Lancelot Ridley facts for kids

Lancelot Ridley was an English clergyman who lived in the 1500s. He was known for writing books about religion and was a leader at St James' Church in Stretham, Cambridgeshire. He passed away in 1576.

Early Life and Education

Lancelot Ridley studied at Cambridge University. He earned several important degrees, showing he was very educated in religious studies. He became a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in 1523 or 1524, a Master of Arts (MA) in 1527, a Bachelor of Divinity (BD) in 1537, and a Doctor of Divinity (DD) in 1540 or 1541.

A Church Leader

In 1541, a very important church leader named Thomas Cranmer chose Lancelot Ridley to be one of the "Six Preachers" at Canterbury Cathedral. These preachers were important figures who helped spread new religious ideas. Lancelot Ridley was part of a group that supported the "New Learning," which meant new ways of thinking about religion.

He believed that prayers should not be said in foreign languages that people didn't understand. This idea was quite new at the time. He also took part in a special discussion called a disputation in 1542, where church leaders debated different religious views.

Changes Under Different Rulers

When King Edward VI ruled, Lancelot Ridley was a strong supporter of Protestantism. This was a time when England was moving away from the Roman Catholic Church. Another famous church leader, Nicholas Ridley (who was Lancelot's cousin), even thought about giving Lancelot a higher position in the church. From 1545 to 1554, Lancelot was the rector (head priest) of Willingham church.

However, when Queen Mary I came to power, things changed. She wanted England to return to the Catholic Church. Lancelot Ridley was married, and under Queen Mary, married clergymen were not allowed to hold church positions. He lost his job as rector of Willingham in 1554. Some people even said he put his wife aside and went back to being single to follow Catholic rules.

When Queen Elizabeth I became queen, England became Protestant again. Lancelot Ridley returned to his role as one of the Six Preachers at Canterbury in 1560. In the same year, he also became the rector of St James' Church in Stretham, where he was buried when he died in 1576.

His Writings

Lancelot Ridley was known for his religious writings. He wrote several books that explained parts of the Bible in English, so that people who didn't know other languages could understand them.

Some of his notable works include:

• An Exposition upon the Epistle of Jude the Apostle of Christ: This book explained the letter from Jude in the Bible. It talked about false teachers and how they might trick people.
• A Commentary in Englishe upon Sayncte Paule's Epistle to the Ephesians: This book explained Saint Paul's letter to the Ephesians. It was written to help people who were not educated in other languages.
• An Exposition in Englyshe upon the Epystyll of Saynt Paule to the Phillipians
• An Exposition in Englyshe upon the Epistle of S. Paule to the Colossians

These books helped ordinary people understand the Bible better during a time of big religious changes in England.

Family Life

Lancelot Ridley came from a notable family. His father was John Ridley, and his mother was Margaret Horton. His grandfather was Sir Nicholas Ridley.

He was the first cousin of Nicholas Ridley, who was a famous bishop of London and a very important figure in the Protestant Reformation. Lancelot Ridley married a woman named Mary Paterson. They had two sons, Henry and Mark Ridley.