John Harpsfield (1516–1578) was an English Catholic controversialist and humanist.

Origins

Born about 31 May 1516 in the parish of St Mary Magdalen Old Fish Street, in the

City of London The City of London, also known as ''the City'', is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county and Districts of England, local government district with City status in the United Kingdom, city status in England. It is the Old town, his ...

, he was the elder brother of

Nicholas Harpsfield Nicholas Harpsfield, in latin sometimes Harspheldius,For example in Angelus à Sancto Francisco, ''Certamen seraphicum provinciae angliae pro sancta Dei Ecclesia'', reissue Quaracchi, 1885, p. 4online (1519–1575) was an English historian and a R ...

, the two being sons of John Harpsfield, a gentleman and a mercer, and his wife whose name is unknown. His paternal grandparents were Nicholas Harpsfield, a

Clerk of the Signet The Clerks of the Signet were English officials who played an intermediate role in the passage of letters patent through the seals. For most of the history of the position, four clerks were in office simultaneously. Letters patent prepared by th ...

, and his wife Agnes Norton. His uncle Nicholas Harpsfield, who had been educated at Winchester College and at New College, Oxford, and then at the University of Bologna, was a doctor of canon law and an official of the Archdeacon of Winchester.

Life

Harpsfield was educated at

Winchester College Winchester College is an English Public school (United Kingdom), public school (a long-established fee-charging boarding school for pupils aged 13–18) with some provision for day school, day attendees, in Winchester, Hampshire, England. It wa ...

and

New College, Oxford New College is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1379 by Bishop William of Wykeham in conjunction with Winchester College as New College's feeder school, New College was one of the first col ...

(BA 1537, MA in theology 1541). He was perpetual fellow of New College from 1534 until 1551 and was appointed the first

Regius Professor of Greek (Oxford) The Regius Professorship of Greek is a professorship at the University of Oxford in England. Henry VIII founded the chair by 1541. He established five Regius Professorships in the university (and five corresponding chairs in Cambridge University), ...

(approximately 1541-1545). He became Vicar of

Berkeley, Gloucestershire Berkeley ( ) is a market town and civil parishes in England, civil parish in the Stroud (district), Stroud District in Gloucestershire, England. It lies in the Vale of Berkeley between the east bank of the River Severn and the M5 motorway. The t ...

in 1550,

Archdeacon of London The Archdeacon of London is a senior ecclesiastical officer in the Church of England. They are responsible for the eastern Archdeaconry (the Archdeaconry of London) of the Two Cities (London and Westminster) in the Diocese of London, an area with ...

in 1554, and

Dean of Norwich The Dean of Norwich is the head of the Chapter (religion), Chapter of Norwich Cathedral in Norwich, England. The current Dean is Andrew Jonathan Braddock, who took up the position in late January 2023. List of deans Early modern *1538–1539 ...

in 1558. He was a champion of papal authority and a leader of the

Marian Persecutions Protestants were executed in England under heresy laws during the reigns of Henry VIII (1509–1547) and Mary I (1553–1558), and in smaller numbers during the reigns of Edward VI (1547–1553), Elizabeth I (1558–1603), and James I (1603 ...

. He interrogated

John Bradford John Bradford (1510–1555) was an English English Reformation, Reformer, prebendary of Old St Paul's Cathedral, St. Paul's, and martyr. He was imprisoned in the Tower of London for alleged crimes against Queen Mary I. He was burned at the stak ...

, who was put to death under the revived Heresy Acts in 1555. He assisted

Edmund Bonner Edmund Bonner (also Boner; c. 15005 September 1569) was Bishop of London from 1539 to 1549 and again from 1553 to 1559. Initially an instrumental figure in the schism of Henry VIII from Rome, he was antagonised by the Protestant reforms introdu ...

in the questioning of

Thomas Cranmer Thomas Cranmer (2 July 1489 – 21 March 1556) was a theologian, 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 is honoured as a Oxford Martyrs, martyr ...

and preached on the occasion of Cranmer's disgradation (14 February 1556). After the accession of

Elizabeth I Elizabeth I (7 September 153324 March 1603) was List of English monarchs, Queen of England and List of Irish monarchs, Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death in 1603. She was the last and longest reigning monarch of the House of Tudo ...

in 1558, Harpsfield was deposed as archdeacon and dean in 1559. At some point between 1559 and 1562, he was committed to

Fleet Prison Fleet Prison was a notorious London prison by the side of the River Fleet. The prison was built in 1197, was rebuilt several times, and was in use until 1844. It was demolished in 1846. History The prison was built in 1197 off what is now ...

, together with his brother

, for his refusal to swear the

Oath of Supremacy The Oath of Supremacy required any person taking public or church office in the Kingdom of England, or in its subordinate Kingdom of Ireland, to swear allegiance to the monarch as Supreme Governor of the Church. Failure to do so was to be trea ...

. He wrote letters of appeal to

Lord Burghley William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley (13 September 15204 August 1598), was an English statesman, the chief adviser of Queen Elizabeth I for most of her reign, twice Secretary of State (1550–1553 and 1558–1572) and Lord High Treasurer from ...

and Sir Thomas Smith in Greek, as a fellow

humanist Humanism is a philosophical stance that emphasizes the individual and social potential, and agency of human beings, whom it considers the starting point for serious moral and philosophical inquiry. The meaning of the term "humanism" ha ...

, and was released on health grounds in 1574. He continued to be called before the

Star Chamber The court of Star Chamber () was an English court that sat at the royal Palace of Westminster, from the late to the mid-17th century (), and was composed of privy counsellors and common-law judges, to supplement the judicial activities of the ...

and was placed in the custody of the

Bishop of Lincoln The Bishop of Lincoln is the Ordinary (officer), ordinary (diocesan bishop) of the Church of England Diocese of Lincoln in the Province of Canterbury. The present diocese covers the county of Lincolnshire and the unitary authority areas of Nort ...

Works

* Latin translation of Simplicius' commentary on

Aristotle Aristotle (; 384–322 BC) was an Ancient Greek philosophy, Ancient Greek philosopher and polymath. His writings cover a broad range of subjects spanning the natural sciences, philosophy, linguistics, economics, politics, psychology, a ...

's ''

Categories Category, plural categories, may refer to: General uses *Classification, the general act of allocating things to classes/categories Philosophy *Category of being * ''Categories'' (Aristotle) *Category (Kant) *Categories (Peirce) *Category (Vais ...

'' * Greek translation of

Virgil Publius Vergilius Maro (; 15 October 70 BC21 September 19 BC), usually called Virgil or Vergil ( ) in English, was an ancient Rome, ancient Roman poet of the Augustan literature (ancient Rome), Augustan period. He composed three of the most fa ...

, ''

Aeneid The ''Aeneid'' ( ; or ) is a Latin Epic poetry, epic poem that tells the legendary story of Aeneas, a Troy, Trojan who fled the Trojan War#Sack of Troy, fall of Troy and travelled to Italy, where he became the ancestor of the Ancient Rome ...

'', Book 1 * Several published sermons, including nine of the thirteen in Edmund Bonner's ''Homilies'' (1555): these homilies were translated into Cornish by John Tregear, and as the Tregear Homilies, have become a classic work of

Cornish literature Cornish literature refers to written works in the Cornish language. The earliest surviving texts are in verse and date from the 14th century. There are virtually none from the 18th and 19th centuries but writing in revived forms of Cornish beg ...

; and ''A Notable and Learned Sermon made upon Saint Andrewes Day'' (1556) *'' Versus elegiaci, ex centuriis summatim comprehensi, de Historia Ecclesiastica Anglorum'' *'' Chronicon Johannis Harpesfeldi a diluvio ad annum 1559''

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Harpsfield, John 1516 births 1578 deaths Clergy from London People educated at Winchester College Alumni of New College, Oxford Fellows of New College, Oxford Archdeacons of London Deans of Norwich 16th-century English Roman Catholic priests Regius Professors of Greek (University of Oxford)