Hugh Saunders DD (died 1537), otherwise Hugh Shakespeeres or Breakspeare, was an English

clergyman Clergy are formal leaders within established religions. Their roles and functions vary in different religious traditions, but usually involve presiding over specific rituals and teaching their religion's doctrines and practices. Some of the ter ...

and academic, Principal of

St Alban Hall, Oxford St Alban Hall, sometimes known as St Alban's Hall or Stubbins, was one of the medieval halls of the University of Oxford, and one of the longest-surviving. It was established in the 13th century, acquired by neighbouring Merton College in the ...

, 1501–1503, and

Vice-chancellor of the University of Oxford The vice-chancellor of the University of Oxford is the chief executive and leader of the University of Oxford. The following people have been vice-chancellors of the University of Oxford (formally known as The Right Worshipful the Vice-Chancel ...

in 1501 and 1502. A pluralist, Saunders was vicar of

Deptford St Nicholas Deptford St Nicholas was a civil parish in the metropolitan area of London, England. The creation of the parish accompanied the building of the Church of St Paul's, Deptford, constructed by the Commission for Building Fifty New Churches to meet t ...

in 1502–1503, and of

Hoo St Werburgh Hoo St Werburgh, commonly known as Hoo, is a large village and civil parish in the Medway, Medway district of Kent, England. It is one of several villages on the Hoo Peninsula to bear the name ''Hoo'', a Saxon word believed to mean "spur of l ...

in 1503, and he resigned from

Meopham Meopham is a large linear village and civil parish in the Gravesham, Borough of Gravesham in north-west Kent, England, lying to the south of Gravesend. The parish covers , and comprises two villages and two smaller settlements; it had a popula ...

in 1504. In 1509 he became a canon of

St Paul's St Paul's Cathedral, formally the Cathedral Church of St Paul the Apostle, is an Anglican cathedral in London, England, the seat of the Bishop of London. The cathedral serves as the mother church of the Diocese of London in the Church of Engl ...

, in 1513 Rector of St Mary's,

Whitechapel Whitechapel () is an area in London, England, and is located in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It is in east London and part of the East End of London, East End. It is the location of Tower Hamlets Town Hall and therefore the borough tow ...

, and in 1516 of Gestingthorpe, Essex, as well as Rector of

Mixbury Mixbury is a village and civil parish in Oxfordshire, about southeast of Brackley in Northamptonshire. Manor The toponym is derived from the Old English ''mixen-burgh'', meaning "fortification near dung-heap". ''"Burgh"'' refers to Beaumont ...

; his will was proved on 26 February 1538."Saunders, Hugh, D.D. (alias Shakespeeres or Breakspeare)" in ''

Alumni Oxonienses ''Alumni Oxonienses: The Members of the University of Oxford'' is a biographical reference work by Joseph Foster (1844–1905), published by Oxford University Press, listing the alumni of the University of Oxford. Foster's work was compiled pri ...

'' (Oxford: Parker & Co, undated, c. 1892)
Sabery-Saywell, pp. 1297-1322
referencing Newcourt; Foster's Index Eccl.; & Lansdowne MSS. 979, f. 62, and 980, f. 199. 0/ref>

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Saunders Hugh 16th-century births 1537 deaths Principals of St Alban Hall, Oxford Doctors of Divinity 16th-century English Anglican priests Vice-chancellors of the University of Oxford