Richard Tracy facts for kids
Richard Tracy (died 1569) was an English leader who supported the Protestant Reformation. He also served as a Member of Parliament, which means he was a representative in the government.
Life Story
Richard Tracy was the younger son of William Tracy, who was known for becoming a Lutheran (a type of Protestant). Richard finished his studies at Oxford University in 1515. In 1519, he started studying law.
In 1529, he was chosen to be a Member of Parliament for Wotton Basset in Wiltshire. This Parliament was important because it helped bring about big changes in England's religion. For a few years after this, he was busy dealing with a dispute over his father's will.
In 1533, Richard Tracy was given Stanway, a large estate that used to belong to Tewkesbury Abbey. He made Stanway his family home. He believed in the same religious ideas as his father. By 1533, he had already written a short book about his beliefs.
By 1535, Tracy's writings were considered dangerous. They were grouped with the works of famous reformers like Martin Luther and William Tyndale. In 1537, Tracy became a local judge in Gloucestershire. He also helped with the "visitation of the monasteries." This was when the king's officials visited monasteries to check on them, often leading to their closure.
In 1538, he was considered for a high local office called "shrievalty," but King Henry VIII chose someone else. In 1539, he was chosen to attend the arrival of Anne of Cleves, who was to become the king's wife. His strong support for the Reformation made his friend Hugh Latimer wish there were more people like him.
However, when a powerful government official named Thomas Cromwell lost favor with the king, Richard Tracy also lost his good standing at court. In 1546, his books were even ordered to be burned.
In 1548, he was appointed a commissioner for Gloucestershire. This meant he helped carry out a law that closed down "chantries," which were places where prayers were said for the dead. In 1551, he was put in the Tower of London for writing a letter that likely criticized the government. He was set free in 1552.
His religious views continued to cause him trouble. In 1555, during the reign of Queen Mary I (who was Catholic), he was questioned by the Queen's council. He managed to clear his name. However, later that year, he was in trouble again for being stubborn towards the Bishop of Gloucester. In 1557, he faced problems for refusing to pay a special tax called a "forced loan."
After Queen Elizabeth I became queen, Richard Tracy served as the High Sheriff of Gloucestershire from 1560 to 1561. In 1565, he wrote a letter to William Cecil, a key advisor to the Queen. In this letter, he protested against the Queen keeping a crucifix (a cross with Jesus on it) in her private chapel.
His Writings
Richard Tracy's earliest work was probably a book called "Profe and Declaration of thys Proposition: Fayth only iustifieth." It was dedicated to King Henry VIII and talked about the idea that faith alone can make a person righteous.
In 1544, he wrote "A Supplycation to our most Soueraigne Lorde, Kynge Henry the Eyght." This was a formal request or plea to King Henry VIII.
In 1548, Tracy published "A Bryef and short Declaracyon made wherebye euery Chrysten Man may knowe what is a Sacrament." This book explained what a sacrament is. He published it during important discussions in Parliament that led to the creation of Edward VI's first Book of Common Prayer, which was a new prayer book for the Church of England.
Tracy is also believed to have written "The Preparation to the Crosse and to Death .... in two bookes" in 1540. This book became famous in 1626 when it was found inside a fish in a Cambridge market!
His Family
Richard Tracy and his wife, Barbara (daughter of Sir Thomas Lucy), had at least six sons and five daughters. Their oldest son, Paul Tracy, later became a baronet in 1626. In 1543, a man named Bartholomew Traheron, who Richard Tracy had helped educate, dedicated his translation of a medical book to Tracy.
