Thomas Sedgwick (Segiswycke) (died 1573 in a Yorkshire prison) was an English

Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

theologian. An unfriendly hand in 1562 describes him as "learned but not very wise". Thomas Sedgwick was educated at the

University of Cambridge The University of Cambridge is a Public university, public collegiate university, collegiate research university in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1209, the University of Cambridge is the List of oldest universities in continuous operation, wo ...

, where he graduated B.A. in 1529/30 and became a Fellow of

Peterhouse Peterhouse is the oldest Colleges of the University of Cambridge, constituent college of the University of Cambridge in England, founded in 1284 by Hugh de Balsham, Bishop of Ely. Peterhouse has around 300 undergraduate and 175 graduate stud ...

in 1531. He argued against

Martin Bucer Martin Bucer (; Early German: ; 11 November 1491– 28 February 1551) was a German Protestant reformer based in Strasbourg who influenced Lutheran, Anglican doctrines and practices as well as Reformed Theology. Bucer was originally a memb ...

in 1550, alongside

Andrew Perne Andrew Perne (26 April 1589), List of Vice-Chancellors of the University of Cambridge, Vice-Chancellor of University of Cambridge, Cambridge University and Dean of Ely, was the son of John Perne of East Bilney, Norfolk. Biography Perne was ed ...

and John Young; and against

Thomas Cranmer Thomas Cranmer (2 July 1489 – 21 March 1556) was a theologian, leader of the English Reformation and Archbishop of Canterbury during the reigns of Henry VIII, Edward VI and, for a short time, Mary I. He is honoured as a Oxford Martyrs, martyr ...

Hugh Latimer Hugh Latimer ( – 16 October 1555) was a Fellow of Clare College, Cambridge, and Bishop of Worcester during the Reformation, and later Church of England chaplain to King Edward VI. In 1555 under the Catholic Queen Mary I he was burned at the ...

, and Nicholas Ridley in April 1554, when he was incorporated

Doctor of Divinity A Doctor of Divinity (DD or DDiv; ) is the holder of an advanced academic degree in divinity (academic discipline), divinity (i.e., Christian theology and Christian ministry, ministry or other theologies. The term is more common in the Englis ...

at the

University of Oxford The University of Oxford is a collegiate university, 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 List of oldest un ...

. In 1546 he became a Fellow of

Trinity College, Cambridge Trinity College is a Colleges of the University of Cambridge, constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Founded in 1546 by King Henry VIII, Trinity is one of the largest Cambridge colleges, with the largest financial endowment of any ...

, where he was vice-master 1554–55. He had been defeated by Andrew Perne in a contest for the mastership at Peterhouse; sources differ on whether he had the support of

Stephen Gardiner Stephen Gardiner (27 July 1483 – 12 November 1555) was an English Catholic bishop and politician during the English Reformation period who served as Lord Chancellor during the reign of Queen Mary I. Early life Gardiner was born in Bury St Ed ...

. Under Queen Mary he became Regius professor of divinity at Cambridge in 1557, and in 1558 both rector of Stanhope, Durham and vicar of Gainford, Durham. He was deprived of these three preferments after the accession of

Queen Elizabeth Queen Elizabeth, Queen Elisabeth or Elizabeth the Queen may refer to: Queens regnant * Elizabeth I (1533–1603; ), Queen of England and Ireland * Elizabeth II (1926–2022; ), Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms * Queen B ...

. He had also been rector of Erwarton, Suffolk in 1552, become

Lady Margaret's Professor of Divinity The Lady Margaret's Professor of Divinity is the oldest professorship at the University of Cambridge. It was founded initially as a readership in divinity by Lady Margaret Beaufort, mother of King Henry VII, in 1502. Since its re-endowment ...

in 1554, made vicar of Enfield, Middlesex in 1555,Enfield – Churches , British History Online
/ref> and rector of

Toft, Cambridgeshire Toft is a village situated in Cambridgeshire, England. It is approximately six miles to the west of Cambridge, and is situated within four miles of the M11 motorway. It has approximately 600 residents and 200 homes. Comberton Village College and ...

in 1556, but had given up these four preferments before Queen Mary died. He was restricted to within ten miles of Richmond, Yorkshire, from 1562 to 1570, when he seems to have been sent to prison at York.

References

* * Catholic Record Society ''Publications'', V (London, 1905), 193; *Record Office, State Papers Dom. Arc. Eliz., XVII, 72; * Henry Gee, ''The Elizabethan Clergy and the Settlement of Religion, 1558–1564'' (1898), passim.

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Sedgwick, Thomas 1573 deaths English Roman Catholics English theologians Fellows of Trinity College, Cambridge English people who died in prison custody Year of birth missing 16th-century English Roman Catholic theologians 16th-century English writers 16th-century English male writers Clergy from Yorkshire Fellows of Peterhouse, Cambridge Lady Margaret's Professors of Divinity Regius Professors of Divinity (University of Cambridge)