Richard Methley facts for kids

Richard Methley, also known as Richard Firth or Richard Furth, was a monk who lived a long time ago, from about 1451 to 1527 or 1528. He was part of a special group of monks called Carthusians. Richard lived at a place called Mount Grace Priory in Yorkshire, England. He is mostly remembered for the books he wrote and translated. Some of these books were his own ideas, and others were translations of older texts.

Richard Methley's Life

We don't know much about Richard Methley's early life. He might have been born near Leeds in Yorkshire. People often took their last names from their hometowns back then. So, it's possible he was born in a village called Methley, which is about seven miles southwest of Leeds. However, we don't have clear proof of this.

When Richard was about 25 years old, he joined the Carthusian monastery at Mount Grace Priory. It seems he spent the rest of his life there. His writings don't suggest he ever lived in another monastery.

Richard Methley's Writings

Richard Methley wrote mainly for his fellow Carthusian monks. Most of his writings were in Latin, which was the common language for scholars and religious texts at the time. He also wrote one short letter in Middle English, which was the language spoken in England during that period.

Most of Richard's surviving writings are from the 1480s. Today, you can find modern printed versions of all his works.

Translations by Richard Methley

In 1491, Richard Methley made a Latin translation of a famous book called The Cloud of Unknowing. He added notes to help explain it. He did this translation for another Carthusian monk named Thurstan Watson.

Richard also started translating a book called The Mirror of Simple Souls into Latin. He added notes to this one too. He didn't know that the original book was written by a woman named Marguerite Porete. She was considered a heretic and had been executed.

Richard Methley's Death

Richard Methley most likely died at Mount Grace Priory. He passed away sometime in the year before May 3, 1528. On that date, his name was added to the list of deaths recorded at a meeting of Carthusian leaders.