Thomas Ravis
Encyclopedia
Thomas Ravis was a Church of England
clergyman and academic.
in Surrey
, probably in 1560, and was educated at Westminster School
. he was elected, on the recommendation of Lord Burghley, to Christ Church, Oxford, in 1575; the dean and chapter declined to admit him on the ground that there was no room, until Burghley remonstrated with them. He graduated B.A. on 12 November 1578, and M.A. on 3 March 1582, proceeding B.D. in 1589 and D.D. in 1595.
, Surrey
, and from 27 December of the same year until May 1598 was vicar of Allhallows Barking. From February 1593 till 1607 he was prebendary of Westminster, and from 1596 until 1605 an authoritarian Dean of Christ Church. As Dean he commuted the commons allowance for food into monetary form, of two shilling
s a week. Some of those who resisted this innovation he expelled; others he sent before the council, and others he imprisoned.
On 7 July 1598 he became vicar of Islip
, and in the following October vicar of Wittenham Abbas
, Berkshire
. He was one of the six deans who attended the Hampton Court Conference
in 1604, and later supplied notes for William Barlow
's account, the Sum and Substance of the Conference. He was then involved in the subsequent creation of the King James Bible, being appointed one of the Oxford committee deputed to translate part of the New Testament
. Also in that year he was elected prolocutor of the lower house of convocation.
, and was consecrated on 17 March 1605; he was allowed to hold in commendam
with his bishopric the deanery of Christ Church, his Westminster prebend, and the parsonages of Islip and Wittenham. At Gloucester he improved the bishop's palace. On 18 May 1607 Ravis was translated to the see of London, and installed as Bishop of London
on 2 June. He was intolerant of all nonconformity
. Ravis died on 14 December 1609, and was buried in the north aisle of St Paul's Cathedral
.
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
clergyman and academic.
Early life
He was born at Old MaldenOld Malden
Old Malden is a ward of the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames south west of Charing Cross.It is one of the more affluent areas in the borough, with Coombe , and Kingston Vale...
in Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
, probably in 1560, and was educated at Westminster School
Westminster School
The Royal College of St. Peter in Westminster, almost always known as Westminster School, is one of Britain's leading independent schools, with the highest Oxford and Cambridge acceptance rate of any secondary school or college in Britain...
. he was elected, on the recommendation of Lord Burghley, to Christ Church, Oxford, in 1575; the dean and chapter declined to admit him on the ground that there was no room, until Burghley remonstrated with them. He graduated B.A. on 12 November 1578, and M.A. on 3 March 1582, proceeding B.D. in 1589 and D.D. in 1595.
Priestly career
He took holy orders in 1582, and preached around Oxford for some time. On 17 April 1588 he was elected one of the proctors, and in July 1596 and again in July 1597 was chosen Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford . In 1591 he was admitted to the rectory of MersthamMerstham
Merstham is a village in the Reigate and Banstead borough of Surrey, England, in the London commuter belt. It is just north of Redhill, near the intersection of the M25 and M23 motorways, on the edge of the North Downs and on the North Downs Way.-History:...
, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
, and from 27 December of the same year until May 1598 was vicar of Allhallows Barking. From February 1593 till 1607 he was prebendary of Westminster, and from 1596 until 1605 an authoritarian Dean of Christ Church. As Dean he commuted the commons allowance for food into monetary form, of two shilling
Shilling
The shilling is a unit of currency used in some current and former British Commonwealth countries. The word shilling comes from scilling, an accounting term that dates back to Anglo-Saxon times where it was deemed to be the value of a cow in Kent or a sheep elsewhere. The word is thought to derive...
s a week. Some of those who resisted this innovation he expelled; others he sent before the council, and others he imprisoned.
On 7 July 1598 he became vicar of Islip
Islip, Oxfordshire
Islip is a village and civil parish on the River Ray, just above its confluence with the River Cherwell in Oxfordshire, England. It is about east of Kidlington and about north of Oxford. This village in Oxfordshire is not related to Islip, New York...
, and in the following October vicar of Wittenham Abbas
Little Wittenham
Little Wittenham is a village and civil parish on the south bank of the River Thames, northeast of Didcot in South Oxfordshire. It has one of only 220 habitats across Europe which is designated as a Special Area of Conservation under the European Union's Habitats Directive , on the Conservation of...
, Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
. He was one of the six deans who attended the Hampton Court Conference
Hampton Court Conference
The Hampton Court Conference was a meeting in January 1604, convened at Hampton Court Palace, for discussion between King James I of England and representatives of the Church of England, including leading English Puritans.-Attendance:...
in 1604, and later supplied notes for William Barlow
William Barlow (Bishop of Lincoln)
William Barlow was an Anglican priest and courtier during the reign of James I of England. He served as Bishop of Rochester in 1605 and Bishop of Lincoln in the Anglican Church from 1608 until his death. He had also served the church as Rector of St Dunstan's, Stepney in Middlesex and of...
's account, the Sum and Substance of the Conference. He was then involved in the subsequent creation of the King James Bible, being appointed one of the Oxford committee deputed to translate part 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....
. Also in that year he was elected prolocutor of the lower house of convocation.
Episcopal career
In October 1604 Ravis was appointed Bishop of GloucesterBishop of Gloucester
The Bishop of Gloucester is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Gloucester in the Province of Canterbury.The diocese covers the County of Gloucestershire and part of the County of Worcestershire and has its see in the City of Gloucester where the seat is located at the Cathedral Church...
, and was consecrated on 17 March 1605; he was allowed to hold in commendam
In Commendam
In canon law, commendam was a form of transferring an ecclesiastical benefice in trust to the custody of a patron...
with his bishopric the deanery of Christ Church, his Westminster prebend, and the parsonages of Islip and Wittenham. At Gloucester he improved the bishop's palace. On 18 May 1607 Ravis was translated to the see of London, and installed as Bishop of London
Bishop of London
The Bishop of London is the ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of London in the Province of Canterbury.The diocese covers 458 km² of 17 boroughs of Greater London north of the River Thames and a small part of the County of Surrey...
on 2 June. He was intolerant of all nonconformity
Nonconformity
Nonconformity may refer to:* Nonconformity , a memoir by Nelson Algren, published posthumously in 1992* Nonconformity , a term in quality management* A type of unconformity in geology...
. Ravis died on 14 December 1609, and was buried in the north aisle of St Paul's Cathedral
St Paul's Cathedral
St 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...
.