John Crayford facts for kids
John Crayford was an important person in English education during the 1500s. He was special because he led colleges at both of England's most famous universities: Cambridge and Oxford. This was very unusual at the time!
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Who Was John Crayford?
John Crayford was a Master (like a principal or head) of two different colleges. He led Clare College in Cambridge and later University College in Oxford. He was the only person ever to be the Master of University College and also a Master at a Cambridge college.
Early Career and Cambridge Years
Crayford started his career as a Fellow (a senior member of staff) at University College in Oxford in the early 1520s. Later, he moved to Cambridge. He became the Master of Clare College, Cambridge, in 1530 and stayed there until 1539. During this time, he also served as the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge from 1534 to 1536. The Vice-Chancellor is like the main leader of the entire university.
Helping the King
In 1533, John Crayford played a part in a big event. He helped the University of Cambridge support King Henry VIII's request to end his marriage to Catherine of Aragon. This was a very important political and religious issue at the time.
Later Life and Oxford
After his time in Cambridge, Crayford took on another important role. From 1545 to 1547, he was an Archdeacon of Berkshire. This was a significant position within the church.
In 1546, he returned to Oxford. He became the Master of University College. Sadly, he passed away unexpectedly in August 1547, only about a year after taking on this new role.
