William Kingsmill (priest) facts for kids

William Kingsmill, also known as William Basyng, was an important church leader in England. He lived in the 1500s. He was the head of St. Swithun's Priory in Winchester. This was a large religious house for monks. People often visited the priory because it had a special shrine. This shrine was dedicated to Saint Swithun. Later, in 1541, William Kingsmill became the first Dean of Winchester Cathedral. This happened after big changes to the church in England.

William Kingsmill's Early Life and Education

William Kingsmill joined St. Swithun's Priory in Winchester in 1513. He became a monk following the rules of Saint Benedict. When he joined, he took the name Basyng. This was the name of his hometown, Old Basing. He was known as William Basyng until 1540.

While he was a monk, Basyng also worked outside the monastery. In 1521, he became a Deacon. Two years later, he became a priest. He studied logic, philosophy, and theology. In 1526, he earned a degree in Theology from the University of Oxford.

Over the next three years, Basyng took part in many public discussions about theology. He was allowed to preach in 1529. He finished his final discussion in February 1529. Then, in March 1529, he earned his Doctorate in Theology. This was a very high degree.

Rising Through the Ranks

Because of his education, Basyng became a leader at the priory. He also had experience with the world outside the monastery. In 1529, King Henry VIII called a special meeting. It was for bishops, deans, priors, and important monks. Basyng was chosen to represent St. Swithun's. This showed that he was seen as an important person.

Over the next six years, Basyng gained more power at the priory. He became "Hordarius et Coquinarius." This meant he was in charge of the kitchens. He also managed the monastery's non-religious property.

In 1535, King Henry VIII ordered a check of all the monastery's property. Basyng was in charge of the most wealth, second only to the Prior. Even though he wasn't the second-in-command, he was well-respected. He also had political power outside the priory. This made him a good choice for the next Prior.

Changes and New Leadership

The 1530s brought big legal and religious changes in England. The Prior at the time, Henry Broke, was very traditional. This made him a target for people who wanted reforms.

A monk named Richard Mylls told Thomas Cromwell about Prior Broke. Cromwell was a powerful advisor to King Henry VIII. Cromwell wanted to remove old Catholic traditions. He also wanted to support the King's new religious ideas. Mylls said that Broke had stopped him from studying at Oxford. This was because Mylls spoke against worshipping saints and pilgrimages.

There were also rumors that Prior Broke had stolen jewels from the priory. Because of these issues, Broke resigned in March 1536. He felt he would have been removed anyway.

Basyng wanted to become the new Prior. He asked Cromwell and other important people for their support. He even offered Cromwell money from the priory's lands. A local noble, Thomas Parry, wrote to Cromwell for Basyng. He said Basyng was "a man of learning and a favourer of the truth." This meant Basyng supported Cromwell's religious goals. The monks of St. Swithun's chose Basyng as their new Prior.

The Dissolution of Monasteries

By 1538, King Henry and Cromwell were pushing for more changes. They wanted to remove shrines and religious images from churches. St. Swithun's had a very popular shrine to Saint Swithun. Many people from England and France went on pilgrimages there.

In September 1538, visitors came to St. Swithun's. They removed the shrine of St. Swithun very early in the morning. One visitor, Thomas Wriothesley, said that Basyng and the other monks agreed to the destruction of the images.

A year later, Basyng gave the priory to King Henry. This was part of the Dissolution of the Monasteries. The church became a "new college." Basyng was put in charge of it. When the monastery was given up, Basyng stopped using his monk name. He went back to his family name, Kingsmill.

First Dean of Winchester Cathedral

On May 1, 1541, King Henry gave most of the lands back to Winchester Cathedral. He changed the old priory into a new church system. It would be run by a Dean and twelve other church leaders. Kingsmill was chosen to be the first Dean of what was now the Cathedral Church of the Holy Trinity.

Kingsmill was loyal to the King. He also managed much of the church's wealth in the area. This helped him get new jobs and positions. In 1542, Kingsmill became the vicar of Overton, Hampshire. He held this job until 1545. At that time, he also held other important church positions. He was even listed as one of the King's Chaplains in 1544. Kingsmill continued to serve the King in many ways until he died in early 1549.