Thomas Langley (priest) facts for kids

Thomas Langley was an English clergyman who lived a long time ago, from the 1500s. He became an important church leader called a canon at Winchester Cathedral. He held this job from 1559 until he passed away in 1581 or 1582. Thomas Langley was also a writer and translator. In 1546, he translated parts of a book called De rerum inventoribus by Polydore Vergil. Later, in 1552, he translated a book about the Sabbath (a day of rest and worship) that was written in Italian by Giulio da Milano. He also wrote some Latin poems in 1559 for a book called Cosmographical Glass by William Cuningham.

Thomas Langley's Early Life and Education

Thomas Langley's early life and family background are not fully known. We know he had a brother named Robert, who had three children: Christopher, Thomas, and Katherine. Some people think Thomas Langley might have been the son of another Thomas Langley, who was a canon at a monastery in Leeds, Kent. The name "Langley" might have come from a village nearby.

Langley went to Jesus College, Cambridge, starting around 1535 or 1536. He earned his first degree, a Bachelor of Arts (BA), in 1538. He might have been the person who became the rector (a type of priest) of Headbourne Worthy in Hampshire in 1541. At that time, his boss was Queen Catherine Howard. Records are a bit confusing, sometimes calling him William and sometimes Thomas. By 1551, someone else had taken his place.

In 1546, Langley translated part of Polydore Vergil’s book. By 1548, he was working as a chaplain for Thomas Cranmer, who was the Archbishop of Canterbury. Cranmer had also studied at Jesus College. In December 1548, Langley and another of Cranmer's chaplains helped a priest named John Ashton to take back some wrong religious ideas he had shared.

Church Jobs and Friends

In 1550, Thomas Langley was recorded as the rector of Headcorn in Kent. The Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Cranmer, was the one who appointed him to this job. While at Headcorn, in 1552, Langley finished his translation of the book On the Christian Sabbath. He dedicated this book to his friend, William Lewes, who lived in London. Langley left Headcorn by 1554.

He then moved to another church job in Kent, becoming the vicar of Boughton Malherbe in 1555. His patron (the person who supported him) was Thomas Cotton, who was also one of the people who helped with Langley's will later on. Langley left Boughton Malherbe in 1564. By this time, he had also been given the job of rector of Wanborough in Wiltshire in 1563. He stayed close with his old friends from Kent.

During the time Queen Mary ruled, Langley seemed to stay in his church jobs, even though his beliefs might have been different from hers. There was a rumor in 1561 that he had married a woman without permission, but this was likely a misunderstanding or a story from a difficult time.

Later Career and Final Years

In March 1559, a Thomas Langley started a job at Slaugham in Sussex. Soon after, in October 1559, our Thomas Langley got a very good job. He was appointed by the Queen to be a canon at Winchester Cathedral. This was a well-paying position, and he kept it until he died in 1581 or 1582. His friend, John Ebden, also became a canon at Winchester Cathedral in 1562.

In 1560, Langley earned another degree, a Bachelor of Divinity (BD), from the University of Oxford. By 1563, he was the vicar of Wanborough in Wiltshire. He lived quietly in Wanborough until his death.

Thomas Langley wrote his will on December 21, 1581. He passed away before January 30, 1582, when his will was officially approved. By the end of his life, he was blind, so he used a seal instead of signing his will. His wife, Anne, was in charge of his will. His friends from Kent, including Thomas Cotton and Richard Elson, helped oversee it, along with Anthony Hinton from Wiltshire. Thomas Langley had four children: John, Christopher, Margery, and Eleanor. His son John was planned to become a minister.

Thomas Langley's Writings

The Abridgment

Langley's first major work was a translation titled: 'An Abridgement of the Notable Work of Polydore Vergil Containing the Devisers and First Finders-Out as well of Arts, Ministries, Feats and Civil Ordinances, as of Rites, Ceremonies Commonly Used in the Church, and the Original Beginning of the Same'. This long title means it was a shorter version of a book by Polydore Vergil called De rerum inventoribus, first printed in 1499.

Langley said he translated Vergil's book because he wanted people who could only read English to learn about the famous inventors and their ideas. He felt it would be wrong to keep such important information hidden from them. However, his version was much shorter than the original.

He dedicated his book to Sir Anthony Denny, a close friend and advisor to King Henry VIII. Langley hoped that Denny, who was known for supporting learning, would notice his work and give him a more important job. The book was printed several times, showing it was quite popular. It was full of interesting facts and details.

Of the Christian Sabbath (1552)

Langley's other translation was a "godly treatise" (a serious religious writing) by an Italian reformer named Giuseppe della Rovere, also known as Giulio da Milano. This book was about the Sabbath, a day of rest and worship. It seems Langley might have worked from a handwritten copy of the text, as it doesn't match a printed version of Giulio's sermons.

Langley dedicated this book to his friend William Lewes of London, who was interested in learning Italian. In his translation, Langley focused more on how people in England were misusing the Sabbath, rather than just the joyful holiness of the day, which was the main point in Giulio's original writing.

Poems in Cunningham’s Glass

In 1559, William Cunningham published his book Cosmographical Glass. This book included two poems written in Latin by Thomas Langleius (Langley's Latin name). The second poem was very short, but the first one was longer. It mostly listed some of the topics covered in Cunningham's book about the sky and the Earth. In his poem, Langley warned a character named Momus, who was known for finding fault, to be careful because Cunningham's work would last a long time.

In the heading of his first poem, Langley called himself 'Cantabrigiensis', which means "from Cambridge." This was a way to show off his scholarly background, even though he had left Cambridge University around 1540. Cunningham himself had studied at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge. Another person who wrote a praising poem for Cunningham's book was Gilbert Berkeley, an Oxford man. There isn't a clear connection known between Langley and these two men.