William Peryn facts for kids

William Peryn (died 1558) was an English Catholic priest and a Dominican friar. He lived during a time of big changes in England, especially concerning religion. During the reign of Queen Mary I, who was Catholic, he became the leader (called a prior) of a religious house in London called St Bartholomew's Priory in Smithfield, London.

William Peryn's Early Life and Studies

Peryn studied at Blackfriars in Oxford. Records show he was there in 1529 and 1531. In 1531, he became a priest. After his studies, he moved to London. He was known as a strong preacher who spoke out against what he considered to be wrong religious beliefs. He also worked as a chaplain for Sir John Port.

Leaving England and Returning

England went through major religious changes under King Henry VIII. When the King declared himself the head of the Church in England with the Act of Supremacy in 1534, Peryn, being a Catholic, left the country.

He returned to England in 1543. At that time, he applied for a special degree in theology at Oxford. He then became a chantrist at St Paul's Cathedral in London. A chantrist was a priest who sang masses for the souls of the dead. In early 1547, he gave sermons supporting the use of images in church services.

Exile and Return Under Queen Mary I

When the Protestant King Edward VI became king in 1547, William Peryn went into exile again. He spent several years in Louvain, a city in present-day Belgium.

In 1553, the Catholic Queen Mary I came to the throne. Peryn returned to England that same year. Queen Mary I began to bring back Catholic practices. She appointed Peryn as the prior (leader) of the Dominican house at St Bartholomew's in Smithfield, London. This was the first religious house Queen Mary I reopened. On February 8, 1556, Peryn gave a sermon at Paul's Cross, a famous outdoor preaching spot in London.

William Peryn's Books

William Peryn wrote three books during his lifetime:

• Thre Godly Sermons of the Sacrament of the Aulter (1546)
• Spirituall exercyses and goostly meditacions, and a neare waye to come to perfection and lyfe contemplatyve (1557)
• De frequenter celebranda missa (no copies of this book are known to exist today)

His Sermons and Spiritual Exercises

His book of three godly sermons was first preached at St Anthony's Hospital in London. He dedicated these sermons to Edmund Bonner, who was the Bishop of London. Peryn explained that he published these sermons in simple language. He wanted them to be understood by everyone, especially those who were not highly educated. He believed that the truth of faith did not need fancy words or persuasive speeches.

Peryn's book Spirituall exercyses was dedicated to two English nuns who were living in exile. These were Katherine Palmer, the abbess of Syon, and Dorothy Clement, a Poor Clare nun. Dorothy Clement was also the daughter of Thomas More's adopted daughter, Margaret Clement. This book was based on another work by Nicolaus van Esch. Peryn's Spirituall exercyses was very popular among English recusants, who were Catholics who refused to attend Church of England services. Margaret Clitheroe, a famous Catholic martyr, greatly valued this book. It was even republished in 1598 in France.

William Peryn's Death

William Peryn died in 1558. He was buried in St Bartholomew's Priory on August 22, near the main altar.