John Scory facts for kids

John Scory (died 1585) was an English religious leader who started as a Dominican friar (a type of monk). He later became an important bishop in the Church of England.

He served as the Bishop of Rochester from 1551 to 1552. After that, he moved to become the Bishop of Chichester from 1552 to 1553. When Queen Mary came to power, he lost his position. However, he returned to being an Anglican bishop when Elizabeth I became queen. He was the Bishop of Hereford from 1559 until his death in 1585. He also took part in an important religious discussion called the Westminster Disputation in 1559.

Early Life and Career

John Scory was from Norfolk, England. Around 1530, he joined a group of monks called the Dominicans at their house in Cambridge. In 1538, he was one of the people who signed the agreement to close down this religious house. He earned a special degree in divinity (B.D.) in 1539.

In 1541, Thomas Cranmer, a very important religious leader, chose Scory to be one of the six preachers at Canterbury Cathedral. Scory also worked as one of Cranmer's personal assistants.

Becoming a Bishop

Scory was once questioned about a sermon he gave in 1541, but nothing serious came of it. King Edward VI noted that when a woman named Joan Bocher was executed for her religious beliefs in 1550, Scory preached. She reportedly argued with him, saying he was wrong. Around this time, Scory became an assistant to Nicholas Ridley, who was the Bishop of London.

In 1551, Scory spoke out about the lack of proper church rules and how rich people were being greedy, especially about land ownership (called enclosures). On April 26, 1551, he was chosen to be the Bishop of Rochester. He also helped a group that was reviewing church laws. On May 23, 1552, he moved to become the Bishop of Chichester.

Exile and Return

When Queen Mary I became queen, Scory lost his job as bishop. He then submitted to another bishop, Edmund Bonner, and gave up his marriage, which was against the rules for priests at that time. After changing his views and being forgiven, he was allowed to work in the London church area. Some people also believe he helped spread a statement by Thomas Cranmer about the Mass.

However, Scory soon left England. He went to Emden in Friesland (which is now part of Germany), where he became the leader of the English church community there. He also spent time in Wesel and lived in Geneva from 1556.

When Elizabeth I became queen, Scory returned to England. He preached before the queen in 1559 and took part in the Westminster Disputation, a big religious debate. On July 15, 1559, he became the Bishop of Hereford. He was one of the first bishops chosen by Queen Elizabeth. He also preached at a special service for the death of Henry III of France in 1559 and helped with the important ceremony where Matthew Parker became Archbishop of Canterbury.

Life as Bishop of Hereford

Being a bishop in Hereford brought some challenges for Scory. He wrote to Archbishop Parker about the state of his diocese (the area he was in charge of). Many small churches had no priests or only a reader. Some parish churches were also in danger because of how a law about closing colleges was being understood.

He also had difficulties with a local council and with the priests in his own cathedral. However, he managed to get new rules for the cathedral in 1582. Scory was accused of lending money for profit. One writer, John Aubrey, claimed that Scory loved his son Sylvanus Scory so much that he used church money from Hereford to leave his son a lot of property. A detailed check of the bishopric's lands was done between 1577 and 1580 by Swithun Butterfield, under Scory's guidance.

In terms of his religious beliefs, Scory followed the official teachings of the Church of England. He signed the important articles of faith in 1562 and the church laws of 1571. He passed away in Whitbourne, Herefordshire on June 26, 1585. He left money to help others.

Writings

John Scory wrote several works, including:

• Epistle to the Faytheful in Pryson in England (A letter to the faithful in prison in England), which he wrote while he was living away from England.
• Certein Works of the blessed Cipriane the Martyr (Certain Works of the blessed Cyprian the Martyr), published in London in 1556.
• Two Books of the noble doctor and B. S. Augustine (Two Books of the noble doctor and Blessed Saint Augustine), which he translated into English sometime between 1550 and 1560.

A detailed survey of the lands belonging to the Bishop of Hereford was completed in 1577–78 by Swithun Butterfield, following Scory's instructions. This survey has been kept.

Family Life

John Scory's wife, Elizabeth, lived until March 8, 1592. They had a son named Sylvanus Scory, who was a church official in Hereford from 1565 to 1569. Sylvanus also fought in wars in the Low Countries (modern-day Netherlands and Belgium). He was a Member of Parliament for Newtown, Hampshire in 1597. He died in 1617 and was buried in St Leonard's, Shoreditch. Sylvanus had two sons: Sylvanus, who died in prison in 1641, and Edmund, who was made a knight on July 4, 1618.