NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Richard Fox

Richard Fox (c. 1448 - October 5, 1528) was an English churchman, successively Bishop of Exeter, Bath and Wells, Durham, and Winchester, Lord Privy Seal, and founder of Corpus Christi College, Oxford. Events January 5/ 6 - Christopher of Bavaria, Norway and Sweden dies with no designated heir leaving all three kingdoms with vacant thrones. ... October 5 is the 278th day of the year (279th in Leap years). ... Events June 19 - Battle of Landriano - A French army in Italy under Marshal St. ... Royal motto: Dieu et mon droit (French: God and my right) Englands location within the UK Official language English de facto Capital London de facto Largest city London Area - Total Ranked 1st UK 130,395 km² Population - Total (2001) - Density Ranked 1st UK 49,138,831 377/km² Religion... The Bishop of Exeter is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Exeter in the Province of Canterbury. ... The Bishop of Bath and Wells is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Bath and Wells in the Province of Canterbury. ... Arms of the Bishop of Durham The Bishop of Durham is the officer of the Church of England responsible for the diocese of Durham, one of the oldest in the country. ... The diocese of Winchester is one of the oldest and most important in England. ... The Lord Privy Seal or Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal is one of the traditional sinecure offices in the British Cabinet. ... Corpus Christi College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. ...

He was born at Ropesley near Grantham, Lincolnshire. His parents belonged to the yeoman class, and little is known about Fox's early career. He is thought to have gone to Magdalen College, Oxford, from which he drew many members of his subsequent foundation, Corpus Christi. He also appears to have studied at Cambridge, but nothing definite is known of his first thiry-five years. In 1484 he was in Paris, perhaps for the sake of learning or because he had made himself unpopular with Richard III. There he came into contact with the Henry Tudor, who was beginning his quest for the English throne, and was taken into his service. In January 1485 Richard intervened to prevent Fox's appointment to the vicarage of Stepney on the ground that he was keeping company with the "great rebel, Henry ap Tuddor." Grantham is a small market town in Lincolnshire, England with about 40,000 inhabitants. ... Lincolnshire (abbreviated Lincs) is a county in the East Midlands of England, traditionally the second largest after Yorkshire. ... Yeoman is an antiquated term for farmers, tradesmen and other members of the early English middle class. ... Magdalen College (pronounced ) is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. ... Events July 6 - Portuguese sea captain Diogo Cão finds the mouth of Congo River December 5 - Pope Innocent VIII gives the inquisition a mission to hunt heretics and witches in Germany with the lead of Heinrich Kramer and Jacob Sprenger First cuirassier units (kyrissers) formed in Austria Births January... The Eiffel Tower has become the symbol of Paris throughout the world. ... Richard III (October 2, 1452 – August 22, 1485) was the King of England from 1483 until his death and the last king from the House of York. ... Henry VII (January 28, 1457 – April 21, 1509), King of England, Lord of Ireland (August 22, 1485 – April 21, 1509), was the founder of the Tudor dynasty and is generally acknowledged as one of Englands most successful kings. ... Stepney is a place in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. ...

The important offices conferred on Fox immediately after the Battle of Bosworth imply that he had already seen more extensive political service than can be traced in records. Doubtless Henry had every reason to reward his companions in exile, and to rule like Ferdinand of Aragon by means of lawyers and churchmen rather than trust nobles like those who had made the Wars of the Roses. But without an intimate knowledge of Fox's political experience and capacity he would hardly have made him his principal secretary, and soon afterwards lord privy seal and Bishop of Exeter (1487). The ecclesiastical role was provided a salary not at Henry's expense; for Fox never saw either Exeter or the diocese of Bath and Wells to which he was moved in 1492. His activity was confined to political and especially diplomatic channels; during John Morton's lifetime, Fox was his subordinate, but after the archbishop's death he was first in Henry's confidence, and had an important share in all the diplomatic work of the reign. In 1487 he negotiated a treaty with King James III of Scotland, and in 1491 he baptized the future King Henry VIII of England. In 1492 he helped conclude the Treaty of Etaples, and in 1493 he was chief commissioner in the negotiations for the famous commercial agreement with the Netherlands which Bacon seems to have been the first to call the Magnus Intercursus. The Battle of Bosworth or Bosworth Field was an important battle during the Wars of the Roses in 15th century England. ... Ferdinand of Aragon can refer to two different kings of Aragon: Ferdinand I of Aragon, a. ... The Wars of the Roses (1455–1487) is the common name generally given to the intermittent civil war fought over the throne of England between adherents of the House of Lancaster and the House of York. ... This article is about the 15th century English Bishop, for other uses see John Morton (disambiguation). ... James III of Scotland (1451/ 1452- June 11, 1488), son of James II and Mary of Gueldres, created Duke of Rothesay at birth, king of Scotland from 1460 to 1488. ... Events December 6 - King Charles VIII marries Anne de Bretagne, thus incorporating Brittany into the kingdom of France. ... Henry VIII (28 June 1491 – 28 January 1547) was King of England and Lord of Ireland (later King of Ireland) from 22 April 1509 until his death. ... Events January 2 - Boabdil, the last Moorish King of Granada, surrenders his city to the army of Ferdinand and Isabella after a lengthy siege. ... The Peace of Etaples was signed between Charles VIII of France and Henry VII of England on November 9, 1492. ... Events January 4 - Christopher Columbus leaves the New World. ... Sir Francis Bacon Francis Bacon, 1st Viscount St Albans (January 22, 1561 – April 9, 1626) was an English philosopher, statesman, spy and essayist. ...

Meanwhile in 1494 Fox had been translated to Durham, not merely because it was a richer see than Bath and Wells but because of its political importance as a palatine earldom and its position with regard to the Borders and relations with Scotland. For these reasons rather than from any ecclesiastical scruples Fox visited and resided in his new diocese; and he occupied Norham Castle, which he fortified and defended against a Scottish raid in Perkin Warbeck's interests (1497). But his energies were principally devoted to pacific purposes. In that same year he negotiated Perkin's retirement from the court of James IV, and in 1498-1499 he completed the negotiations for that treaty of marriage between the Scottish king and Henry's daughter Margaret which led ultimately to the union of the two crowns in 1603 and of the two kingdoms in 1707. The marriage itself did not take place until 1503, just a century before the accession of James I. Events January 25 - Alfonso II becomes King of Naples. ... Durham (IPA: ) is a small city in the north east of England. ... Perkin Warbeck (c. ... James IV (March 17, 1473 - September 9, 1513) was king of Scotland from 1488 to 1513. ... James VI of Scotland and I of England (Charles James) (19 June 1566–27 March 1625) was a King who ruled over England, Scotland and Ireland, and was the first Sovereign to reign in the three realms simultaneously. ...

This consummated Fox's work in the north, and around 1501 he was once more translated to Winchester, then reputed the richest bishopric in England. In that year he brought to a conclusion marriage negotiations not less momentous in their ultimate results, when Prince Arthur was betrothed to Catherine of Aragon. His last diplomatic achievement in the reign of Henry VII was the betrothal of the king's younger daughter Mary to the future emperor Charles V. Events Alexander becomes King of Poland. ... The recently-widowed young Catherine of Aragon, by Henry VIIs court painter, Michael Sittow, c. ... Charles V Holy Roman Emperor and King of Spain Charles V (Spanish: Carlos V) (24 February 1500–21 September 1558) was effectively (the first) King of Spain from 1516 to 1556 (in principle, he was from 1516 king of Aragon and from 1516 guardian of his insane mother, queen of...

In 1500 he was elected chancellor of Cambridge University, an office not confined to noble lords until a much more democratic age, and in 1507 master of Pembroke Hall, Cambridge. The Lady Margaret Beaufort made him one of her executors, and in this capacity as well as in that of chancellor, he had the chief share with Fisher in regulating the foundation of St John's College, Cambridge, and the Lady Margaret professorships and readerships. His financial work brought him a less enviable notoriety, though history has deprived him of the credit which is his due for "Morton's Fork." The invention of that ingenious dilemma for extorting contributions from poor and rich alike is ascribed as a tradition to Morton by Francis Bacon; but the story is told in greater detail of Fox by Erasmus, who says he had it from Sir Thomas More. It is in keeping with the somewhat malicious saying about Fox, reported by William Tyndale, that he would sacrifice his father to save his king, which is not so damning as Wolsey's dying words. Events Europes population was ~60 million. ... The University of Cambridge is the second-oldest university in the English-speaking world (after Oxford). ... Margaret Beaufort, Queen Mother, at prayer, by an anonymous artist, about 1500 Margaret Beaufort (May 31, 1443 - June 29, 1509) was the daughter of John Beaufort, 1st Duke of Somerset, granddaughter of John Beaufort, 1st Earl of Somerset and great-granddaughter of John of Gaunt and his mistress Katherine Swynford... Full name The College of Saint John the Evangelist of the University of Cambridge Motto - Named after The Hospital of Saint John the Evangelist, Cambridge, named after John the Evangelist Previous names - Established 1511 Sister College Balliol College Master Prof. ... Mortons Fork is an expression that describes a choice between two equally unpleasant alternatives, or two lines of reasoning that lead to the same unpleasant conclusion. ... Sir Francis Bacon Francis Bacon, 1st Viscount St Albans (January 22, 1561 – April 9, 1626) was an English philosopher, statesman, spy and essayist. ... Erasmus Desiderius Erasmus Roterodamus (also Desiderius Erasmus of Rotterdam) (October 27, probably 1466 – July 12, 1536) was a Dutch humanist and theologian. ... Portrait of Sir Thomas More by Hans Holbein the Younger Sir Thomas More (7 February 1478–6 July 1535), posthumously known also as Saint Thomas More, was an English lawyer, author, and politician. ... William Tyndale (sometimes spelled Tindale) (ca. ...

The accession of Henry VIII only increased Fox's power, the personnel of his ministry remaining unaltered. The Venetian ambassador called Fox "alter rex" and the Spanish ambassador Carroz said that Henry trusted him more than any other adviser, although he also reports Henry's warning that the Bishop of Winchester was, as his name implied, "a fox indeed." He was the chief of the ecclesiastical statesmen of Morton's school, believed in frequent parliaments, and opposed the spirited foreign policy which laymen like Surrey are supposed to have advocated. His colleagues were William Warham and Ruthal, but Warham and Fox differed on the question of Henry's marriage, Fox advising the completion of the match with Catherine of Aragon while Warham expressed doubts as to its canonical validity. They also differed over the prerogatives of Canterbury with regard to probate and other questions of ecclesiastical jurisdiction. Walliam Warham, Archbishop of Canterbury, by Hans Holbein the Younger, 1527 (Louvre Museum) William Warham (c. ... The recently-widowed young Catherine of Aragon, by Henry VIIs court painter, Michael Sittow, c. ... The Archbishop of Canterbury is the most senior bishop of the state Church of England and of the worldwide Anglican Communion, outranking the other English archbishop, the Archbishop of York. ...

Thomas Wolsey's rapid rise in 1511 put an end to Fox's influence. The pacific policy of the first two years of Henry VIII's reign was succeeded by an adventurous foreign policy directed mainly against France; and Fox complained that no one dared do anything in opposition to Wolsey's wishes. Fox resigned the privy seal because of Wolsey's ill-advised attempt to drive King Francis I of France out of Milan by financing an expedition led by Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor, in 1516. Cuthbert Tunstall protested, Wolsey took Warham's place as chancellor, and Fox was succeeded by Ruthal, who, said the Venetian ambassador, "sang treble to Wolsey's bass." Yet he warmly congratulated Wolsey two years later when warlike adventures were abandoned at the peace of London. But in 1522, when war was again declared, he emphatically refused to bear any part of the responsibility, and in 1523 he opposed in convocation the financial demands which met with a more strenuous resistance in the House of Commons. Cardinal Thomas Wolsey (c. ... Events Diego Velázquez and Hernán Cortés conquer Cuba; Velázquez appointed Governor. ... Francis I (French: François Ier) (September 12, 1494 – July 31, 1547), called the Father and Restorer of Letters (French: le Père et Restaurateur des Lettres), was crowned King of France in 1515 in the cathedral at Reims and reigned until 1547. ... Location within Italy Piazza della Scala Milan (Italian: Milano; Milanese dialect: Milán) is the main city in northern Italy, and is located in the plains of Lombardy, the most populated and developed of Italian regions. ... Emperor Maximilian I Maximilian I of Habsburg (March 22, 1459 - January 12, 1519) was Holy Roman Emperor Life and reign in the Habsburg hereditary lands Maximilian was born in Vienna as the son of the Emperor Frederick III and Eleanore of Portugal. ... Events March - With the death of Ferdinand II of Aragon, his grandson Charles of Ghent becomes King of Spain as Carlos I. July - Selim I of the Ottoman Empire declares war on the Mameluks and invades Syria. ... Cuthbert Tunstall (or Tonstall) (1474 - November 18, 1559) was an English church leader, twice Bishop of Durham. ... The House of Commons is a component of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also includes the Sovereign and the House of Lords. ...

He now devoted himself to his long-neglected episcopal duties. He expressed himself as being as anxious for the reformation of the clergy as Simeon for the coming of the Messiah; but was too old to accomplish much himself in the way of remedying the clerical and especially the monastic depravity, licence and corruption he deplored. His sight failed during the last ten years of his life, and Matthew Parker claimed that Wolsey suggested his retirement from his bishopric on a pension. Fox refused, and Wolsey had to wait until Fox's death before he could add Winchester to his archbishopric of York and his abbey of St Albans, and thus leave Durham vacant as he hoped for his own illegitimate son. Simeon or Shimon (שִׁמְעוֹן) is a Hebrew name meaning Hearkening; listening, Standard Hebrew Šimʿon, Tiberian Hebrew Šimʿôn) The Greek form of the name is Simon. ... In Judaism, the Messiah (מָשִׁיחַ Anointed one, Standard Hebrew Mašíaḥ, Tiberian Hebrew Māšîªḥ) is a human descendant of King David who will rebuild the nation of Israel and bring world peace by restoring the Davidic Kingdom. ... Matthew Parker Matthew Parker (August 6, 1504 - May 17, 1575) was Archbishop of Canterbury from 1559. ... St Albans (thus spelt, no apostrophe or dot) is the main urban area of the City and District of St Albans in southern Hertfordshire, England, around 22 miles (35. ...

The crown of Fox's career was his foundation of Corpus Christi College, which he established in 1515-1516. Originally he intended it as an Oxford house for the monks of St Swithin's, Winchester; but he is said to have been dissuaded by Bishop Oldham, who foretold the fall of the monks. The scheme breathed the spirit of the Renaissance; provision was made for the teaching of Greek, Erasmus praised the institution and Pole was one of its earliest fellows. The humanist Juan Luís Vives was brought from Italy to teach Latin, and the reader in theology was instructed to follow the Greek and Latin Fathers rather than the scholastic commentaries. Fox also built and endowed schools at Taunton and Grantham, and was a benefactor to numerous other institutions. He died at Wolvesey; Corpus possesses several portraits and other relics of its founder. Juan Luís Vives (March 6, 1492 - May 6, 1540), Spanish scholar, was born at Valencia. ... Latin is the language that was originally spoken in the region around Rome called Latium. ... Theology is literally rational discourse concerning God (Greek θεος, theos, God, + λογος, logos, rational discourse). By extension, it also refers to the study of other religious topics. ... Taunton is the county town of Somerset, England. ...

See Letters and Papers of henry VII. and Henri. VIII., vols. i.-iv.; Spanish and Venetian Calendars of State Papers; Gairdner's Lollardy and the Reformation and Church History 1485-1558; Pollard's Henry VIII; Longman's Political History, vol. v.; other authorities cited in the article by Dr T Fowler (formerly president of Corpus) in the Dict. Nat. Biog. James Gairdner (March 22, 1828 - November 4, 1912), English historian, son of John Gairdner, M.D., was born in Edinburgh. ... The Dictionary of National Biography (or DNB) is a standard work of reference on notable figures from British history. ...

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