Robert Wright (1560–1643) was an English

bishop A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of Episcopal polity, authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of di ...

, first holding the see of Bristol and then the see of Lichfield and Coventry. He died at an episcopal palace, under siege in the

First English Civil War The First English Civil War took place in England and Wales from 1642 to 1646, and forms part of the 1639 to 1653 Wars of the Three Kingdoms. An estimated 15% to 20% of adult males in England and Wales served in the military at some point b ...

Life

Wright was born of humble parentage in

St Albans St Albans () is a cathedral city in Hertfordshire, England, east of Hemel Hempstead and west of Hatfield, Hertfordshire, Hatfield, north-west of London, south-west of Welwyn Garden City and south-east of Luton. St Albans was the first major ...

Hertfordshire Hertfordshire ( or ; often abbreviated Herts) is a ceremonial county in the East of England and one of the home counties. It borders Bedfordshire to the north-west, Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Essex to the east, Greater London to the ...

, in 1560, and probably attended the refounded free school there (now St Albans School), where preference was given to poor scholars of the borough. He matriculated at

Trinity College, Oxford Trinity College (full name: The College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity in the University of Oxford, of the foundation of Sir Thomas Pope (Knight)) is a Colleges of the University of Oxford, constituent college of the University of Oxford in E ...

in 1574 at the age of 14, was elected to a scholarship in 1575, and graduated as a B.A. in 1580, becoming a fellow the next year. He proceeded to obtain an M.A. in 1584, a B.D. in 1592 and a D.D. in 1597. In 1601, Wright was made Canon Residentiary and Treasurer of Wells, a post he held until 1632. He was appointed chaplain to both

Queen Elizabeth I 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

James I James I may refer to: People *James I of Aragon (1208–1276) * James I of Sicily or James II of Aragon (1267–1327) * James I, Count of La Marche (1319–1362), Count of Ponthieu * James I, Count of Urgell (1321–1347) *James I of Cyprus (1334� ...

. In 1613 he was appointed the first warden of the newly established Wadham College, resigning three months later as the college required the warden to remain celibate, but Wright had obtained Royal dispensation to marry. A daughter, Hester was born soon after and went on to marry Sir Humphrey Style of Langley (Beckenham) and after his death in 1659 John Scott of Hayes Place (Kent).Abstracts of Prerogative of Canterbury Wills Vol iv 1646 p96 A son, Calvert, was born in 1620 and baptised at Sonning Church in

Berkshire Berkshire ( ; abbreviated ), officially the Royal County of Berkshire, is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Oxfordshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the north-east, Greater London ...

where Robert had been vicar since 1604. In 1623, he was appointed as

Bishop of Bristol The Bishop of Bristol heads the Church of England Diocese of Bristol in the Province of Canterbury, in England. The present diocese covers parts of the counties of Somerset and Gloucestershire together with a small area of Wiltshire. The see ...

, and was later translated to the See of Lichfield and Coventry in 1632. He died at the seat of the Bishops of Lichfield,

Eccleshall Castle Eccleshall Castle is located in Eccleshall, Staffordshire, England (). It was originally built in the 13th century. It is a Scheduled Ancient Monument and a Grade II* listed building. Origins The land was reputedly granted to St Chad, the mediev ...

Staffordshire Staffordshire (; postal abbreviation ''Staffs''.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the West Midlands (region), West Midlands of England. It borders Cheshire to the north-west, Derbyshire and Leicestershire to the east, ...

, in September 1643 but, as the castle was under siege by Parliamentarians at the time, could not be properly buried.

References

External links

Royal Berkshire History: Robert Wright
* D. J. Oldridge, 'Wright, Robert (1560–1643)'
Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004

1560 births 1643 deaths Alumni of Trinity College, Oxford Bishops of Bristol Bishops of Lichfield People from St Albans 17th-century Church of England bishops People from Sonning 17th-century English bishops 16th-century English clergy Wardens of Wadham College, Oxford {{ChurchofEngland-bishop-stub