William Knight (bishop) facts for kids

William Knight (born around 1475 or 1476, died in 1547) was an important person in England during the time of King Henry VIII of England. He worked as the King's Secretary of State and later became the Bishop of Bath and Wells.

King Henry VIII sent him on a special trip to Rome in 1527. His job was to try and end the King's marriage to Catherine of Aragon. William Knight also rebuilt a place called Horton Court in Gloucestershire, adding cool Italian designs to it.

William Knight's Early Life and Education

William Knight was born in London. When he was about 11 or 12 years old, in 1487, he started studying at Winchester School. Later, in 1491, he went to New College, Oxford, and became a Fellow there in 1493. This means he was a senior member of the college.

Working for the King

In 1495, Knight started working at the royal court. King Henry VII of England (Henry VIII's father) made him one of his secretaries. This was the start of a long career serving the English kings.

Becoming an Ambassador

William Knight often worked as an ambassador for King Henry VIII. An ambassador is someone who represents their country in another country.

• In 1512, he traveled to Spain with Sir Edward Howard. They had a difficult journey but reached Valladolid in 1513. His job was to talk with King Ferdinand II of Aragon about protecting the church.
• From 1514 onwards, he went on many trips to the Low Countries (which are now places like Belgium and the Netherlands). He met with important people like Cuthbert Tunstall and Prince Charles (who later became Emperor Charles V).
• In 1514, he was given a special grant of arms, which is like a family symbol. He was also called a "prothonotary," which was a high-ranking church official.

More Diplomatic Missions

In 1515, Knight was known as the King's chaplain (a priest who serves the King). He also became the dean of a church in Leicestershire. He continued his work as an ambassador, helping to make treaties and agreements.

• In 1517, he met with Emperor Charles V again.
• From 1518 to 1519, he represented England in the Low Countries, working with Margaret of Austria, Duchess of Savoy.
• In 1520, he was at the famous Field of the Cloth of Gold, a huge meeting between King Henry VIII and the King of France.
• He also helped settle disagreements between English merchants and a group called the Teutonic Hanse.

Key Roles and Challenges

William Knight continued to take on important roles.

• In 1522, he went to Switzerland for diplomatic reasons.
• He also worked on an embassy about the wool trade.
• In 1523, he helped make a treaty against France with Charles III, Duke of Bourbon.
• Around 1526, he became the King's Secretary, a very important job.

The King's Divorce Mission

In 1527, even though he said he was getting old and losing his eyesight, King Henry VIII chose William Knight for a very important mission: to go to Rome and help with the King's divorce.

• Knight traveled to Venice and then tried to reach the Pope, Pope Clement VII, who was being held captive.
• He managed to get into Rome and send the King's requests to the Pope.
• In January 1528, the Pope was freed, and Knight met him in Orvieto. The Pope signed some important papers, but when Knight returned to London in February 1528, he admitted that his mission had not fully succeeded.

Later Missions and Church Roles

Despite the challenges, Knight continued his diplomatic work.

• In 1528, he went on another mission to talk about Italian affairs.
• In 1529, he worked with other important figures like Sir Thomas More to arrange the Treaty of Cambray, which was a peace agreement.
• He also held various church positions, such as archdeacon of Richmond.

Bishop of Bath and Wells

On May 29, 1541, William Knight became the Bishop of Bath and Wells. This was a very high position in the church. He gave up all his other jobs to focus on being a bishop.

• At Wells Cathedral, he helped build a market cross, which is a type of monument.
• He died in 1547 in Wiveliscombe, Somerset.
• He was buried in Wells Cathedral next to a chapel. A pulpit he had built, which showed his family symbol, served as his monument.
• He also left money in his will to Winchester School and New College, Oxford, where he had studied.