Richard Cox (bishop) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids The Right Reverend Richard Cox |
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| Bishop of Ely | |
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| Diocese | Diocese of Ely |
| Enthroned | 1559 |
| Predecessor | Thomas Thirlby |
| Successor | Martin Heton |
| Other posts | Dean of Westminster |
| Personal details | |
| Born | c. 1500 Whaddon, Buckinghamshire |
| Buried | 22 July 1581 |
| Nationality | English |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| Education | Eton College |
| Alma mater | King's College, Cambridge |
Richard Cox (around 1500 – 22 July 1581) was an important English church leader. He served as the Dean of Westminster and later as the Bishop of Ely.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Richard Cox was born in a village called Whaddon, Buckinghamshire, in England, around the year 1500. We don't know much about his family.
He went to school at a monastery near Whaddon, then to Eton College, and later to King's College, Cambridge. He earned his first degree there in 1524. He then went to Oxford University at the invitation of Cardinal Wolsey, a powerful church leader. At Oxford, he earned his master's degree in 1526.
In 1530, he helped King Henry VIII with his important marriage issues at the university. Some people say he got into trouble for sharing new religious ideas, but there are no records to confirm this. He later became the Master of the Royal Foundation at Eton, which was an important teaching role.
In 1533, he wrote a poem for the crowning of Anne Boleyn, who became King Henry VIII's new queen. He continued his studies, earning advanced degrees in religious studies from Cambridge in 1535 and 1537. He also agreed with an important religious book called the Institution of a Christian Man.
Richard Cox was one of fifteen religious experts who answered important questions about church practices and who had power in the church. His answers showed he was moving away from traditional Catholic ideas, but he still followed the King's religious rules. He was also one of the experts who helped King Henry write an important religious book called the "King's Book." He took on important church roles in Ely and Westminster.
In 1541, he was nominated to become a bishop and became the King's Chaplain in 1542. In 1543, he helped uncover a plot against Thomas Cranmer, who was the Archbishop of Canterbury. He also became the Archbishop's chancellor. Later, he was put in charge of Prince Edward's charity and education. He was known for being strict when dealing with people who didn't follow the rules.
Working for King Edward VI
When Edward VI became king, Richard Cox became more Protestant in his beliefs. He was a very active leader in the Protestant Reformation, which was a big change in the church.
He helped create important prayer books, including the First and Second Books of Common Prayer. He also worked on a group to update church laws. As the head of Oxford University from 1547 to 1552, he invited religious scholars from other countries to teach there. He also led efforts to remove anything that seemed too Catholic from the university's books and treasures. Because of this, some people jokingly called him the 'Canceller' instead of Chancellor.
He received other important positions, including a role at Windsor and the head of Westminster Abbey.
During Mary I's Reign
When Queen Mary I came to power, Richard Cox lost his church positions because she was Catholic. He was even held in the Marshalsea prison for a short time in 1553. After a rebellion failed, he escaped to Antwerp in 1554.
In 1555, he went to Frankfurt, Germany, where many other English Protestants had gone to escape Queen Mary. There were some disagreements among the exiles, known as the troubles at Frankfurt. Some, like John Knox, wanted to follow a different style of worship. Cox, however, strongly supported the Church of England's prayer book. The exiles were divided into two groups. Cox accused Knox of treason, which led to Knox and his followers being expelled. After that, the Church of England's prayer book was used again.
Under Queen Elizabeth I
In 1559, Cox returned to England when Queen Elizabeth I became queen. He was chosen to be the Bishop of Ely, a position he held for 21 years. He was an honest but strict church leader. He strongly believed in his views and wanted more power to make others follow them.
He disagreed with some things in the Queen's Chapel, like the crucifix, and was strongly against Roman Catholics. However, he also had little patience for Puritans, who wanted to make the church even simpler. He was also very careful about his money and church property, which sometimes led to arguments with people at court who wanted church lands.
Queen Elizabeth herself got involved when he refused to give Ely House to her favorite, Sir Christopher Hatton. There's a famous letter that supposedly came from the Queen, threatening him, but it's likely a fake. Still, it shows how determined the Queen was. Cox was eventually forced to give in. Because of these difficulties, he resigned from his position in 1580. It's interesting that no one was appointed to replace him for 19 years after he left.
Later Life and Legacy
Richard Cox passed away in July 1581. A monument was put up for him in Ely Cathedral 20 years later, but it was damaged, supposedly because of his bad reputation.
He was married twice. His first wife's name is not known, but they had five children. His daughter Joanna married the eldest son of Archbishop Matthew Parker. His second wife was Jane Auder, who was the widow of a famous botanist. One of his grandsons moved to Ireland around 1600 and became the ancestor of an important family there.
See also
- List of chancellors of the University of Oxford
- Dean of Westminster
Images for kids
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Letter from Prince Edward to Cox, 1546
