John Dakyn (1497 – November 9, 1558) was an English cleric and historian. He was

Archdeacon of the East Riding The Archdeacon of the East Riding is a senior ecclesiastical officer of an archdeaconry, or subdivision, of the Church of England Diocese of York in the Province of York. It is named for the East Riding of Yorkshire and consists of the eight rura ...

of Yorkshire and a noted chronicler of the

Pilgrimage of Grace The Pilgrimage of Grace was an English Catholic popular revolt beginning in Yorkshire in October 1536 before spreading to other parts of Northern England, including Cumberland, Northumberland, Durham and north Lancashire. The protests occurre ...

.Past Lives: A stake and fire on the cobbles (From The Northern Echo)
/ref> In his early life Dakyn was

chancellor Chancellor () is a title of various official positions in the governments of many countries. The original chancellors were the of Roman courts of justice—ushers, who sat at the (lattice work screens) of a basilica (court hall), which separa ...

to the

Bishop of Bath and Wells The Bishop of Bath and Wells heads the Church of England Diocese of Bath and Wells in the Province of Canterbury in England. The present diocese covers the overwhelmingly greater part of the (ceremonial) county of Somerset and a small area of D ...

, William Knight, and in his will Knight appointed Dakyn his

executor An executor is someone who is responsible for executing, or following through on, an assigned task or duty. The feminine form, executrix, is sometimes used. Executor of will An executor is a legal term referring to a person named by the maker o ...

. Much of the money that established the Dakyn Trust in the parish of Kirkby Ravensworth was left by Knight. Dakyn was also

vicar general A vicar general (previously, archdeacon) is the principal deputy of the bishop or archbishop of a diocese or an archdiocese for the exercise of administrative authority and possesses the title of local ordinary. As vicar of the bishop, the vica ...

to Knight whilst Knight was the absentee holder of the archdeaconry of Richmond. Dakyn played a leading part in the Pilgrimage of Grace. He rose to

of the

diocese of York The Diocese of York is an administrative division of the Church of England, part of the Province of York. It covers the city of York, the eastern part of North Yorkshire, and most of the East Riding of Yorkshire. The diocese is headed by the ar ...

and archdeacon of the East Riding of Yorkshire in 1551. In 1554 he was appointed rector of Kirkby Ravensworth. He gained the degree of

Doctor of Canon Law Doctor of Canon Law (, JCD) is the doctoral-level terminal degree in the studies of canon law of the Roman Catholic Church. It can also be an honorary degree awarded by Anglican colleges. It may also be abbreviated ICD or dr.iur.can. (''Iuris Can ...

(DCL). In 1556 he established a school and an almshouse for the people of the parish of

Kirkby Ravensworth Ravensworth is a village and civil parish in the Holmedale valley, in the county of North Yorkshire, England. It is approximately north-west of Richmond and from Darlington. The parish has a population of 255, according to the 2011 census. ...

where he had been rector. Initially the endowment of the school and almshouse was in lands, situated principally in the parish of East Coulton. The school and the almshouse have since been closed down, but the John Dakyn Trust continues to benefit local young people and the elderly. Dakyn was responsible for the

North of England Northern England, or the North of England, refers to the northern part of England and mainly corresponds to the historic counties of Cheshire, Cumberland, Durham, Lancashire, Northumberland, Westmorland and Yorkshire. Officially, it is a gr ...

's first, and possibly only, burning for

heresy Heresy is any belief or theory that is strongly at variance with established beliefs or customs, particularly the accepted beliefs or religious law of a religious organization. A heretic is a proponent of heresy. Heresy in Heresy in Christian ...

in the last three years of

Mary Mary may refer to: People * Mary (name), a female given name (includes a list of people with the name) Religion * New Testament people named Mary, overview article linking to many of those below * Mary, mother of Jesus, also called the Blesse ...

's reign. According to

John Foxe John Foxe (1516/1517 – 18 April 1587) was an English clergyman, theologian, and historian, notable for his martyrology '' Foxe's Book of Martyrs'', telling of Christian martyrs throughout Western history, but particularly the sufferings of En ...

: "Immediately after D. Dakins geuing sentence that þe other should be burnt, came home to hys house and neuer ioyed after, but dyed."The Acts and Monuments Online
/ref>

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dakyn, John English Roman Catholics 1558 deaths Archdeacons of Taunton 1497 births