Richard Lyst was a London grocer and apothecary who served

Cardinal Wolsey Thomas Wolsey ( ; – 29 November 1530) was an English statesman and Catholic cardinal. When Henry VIII became King of England in 1509, Wolsey became the king's almoner. Wolsey's affairs prospered and by 1514 he had become the controlling f ...

and became a priest. Some letters that Lyst wrote to

Thomas Cromwell Thomas Cromwell (; – 28 July 1540) was an English statesman and lawyer who served as List of English chief ministers, chief minister to King Henry VIII from 1534 to 1540, when he was beheaded on orders of the king, who later blamed false cha ...

survive. Lyst became a lay brother of the Observant Friars in

Greenwich Greenwich ( , , ) is an List of areas of London, area in south-east London, England, within the Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county of Greater London, east-south-east of Charing Cross. Greenwich is notable for its maritime hi ...

. He was a supporter of

Anne Boleyn Anne Boleyn (; 1501 or 1507 – 19 May 1536) was List of English royal consorts, Queen of England from 1533 to 1536, as the Wives of Henry VIII, second wife of King Henry VIII. The circumstances of her marriage and execution, by beheading ...

, then Marchioness or Marquess of Pembroke, who he describes as the "most onerabyll lady Marcas of Penbroke". The head of the Greenwich house,

John Forest John Forest (1471 – 22 May 1538) was an English Franciscan friar and martyr. Confessor to Queen Catherine of Aragon, Forest was burned to death at Smithfield for "heresy", in that he refused to acknowledge the King as head of the church. L ...

, had taken up the opposing cause of

Catherine of Aragon Catherine of Aragon (also spelt as Katherine, historical Spanish: , now: ; 16 December 1485 – 7 January 1536) was List of English royal consorts, Queen of England as the Wives of Henry VIII, first wife of King Henry VIII from their marr ...

. Lyst claimed that Forest was poorly-educated, frequently making grammatical errors in his preaching, breaking "

Priscian Priscianus Caesariensis (), commonly known as Priscian ( or ), was a Latin grammarian and the author of the ''Institutes of Grammar'', which was the standard textbook for the study of Latin during the Middle Ages. It also provided the raw materia ...

's head or ear". Cromwell encouraged Lyst and a priest at Greenwich, John Lawrence, as malcontents who could build support for the divorce of

Henry VIII Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is known for his Wives of Henry VIII, six marriages and his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. ...

. Lyst had first contacted Cromwell as a supporter of John Lawrence in November 1532. Lyst wrote to Anne Boleyn explaining that he hoped to become a priest and serve as her chaplain. He had been prevented from joining the priesthood because he had once been engaged to marry, but the woman had now died. He begged Anne Boleyn for 40 shillings to pay a debt for clothes bought for his mother. Lyst made medicinal distilled waters and sent them as a gift to Catherine of Aragon and to Cromwell. He had previously made distilled waters and

hippocras Hippocras sometimes spelled hipocras or hypocras, is a drink made from wine mixed with sugar and spices, usually including cinnamon, and possibly heated. After steeping the spices in the sweetened wine for a day, the spices are strained out th ...

for Wolsley. After leaving the convent at Greenwich, Lyst studied at

Clare Hall, Cambridge Clare Hall is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Founded in 1966 by Clare College, Clare Hall is a college for advanced study, admitting only postgraduate students alongside postdoctoral researchers and fellows. It was est ...

. He was made rector of the London church

St Dunstan-in-the-West The Guild Church of St Dunstan-in-the-West is in Fleet Street in the City of London. It is dedicated to Dunstan, Bishop of London and Archbishop of Canterbury. The church is of medieval origin, although the present building, with an octagonal na ...

in February 1536. The date of his death is unknown.Henry Ellis, ''Original Letters'', vol. 2 (London, 1846), p. 246.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lyst, Richard English apothecaries Pharmacists from London English Friars Minor Alumni of Clare College, Cambridge