Stephen Cheston facts for kids
Stephen Cheston was an English lawyer and priest who lived in the 1500s. He became an important church official called the Archdeacon of Winchester during the reign of Queen Mary I. He kept this job for the rest of his life, even though someone tried to remove him when Queen Elizabeth I was on the throne.
Early Life and Education
Stephen Cheston came from a town called Bury St Edmunds in England. He went to the University of Cambridge to study law. In 1542, he earned his first law degree, called a Bachelor of Civil Law. By 1554, he had also received another law degree, a Bachelor of Laws.
Connections and Friends
Stephen Cheston might have been the godson of Stephen Gardiner, who was a powerful bishop of Winchester. Bishop Gardiner even mentioned a godson named "Cheston of Burye" in his will. Historians believe Stephen Cheston was a close friend and associate of Bishop Gardiner, both when they were at Cambridge and at Oxford.
In 1561, Stephen Cheston gave some books by a famous writer named Cicero to the Bury St Edmunds Grammar School. This school was quite new, having been set up in 1550. It was also closely connected to Bishop Gardiner and was known for supporting traditional ideas in the area. Another lawyer, Henry Harvey, also gave books to the school's library in 1560.
Stephen Cheston was also a witness to the will of John King, who was the first head of the Bury St Edmunds Grammar School and passed away in 1552.
Archdeacon of Winchester
Bishop Stephen Gardiner, who was appointed by Mary I of England, made Stephen Cheston the Archdeacon of Winchester. This happened on March 12, 1554. Cheston took over the position from John Philpot, who had been removed from his job and imprisoned.
Stephen Cheston remained the Archdeacon until he passed away on February 1, 1572. In 1564, Robert Horne, who was the new bishop of Winchester, tried to remove Cheston from his role. Bishop Horne argued that Cheston's appointment in 1554 was not legal. However, Bishop Horne did not have full support from his church staff for his strong Protestant beliefs, so his attempt to remove Cheston failed. Still, Horne's assistant, George Acworth, did limit Cheston's power to handle the wills of other church officials.
