John Palsgrave facts for kids

John Palsgrave (born around 1485, died 1554) was an important priest who worked for Henry VIII of England. He is famous for being a teacher to royal children and for writing helpful textbooks.

The Life of John Palsgrave

Early Years and Learning

John Palsgrave's name was sometimes spelled differently, like Pagrave. He was likely the oldest son of Henry Pagrave from North Barningham in Norfolk. He studied at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, getting his first degree in 1504. After that, he traveled to Paris, France, where he earned a master's degree.

Teaching Royalty

In 1513, John Palsgrave became a tutor to Princess Mary Tudor. She was King Henry VIII's sister. He was paid a good amount of money for this job. When Princess Mary married Louis XII of France, Palsgrave went with her to Paris. By 1516, he had moved to Louvain. Sir Thomas More even wrote to Erasmus to suggest Palsgrave study law and old classic texts there.

In 1518, he became a priest in several places. These included Asfordby in Leicestershire, Alderton and Holbrook in Suffolk, and Keyston in Huntingdonshire.

In 1525, Palsgrave was chosen to teach Henry VIII's son, Henry Fitzroy. The plan for his studies was very ambitious. It included music, visual aids, and learning alongside other important young people. These included William Parr and the younger brothers of Henry Fitzroy's mother, Elizabeth Blount.

Palsgrave was replaced as tutor in 1526 by Richard Croke. This might have happened because Thomas Wolsey didn't like him. Wolsey had earlier refused to make Palsgrave an important church official called an Archdeacon. Later, in 1529, Palsgrave was asked to write a paper criticizing Wolsey's career.

After this, he continued to teach privately while working on his own book. In 1533, he officially became a priest. He was then given a church job at St Dunstan in the East. In 1545, one of his former students, Charles Blount, 5th Baron Mountjoy, helped him get another church position in Wadenhoe in Northamptonshire.

John Palsgrave's Writings

His Famous Books

John Palsgrave wrote a book called L'esclarcissement de la langue francoyse. It was printed in 1530 in London and was dedicated to King Henry VIII. Even though the title is French, the book was written in English. It is thought to be the very first grammar book for the French language. Its main goal was to help Englishmen learn French.

This book also has an interesting fact about words. The Oxford English Dictionary says that the word "bumblebee" was used for the first time in this book. Before that, people called them "humblebees." The sentence in Palsgrave's book was: I bomme, as a bombyll bee dothe.

Palsgrave also translated a Latin play called The Comedy of Acolastus by William Fullonius. He published this translation in 1540 and dedicated it to the King. The common English saying "as deaf as a post" seems to have come from this play. Palsgrave wrote: "How deaf an ear I intended to give him ... he were as good to tell his tale to a post."