John Bell (Bishop of Worcester)
Encyclopedia
John Bell LL. D was Bishop of Worcester
(1539–1543), who served during the reign of Henry VIII of England
.
Wolsey, would appoint Bell to the membership of the Legantine court of audience, where in 1523, he examined William Tyndall on charges of heresy
.
One such mission was to secure a religious and political relationship with the Lutheran Princes in Germany. While abroad Bell was made LL.D of some foreign university, in which his degree was incorporated at Oxford in 1531.
, who thought the King's position in the divorce would be strengthened by obtaining favorable opinions from the various universities in England and abroad, Henry VIII sent Dr. Bell, together with the bishop of Lincoln
and Foxe, to deliver a letter that he had personally drafted and to canvass Oxford, for a favorable opinion concerning the King's cause; of which they successfully secured despite the danger, being pelted with stones by the popish opposition, together while overcoming the strong resistance from the junior members of convocation.
In the same year he was also one of a commission including Sir Thomas Moore
to assist the Archbishop in preparing the royal proclamation against William Tyndale's translation of the Scriptures and a number of heretical books
.
In 1532 he took part in the proceedings of the convocation which decided that the King's marriage was contrary to divine law, and consequently that the pope's dispensation was ultra vires, and which drew up ‘the articles about religion,’ of which the original may be seen, with John Bell's name attached, in the Cotton Library
.
"He served as proctor for the king at the trial at Dunstable Abbey [May 10–17, 1533] which definitively nullified Henry's first marriage in time for the coronation of Anne Boleyn."
In 1537, Bell was one of the composers of the Bishop's Book, properly entitled The Institution of the Christian Man.
as bishop of Worcester
and was consecrated by Cranmer on 17 August. In the same year he was present during the baptism
of Edward VI
at Hampton Court. John Bell's elevation to bishop, was accompanied with a difficult managerial legacy, that followed in the wake of Latimer's ambitious reform agenda, and Bell did what he could to restore order and balance while rebuilding the diocese; this has been fairly appraised and noted in that he 'laboured to reverse' Latimer's abrupt restructuring.
In 1540, Bell was a member of the committee of convocation
which pronounced the marriage of Henry VIII and Anne of Cleves illegal.
In 1541, Bell supported Archbishop Cranmer in the House of Lords
when Cranmer was attempting to bring forward an act for the advancement of the true religion and the abolishment of the contrary" however, this caused a great disruption within the conservative factions and when Bell witnessed this 'he fell away from him'
(Stripe, Cranmer, p. 141),
In the convocation
of 1542, when the bishops undertook the work of a revised translation of the New Testament
, the first and second epistles to the Thessalonians were assigned to Bell.
On 17 November 1543, at Hartlebury Castle
, bishop Bell resigned from the see of Worcester with a pension
of £133-6s-81/2d, and retired to the parish of Clerkenwell
, where he was priest until his death, 11 August 1556.
An account of his funeral was recorded by Mr. Green, a historian of Worcestershire:
" Dr. Bell, sometime bishop of Worcester, was buried with due respect August 13, at Clerkenwell, with a sermon preached by Nicholas Harpsfield
; he was put into his coffin, like a bishop, with the mitre and other pontificalibus; his funeral was illuminated with two white branches, two dozen staff torches, and four great tapers, [near the altar]" (Strype
, Memorials, Vol. 3, p. 305)
"He gave by his will 2l. to the poor of Clerkenwell, 5l. to Stratford-upon-Avon, and some legacies to Jesus chantry in St. Paul's Cathedral, desiring that ‘his soul might be prayed for.’ He was also a benefactor to Balliol College, Oxford, and to Cambridge, but especially to the former, where he provided for the maintenance of two scholars born in the diocese of Worcester."
"Coote says of bishop Bell (English Civilians): That ‘He died with the character of an eloquent preacher and advocate, a learned divine, and a man of integrity and beneficence.’"
Bishop of Worcester
The Bishop of Worcester is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Worcester in the Province of Canterbury, England. He is the head of the Diocese of Worcester in the Province of Canterbury...
(1539–1543), who served during the reign of Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
.
Education
Bell attending Balliol College, Oxford, and later at Cambridge where he took the degree of LL.B in 1504.Career
Following this advancement he was promoted to other posts:-
- "Canon and prebendary of the collegiate church of St. StephenSt Stephen's ChapelSt Stephen's Chapel was a chapel in the old Palace of Westminster. It was largely lost in the fire of 1834, but the Chapel of St Mary Undercroft in the crypt survived...
in Westminster Palace (until 1539);" ; 1526 Collated: WardenChurchwardenA churchwarden is a lay official in a parish church or congregation of the Anglican Communion, usually working as a part-time volunteer. Holders of these positions are ex officio members of the parish board, usually called a vestry, parish council, parochial church council, or in the case of a...
of the church of Stratford-Upon-AvonStratford-upon-AvonStratford-upon-Avon is a market town and civil parish in south Warwickshire, England. It lies on the River Avon, south east of Birmingham and south west of Warwick. It is the largest and most populous town of the District of Stratford-on-Avon, which uses the term "on" to indicate that it covers...
, PreceptorPreceptorA preceptor is a teacher responsible to uphold a certain law or tradition, a precept.-Christian military orders:A preceptor was historically in charge of a preceptory, the headquarters of certain orders of monastic Knights, such as the Knights Hospitaller and Knights Templar, within a given...
of the hospital of St.Wulstans, Magister, Bachelor of Civil law, acta capitularia (Chapter act book) CoventryCoventryCoventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom. It is also the second largest city in the English Midlands, after Birmingham, with a population of 300,848, although...
& LichfieldLichfieldLichfield is a cathedral city, civil parish and district in Staffordshire, England. One of eight civil parishes with city status in England, Lichfield is situated roughly north of Birmingham...
diocese 1528 Collated: Doctor of Canon lawCanon lawCanon law is the body of laws & regulations made or adopted by ecclesiastical authority, for the government of the Christian organization and its members. It is the internal ecclesiastical law governing the Catholic Church , the Eastern and Oriental Orthodox churches, and the Anglican Communion of...
, Lincoln CathedralLincoln CathedralLincoln Cathedral is a historic Anglican cathedral in Lincoln in England and seat of the Bishop of Lincoln in the Church of England. It was reputedly the tallest building in the world for 249 years . The central spire collapsed in 1549 and was not rebuilt...
, Doctor of Civil law, St. PaulsSt Paul's CathedralSt Paul's Cathedral, London, is a Church of England cathedral and seat of the Bishop of London. Its dedication to Paul the Apostle dates back to the original church on this site, founded in AD 604. St Paul's sits at the top of Ludgate Hill, the highest point in the City of London, and is the mother...
, RectorRectorThe word rector has a number of different meanings; it is widely used to refer to an academic, religious or political administrator...
of GloucestershireGloucestershireGloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....
, Weston-sub-Edge, LichfieldLichfield CathedralLichfield Cathedral is situated in Lichfield, Staffordshire, England. It is the only medieval English cathedral with three spires. The Diocese of Lichfield covers all of Staffordshire, much of Shropshire and part of the Black Country and West Midlands...
, Southwell and St.Paul’s, Cathedrals 1529 Collated: Magister, Doctor of Civil law Gloucester, 1539 Collated: Archdeacon of Gloucester.
- "Canon and prebendary of the collegiate church of St. Stephen
Wolsey, would appoint Bell to the membership of the Legantine court of audience, where in 1523, he examined William Tyndall on charges of heresy
Heresy
Heresy is a controversial or novel change to a system of beliefs, especially a religion, that conflicts with established dogma. It is distinct from apostasy, which is the formal denunciation of one's religion, principles or cause, and blasphemy, which is irreverence toward religion...
.
One such mission was to secure a religious and political relationship with the Lutheran Princes in Germany. While abroad Bell was made LL.D of some foreign university, in which his degree was incorporated at Oxford in 1531.
The King's Great Matter
In 1531, primarily as a result of the innovative suggestion of Thomas CranmerThomas Cranmer
Thomas Cranmer was a leader of the English Reformation and Archbishop of Canterbury during the reigns of Henry VIII, Edward VI and, for a short time, Mary I. He helped build a favourable case for Henry's divorce from Catherine of Aragon which resulted in the separation of the English Church from...
, who thought the King's position in the divorce would be strengthened by obtaining favorable opinions from the various universities in England and abroad, Henry VIII sent Dr. Bell, together with the bishop of Lincoln
John Longland
John Longland was the English Dean of Salisbury from 1514 to 1521 and bishop of Lincoln from 1521 to his death in 1547.He was King Henry VIII's confessor and was said to have been one of those who first persuaded the King that he should annul his marriage to Katherine of Aragon.During the English...
and Foxe, to deliver a letter that he had personally drafted and to canvass Oxford, for a favorable opinion concerning the King's cause; of which they successfully secured despite the danger, being pelted with stones by the popish opposition, together while overcoming the strong resistance from the junior members of convocation.
In the same year he was also one of a commission including Sir Thomas Moore
Thomas More
Sir Thomas More , also known by Catholics as Saint Thomas More, was an English lawyer, social philosopher, author, statesman and noted Renaissance humanist. He was an important councillor to Henry VIII of England and, for three years toward the end of his life, Lord Chancellor...
to assist the Archbishop in preparing the royal proclamation against William Tyndale's translation of the Scriptures and a number of heretical books
Heresy
Heresy is a controversial or novel change to a system of beliefs, especially a religion, that conflicts with established dogma. It is distinct from apostasy, which is the formal denunciation of one's religion, principles or cause, and blasphemy, which is irreverence toward religion...
.
In 1532 he took part in the proceedings of the convocation which decided that the King's marriage was contrary to divine law, and consequently that the pope's dispensation was ultra vires, and which drew up ‘the articles about religion,’ of which the original may be seen, with John Bell's name attached, in the Cotton Library
Cotton library
The Cotton or Cottonian library was collected privately by Sir Robert Bruce Cotton M.P. , an antiquarian and bibliophile, and was the basis of the British Library...
.
"He served as proctor for the king at the trial at Dunstable Abbey [May 10–17, 1533] which definitively nullified Henry's first marriage in time for the coronation of Anne Boleyn."
In 1537, Bell was one of the composers of the Bishop's Book, properly entitled The Institution of the Christian Man.
Bishopric of Worcester 1539-1543
In 1539, John Bell succeeded Hugh LatimerHugh Latimer
Hugh Latimer was a Fellow of Clare College, Cambridge, Bishop of Worcester before the Reformation, and later Church of England chaplain to King Edward VI. In 1555, under Queen Mary, he was burnt at the stake, becoming one of the three Oxford Martyrs of Anglicanism.-Life:Latimer was born into a...
as bishop of Worcester
Bishop of Worcester
The Bishop of Worcester is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Worcester in the Province of Canterbury, England. He is the head of the Diocese of Worcester in the Province of Canterbury...
and was consecrated by Cranmer on 17 August. In the same year he was present during the baptism
Baptism
In Christianity, baptism is for the majority the rite of admission , almost invariably with the use of water, into the Christian Church generally and also membership of a particular church tradition...
of Edward VI
Edward VI of England
Edward VI was the King of England and Ireland from 28 January 1547 until his death. He was crowned on 20 February at the age of nine. The son of Henry VIII and Jane Seymour, Edward was the third monarch of the Tudor dynasty and England's first monarch who was raised as a Protestant...
at Hampton Court. John Bell's elevation to bishop, was accompanied with a difficult managerial legacy, that followed in the wake of Latimer's ambitious reform agenda, and Bell did what he could to restore order and balance while rebuilding the diocese; this has been fairly appraised and noted in that he 'laboured to reverse' Latimer's abrupt restructuring.
In 1540, Bell was a member of the committee of convocation
Convocation
A Convocation is a group of people formally assembled for a special purpose.- University use :....
which pronounced the marriage of Henry VIII and Anne of Cleves illegal.
In 1541, Bell supported Archbishop Cranmer in the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
when Cranmer was attempting to bring forward an act for the advancement of the true religion and the abolishment of the contrary" however, this caused a great disruption within the conservative factions and when Bell witnessed this 'he fell away from him'
(Stripe, Cranmer, p. 141),
In the convocation
Convocation
A Convocation is a group of people formally assembled for a special purpose.- University use :....
of 1542, when the bishops undertook the work of a revised translation of the New Testament
New Testament
The New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....
, the first and second epistles to the Thessalonians were assigned to Bell.
On 17 November 1543, at Hartlebury Castle
Hartlebury Castle
Hartlebury Castle, a Grade I listed building, in Worcestershire, central England, was built in the mid-13th century as a fortified manor house on land given to the Bishop of Worcester by King Burgred of Mercia. It lies near Stourport town in north Worcestershire. The manor of Hartlebury...
, bishop Bell resigned from the see of Worcester with a pension
Pension
In general, a pension is an arrangement to provide people with an income when they are no longer earning a regular income from employment. Pensions should not be confused with severance pay; the former is paid in regular installments, while the latter is paid in one lump sum.The terms retirement...
of £133-6s-81/2d, and retired to the parish of Clerkenwell
Clerkenwell
Clerkenwell is an area of central London in the London Borough of Islington. From 1900 to 1965 it was part of the Metropolitan Borough of Finsbury. The well after which it was named was rediscovered in 1924. The watchmaking and watch repairing trades were once of great importance...
, where he was priest until his death, 11 August 1556.
Final years
Bell retired to London where he was priest of the parish church in Clerkenwell, until his death.An account of his funeral was recorded by Mr. Green, a historian of Worcestershire:
" Dr. Bell, sometime bishop of Worcester, was buried with due respect August 13, at Clerkenwell, with a sermon preached by Nicholas Harpsfield
Nicholas Harpsfield
Nicholas Harpsfield was an English historian, Catholic apologist and priest.-Early life and exile:Harpsfield was educated at Winchester College and studied canon and civil law in New College, Oxford, receiving a BCL in 1543...
; he was put into his coffin, like a bishop, with the mitre and other pontificalibus; his funeral was illuminated with two white branches, two dozen staff torches, and four great tapers, [near the altar]" (Strype
John Strype
John Strype was an English historian and biographer. He was a cousin of Robert Knox, a famous sailor.Born in Houndsditch, London, he was the son of John Strype, or van Stryp, a member of a Huguenot family whom, in order to escape religious persecution within Brabant, had settled in East London...
, Memorials, Vol. 3, p. 305)
"He gave by his will 2l. to the poor of Clerkenwell, 5l. to Stratford-upon-Avon, and some legacies to Jesus chantry in St. Paul's Cathedral, desiring that ‘his soul might be prayed for.’ He was also a benefactor to Balliol College, Oxford, and to Cambridge, but especially to the former, where he provided for the maintenance of two scholars born in the diocese of Worcester."
"Coote says of bishop Bell (English Civilians): That ‘He died with the character of an eloquent preacher and advocate, a learned divine, and a man of integrity and beneficence.’"