William Moses (academic) facts for kids
William Moses (born around 1623, died 1688) was an English scholar and lawyer. He was in charge of Pembroke College, Cambridge, during a time in English history called the Interregnum. Later in his life, he became a special kind of lawyer called a serjeant-at-law.
Early Life and Education
William Moses was born in a place called St. Saviour, Southwark, in England, probably around 1623. His father, John Moses, was a merchant tailor, which means he made and sold clothes.
When William was nine years old, on March 28, 1632, he started school at Christ's Hospital. This was a famous school in London. In 1639, he went to Pembroke Hall, which is now known as Pembroke College, Cambridge. He earned his first degree (B.A.) in 1644 and a master's degree (M.A.) in 1647.
Leading Pembroke College
In early 1655, William Moses was chosen to be the Master of Pembroke College. This meant he was the head of the college. The people who worked at the college, called fellows, all voted for him.
Before Moses, the previous Master, Benjamin Laney, had been removed from his job in 1644. Other people, Richard Vines and Sidrach Simpson, had held the position temporarily. William Moses had also been made a fellow at the college around the same time as Vines and helped manage the college's money.
At first, Oliver Cromwell, a very powerful leader in England at the time, didn't want Moses to be the Master. Cromwell had someone else in mind. But after people explained how much Moses had helped the college, Cromwell changed his mind.
William Moses was a very good leader for the college. He made sure the college received money and gifts from a person named Sir Robert Hitcham. He also helped rebuild parts of the college buildings. He was even clever enough to make a quick decision about a new job opening at the college before Cromwell could suggest his own person for the role.
After the Interregnum
When the king returned to power in England during the Restoration, Benjamin Laney was given his job back as Master of Pembroke College. William Moses was not a priest, so he decided to become a lawyer instead of a doctor.
He became a lawyer for the East India Company, which was a big trading company. The king and an important judge named Heneage Finch thought highly of him. On June 11, 1688, he was made a serjeant-at-law, which was a very respected position for a lawyer.
William Moses died in 1688, the same year he became a serjeant-at-law. He was a wealthy man and had never married. He left money and gifts to Pembroke College in his will.
His Beliefs
William Moses was a puritan, which means he had strong religious beliefs and wanted to live a very simple and strict life. When he was young, he was influenced by a book called Institutions by William Bucanus. He read this book while he was at Christ's Hospital.
He didn't want to become a minister in the Church of England. He also didn't agree with presbyterianism, another type of church organization. Instead, he preferred a moderate form of episcopacy, which means a church led by bishops.
He even wrote a short Latin poem that was included in a book published in 1660. This book celebrated the return of King Charles II to the throne. A famous religious leader named Richard Baxter wanted Moses to be part of an important meeting called the Savoy Conference the next year.
