Thomas Byng facts for kids

Thomas Byng (who also spelled his name Bynge) was an important English scholar and lawyer who lived a long time ago. He was the leader, called the Master, of Clare Hall (now Clare College) at Cambridge University starting in 1571. He passed away in 1599.

Thomas Byng's Journey and Work

Thomas Byng started his studies at Peterhouse, a college at Cambridge University, in May 1552. He was a "sizar," which meant he received help with his college costs, often by doing certain jobs. He earned his first degree, a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), in 1556.

He became a fellow (a kind of teacher and researcher) at Peterhouse in 1558. He then earned his Master of Arts (M.A.) degree in 1559 and a special law degree, Doctor of Laws (LL.D.), in 1570.

In 1564, when Queen Elizabeth I visited Cambridge, Thomas Byng gave a speech in Latin. He spoke about how good it was to have a single ruler (a monarch). In the same year, he became a "proctor," a university official who helps keep order. In 1565, he was chosen as the "public orator," meaning he was the official speaker for the university.

Thomas Byng became the Master of Clare Hall in 1571. This was a very important leadership role. The next year, in 1572, he became the "vice-chancellor" of the university, which is like the main leader of the whole university. He also joined a group of legal experts called the college of civilians. In 1574, he became the "regius professor of civil law," a special teacher of law at Cambridge. Later, in 1595, he became the "dean of arches," a top judge in the church's legal system.

In 1578, he met Queen Elizabeth I again and gave another Latin speech. He died in December 1599 and was buried in Hackney, England. He had a large family with his wife, Catherine, including ten sons and two daughters.

What Thomas Byng Wrote and Edited

Besides giving speeches, Thomas Byng also worked on books. He edited a book by Nicholas Carr that contained translations of speeches by a famous Greek speaker named Demosthenes. This book was published in 1571.

Thomas Byng also wrote Latin and Greek poems that were included in other books. For example, his poems appeared in Thomas Wilson's translation of Demosthenes in 1570. He also contributed to special university collections of writings. These included collections made when the religious leaders Martin Bucer and Paul Fagius were honored in 1560, and when the famous writer and soldier Sir Philip Sidney died in 1587.