Henry Cotton (c.1545–7 May 1615) was an English bishop.

Life

He was the son of Sir Richard Cotton of Warblington, Hampshire, and his wife Jane Onley. He was a godson to

Elizabeth I of England Elizabeth I (7 September 153324 March 1603) was Queen of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death in 1603. She was the last and longest reigning monarch of the House of Tudor. Her eventful reign, and its effect on history ...

, and one of her chaplains. He was rector of

Havant Havant ( ) is a town in the south-east corner of Hampshire, England. Nearby places include Portsmouth to the south-west, Southampton to the west, Waterlooville to north, Chichester to the east and Hayling Island to the south. The wider borough ...

in 1567. He was elected

Bishop of Salisbury The Bishop of Salisbury is the Ordinary (officer), ordinary of the Church of England's Diocese of Salisbury in the Province of Canterbury. The diocese covers much of the counties of Wiltshire and Dorset. The Episcopal see, see is in the Salisbur ...

on 28 September 1598. He gained Royal Assent on 24 October, was confirmed on 11 November, and consecrated at

Lambeth Lambeth () is a district in South London, England, which today also gives its name to the (much larger) London Borough of Lambeth. Lambeth itself was an ancient parish in the county of Surrey. It is situated 1 mile (1.6 km) south of Charin ...

the next day, and had the temporalities restored to him on 23 December 1598. In his time as bishop, a long-running struggle by the city of

Salisbury Salisbury ( , ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and civil parish in Wiltshire, England with a population of 41,820, at the confluence of the rivers River Avon, Hampshire, Avon, River Nadder, Nadder and River Bourne, Wi ...

for its charter was resolved, in 1612. He died in 1615 and was buried "in his own church" beside his wife, as he had requested in his Will.

Notes

1545 births 1615 deaths Bishops of Salisbury 16th-century Church of England bishops English chaplains Christian chaplains People educated at Royal Grammar School, Guildford 17th-century Church of England bishops {{England-bishop-stub