies. In 1422, he gave an important speech in Latin there. He later wrote an English version of this speech. John Capgrave's journey from becoming a priest to earning a master's degree in theology was one of the fastest ever recorded.
His Important Books
Capgrave's first known book was Life of St Norbert, written in English before 1422. He then wrote many other books that explained parts of the Bible. Sadly, many of these early writings are now lost.
Some of his lost books were dedicated to important people. One was for Humphrey of Lancaster, 1st Duke of Gloucester, a famous duke. Another was for John Low, who was a leader of the Augustinian friars.
In 1441, Capgrave was present when King Henry VI laid the first stone for King's College, Cambridge. After this, Capgrave wrote several books about saints and kings. One of these was an English book about Saint Katharine. By 1446, he became the Prior, or head, of the Augustinian friary in Bishop's Lynn.
Capgrave traveled to Rome in 1449–1450 for a special holy year called a Jubilee. He wrote about his trip, giving us a look into the history and traditions of the church at that time. Some of his later books were dedicated to William Grey, who later became a bishop.
Out of 45 books Capgrave is known to have written, only twelve still exist today. Seven of these are in English. His book Nova legenda Angliae was a new version of an older collection of saint stories. This book was printed in 1516 and again in 1527.
Perhaps his most important book for people today is his Abbreviacion of Cronicles. This book tells the story of world history from a religious point of view. It includes important events from world history and later English history. Capgrave often shared his thoughts on these events. He usually showed a preference for Christians and later for Englishmen in his descriptions.
Another important book was his Liber de illustribus Henricis. This book, finished between 1446 and 1453, collected stories about famous people named Henry. It included German emperors, English kings, and other famous Henries from around the world.
John Capgrave passed away on August 12, 1464, in Bishop's Lynn.
