Thomas Gascoigne (1404–1458) was an English medieval

theologian Theology is the study of religious belief from a religious perspective, with a focus on the nature of divinity. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of ...

and

academic administrator Academic administration is a branch of university or college employees responsible for the maintenance and supervision of the institution and separate from the faculty or academics, although some personnel may have joint responsibilities. Some ...

. He was twice

Vice-Chancellor A vice-chancellor (commonly called a VC) serves as the chief executive of a university in the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Australia, Nepal, India, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Kenya, other Commonwealth of Nati ...

and twice

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 ...

Oxford University The University of Oxford is a collegiate research university in Oxford, England. There is evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the second-oldest continuously operating u ...

. Thomas was born in

Hunslet Hunslet () is an inner-city area in south Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It is southeast of the Leeds city centre, city centre and has an industrial past. It is situated in the Hunslet and Riverside (ward), Hunslet and Riverside ward of Lee ...

, near Leeds, only son to the lord of the manor at Leeds, Richard Gasgoigne and his wife Beatrix. Thomas's inheritance on Richard's death in 1422 gave him a reasonable degree of financial security throughout his life. He studied at Oxford from 1416 to 1420; was ordained a priest in 1427; and was appointed to the rectory of

Kirk Deighton Kirk Deighton is a village and civil parish in the county of North Yorkshire, England. It is situated north-west of Wetherby and near the A1(M) motorway. The village was in the West Riding of Yorkshire, and Wetherby Rural District, until 1974, a ...

(about 15 miles north-west of Hunslet) in July 1433 (from which he resigned in 1443, apparently because his duties at Oxford prevented him from fulfilling pastoral duties in the rectory). He maintained his Oxford connections, however, and on 14 June 1434 he became a Doctor of Theology, serving as vice-chancellor and chancellor of the university at various points between 1439–45 and again, during a break between Chancellors, in 1453. Thus his career was focused on Oxford, although he was also chaplain to Henry VI sometime in the period 1434–45; had a brief spell at the rectory of St Peter's Cornhill, in London, from November 1445; and became a canon of Wells on 7 February 1449. February 8, 1449 saw Oriel College granting him rent-free accommodation for the rest of his life. Thomas died on 13 March 1458 and was buried in New College, Oxford. Gascoigne compiled his magnum opus, ''Dictionarium Theologicum'' (or ''Liber de Veritatibus''), between about 1434 and his death in 1458. In this, he reported the story of

Chaucer Geoffrey Chaucer ( ; – 25 October 1400) was an English poet, author, and civil servant best known for '' The Canterbury Tales''. He has been called the "father of English literature", or, alternatively, the "father of English poetry". He ...

's deathbed repentance for his literary sins.

References

1404 births 1458 deaths English Roman Catholic theologians Vice-chancellors of the University of Oxford Chancellors of the University of Oxford 15th-century English educators People from Hunslet 15th-century English scholars {{UOxford-stub