Francis Babington
Encyclopedia
Francis Babington D.D. (aka Francis Babbington, died 1569) was an English
divine and an academic administrator at the University of Oxford
.
He was elected Master
(head) of Balliol College, Oxford
on 2 September 1559, a post he held until he resigned the following year on 27 October 1560.
Babington was Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University from 1560 to 1562.
He was also Rector of Lincoln College, Oxford
from 1560 until he resigned in 1563.
, to have entered Christ's College, Cambridge
, in 1544, and to have taken his B.A.
degree in 1548-9. Two years later he was appointed Fellow of St John's College, Cambridge
, and in 1552 became M.A. By 1555 he must have changed his religion, for at that date his name is found appended to the Roman Catholic articles of belief. About the same time he seems to have transferred his residence to Oxford
, where he 'incepted' in arts 1554.. After three years, he was unanimously chosen Proctor of his new university (1557), being already a Fellow of All Souls College
. In 1557 and 1558, he successively took his Bachelor's
and Doctor's
degrees in Divinity
; but Wood adds a special warning that such rapid promotion was only because Oxford University was very empty, and wanted "theologists to perform the requisite offices." There were only three doctors in theology who proceeded in six years; and sermons were so rare, that scarce one was given. It is only fair, however, to add that in another passage Wood mentions Francis Babington as renowned for his philosophical and logical disputations.
In 1559, Queen Elizabeth I's
visitors removed Dr Wright from the mastership
of Balliol College, Oxford
, and appointed Dr Babington instead. Dr Babington had no objection to heaping together a plurality of livings and offices. Between 1557 and 1560, he was rector of at least four parishes: Milton Keynes
, Twyford
, Sherrington Aldworth, and Adstock
; and two or three of these he must have held together. Besides these preferments he was, in May 1560, appointed Rector of Lincoln College, Oxford
, and was Sir John Mason's commissary or Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University in 1560, 1561, and 1562. He even held the Lady Margaret readership in divinity for 1561, although the statutes forbade its being held by the Vice-Chancellor.
In March 1562, he appears in conjunction with "Anthony Forster, of Cumnore, gent.", as assisting in forcing a Protestant
warden upon the Roman Catholic fellows of Merton College
. Wood has given a graphic description of the whole scene. Dr Babington was the Earl of Leicester
's chaplain
, and seems about this time to have been high in favour with that nobleman. Anthony à Wood tells us that he was one of Leicester's five most trusted advisers in Oxford, and was chosen to preach Amy Robsart
's funeral sermon at St Mary's Church, Oxford, on which occasion he "tript once or twice by recommending to his auditors the virtues of that lady so pitifully murdered instead of so pitifully slain." His text was 'Beati mortui qui in Domino moriuntur' (1560) (Bartlett's Cumnor). In the same year, Dr Babington stood as the representative of the more conservative party for the deanery of Christ Church, Oxford
against Dr Sampson, the great pillar of the puritanical body. Strype, in his account of this contest, describes Dr Babington as "a man of mean learning and of a complying temper", but he failed in his candidature. He seems by this time to have been losing Leicester's favour, and was more than suspected of being a concealed Papist
. In 1563, he had to resign the rectorship of Lincoln College, and two years later was forced to flee overseas, where he is said to have died in 1569.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
divine and an academic administrator at the University of Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
.
He was elected Master
Master (college)
A Master is the title of the head of some colleges and other educational institutions. This applies especially at some colleges and institutions at the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge .- See also :* Master A Master (or in female form Mistress) is the title of the head of some...
(head) of Balliol College, Oxford
Balliol College, Oxford
Balliol College , founded in 1263, is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England but founded by a family with strong Scottish connections....
on 2 September 1559, a post he held until he resigned the following year on 27 October 1560.
Babington was Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University from 1560 to 1562.
He was also Rector of Lincoln College, Oxford
Lincoln College, Oxford
Lincoln College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. It is situated on Turl Street in central Oxford, backing onto Brasenose College and adjacent to Exeter College...
from 1560 until he resigned in 1563.
Life
Babington is said to have been a native of LeicestershireLeicestershire
Leicestershire is a landlocked county in the English Midlands. It takes its name from the heavily populated City of Leicester, traditionally its administrative centre, although the City of Leicester unitary authority is today administered separately from the rest of Leicestershire...
, to have entered Christ's College, Cambridge
Christ's College, Cambridge
Christ's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge.With a reputation for high academic standards, Christ's College averaged top place in the Tompkins Table from 1980-2000 . In 2011, Christ's was placed sixth.-College history:...
, in 1544, and to have taken his B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree in 1548-9. Two years later he was appointed Fellow of St John's College, Cambridge
St John's College, Cambridge
St John's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. The college's alumni include nine Nobel Prize winners, six Prime Ministers, three archbishops, at least two princes, and three Saints....
, and in 1552 became M.A. By 1555 he must have changed his religion, for at that date his name is found appended to the Roman Catholic articles of belief. About the same time he seems to have transferred his residence to Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
, where he 'incepted' in arts 1554.. After three years, he was unanimously chosen Proctor of his new university (1557), being already a Fellow of All Souls College
All Souls College, Oxford
The Warden and the College of the Souls of all Faithful People deceased in the University of Oxford or All Souls College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England....
. In 1557 and 1558, he successively took his Bachelor's
Bachelor of Divinity
In Western universities, a Bachelor of Divinity is usually an undergraduate academic degree awarded for a course taken in the study of divinity or related disciplines, such as theology or, rarely, religious studies....
and Doctor's
Doctor of Divinity
Doctor of Divinity is an advanced academic degree in divinity. Historically, it identified one who had been licensed by a university to teach Christian theology or related religious subjects....
degrees in Divinity
Divinity
Divinity and divine are broadly applied but loosely defined terms, used variously within different faiths and belief systems — and even by different individuals within a given faith — to refer to some transcendent or transcendental power or deity, or its attributes or manifestations in...
; but Wood adds a special warning that such rapid promotion was only because Oxford University was very empty, and wanted "theologists to perform the requisite offices." There were only three doctors in theology who proceeded in six years; and sermons were so rare, that scarce one was given. It is only fair, however, to add that in another passage Wood mentions Francis Babington as renowned for his philosophical and logical disputations.
In 1559, Queen Elizabeth I's
Elizabeth I of England
Elizabeth I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty...
visitors removed Dr Wright from the mastership
Master (college)
A Master is the title of the head of some colleges and other educational institutions. This applies especially at some colleges and institutions at the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge .- See also :* Master A Master (or in female form Mistress) is the title of the head of some...
of Balliol College, Oxford
Balliol College, Oxford
Balliol College , founded in 1263, is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England but founded by a family with strong Scottish connections....
, and appointed Dr Babington instead. Dr Babington had no objection to heaping together a plurality of livings and offices. Between 1557 and 1560, he was rector of at least four parishes: Milton Keynes
Milton Keynes
Milton Keynes , sometimes abbreviated MK, is a large town in Buckinghamshire, in the south east of England, about north-west of London. It is the administrative centre of the Borough of Milton Keynes...
, Twyford
Twyford
Twyford is the name of more than one place. The place name is Anglo-Saxon and means 'double ford'.-Places:In the United Kingdom:*Twyford, Berkshire*Twyford, Buckinghamshire*Twyford, Derbyshire*Twyford, Dorset*Twyford, Hampshire*Twyford, Herefordshire...
, Sherrington Aldworth, and Adstock
Adstock
Adstock is a village and civil parish about northwest of Winslow and southeast of Buckingham in the Aylesbury Vale district of Buckinghamshire. The 2001 Census recorded a parish population of 415....
; and two or three of these he must have held together. Besides these preferments he was, in May 1560, appointed Rector of Lincoln College, Oxford
Lincoln College, Oxford
Lincoln College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. It is situated on Turl Street in central Oxford, backing onto Brasenose College and adjacent to Exeter College...
, and was Sir John Mason's commissary or Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University in 1560, 1561, and 1562. He even held the Lady Margaret readership in divinity for 1561, although the statutes forbade its being held by the Vice-Chancellor.
In March 1562, he appears in conjunction with "Anthony Forster, of Cumnore, gent.", as assisting in forcing a Protestant
Protestantism
Protestantism is one of the three major groupings within Christianity. It is a movement that began in Germany in the early 16th century as a reaction against medieval Roman Catholic doctrines and practices, especially in regards to salvation, justification, and ecclesiology.The doctrines of the...
warden upon the Roman Catholic fellows of Merton College
Merton College, Oxford
Merton College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Its foundation can be traced back to the 1260s when Walter de Merton, chancellor to Henry III and later to Edward I, first drew up statutes for an independent academic community and established endowments to...
. Wood has given a graphic description of the whole scene. Dr Babington was the Earl of Leicester
Earl of Leicester
The title Earl of Leicester was created in the 12th century in the Peerage of England , and is currently a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom, created in 1837.-Early creations:...
's chaplain
Chaplain
Traditionally, a chaplain is a minister in a specialized setting such as a priest, pastor, rabbi, or imam or lay representative of a religion attached to a secular institution such as a hospital, prison, military unit, police department, university, or private chapel...
, and seems about this time to have been high in favour with that nobleman. Anthony à Wood tells us that he was one of Leicester's five most trusted advisers in Oxford, and was chosen to preach Amy Robsart
Amy Robsart
Amy Dudley was the first wife of Lord Robert Dudley, favourite of Elizabeth I of England. She is primarily known for her death by falling down a flight of stairs, the circumstances of which have often been regarded as suspicious...
's funeral sermon at St Mary's Church, Oxford, on which occasion he "tript once or twice by recommending to his auditors the virtues of that lady so pitifully murdered instead of so pitifully slain." His text was 'Beati mortui qui in Domino moriuntur' (1560) (Bartlett's Cumnor). In the same year, Dr Babington stood as the representative of the more conservative party for the deanery of Christ Church, Oxford
Christ Church, Oxford
Christ Church or house of Christ, and thus sometimes known as The House), is one of the largest constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England...
against Dr Sampson, the great pillar of the puritanical body. Strype, in his account of this contest, describes Dr Babington as "a man of mean learning and of a complying temper", but he failed in his candidature. He seems by this time to have been losing Leicester's favour, and was more than suspected of being a concealed Papist
Papist
Papist is a term or an anti-Catholic slur, referring to the Roman Catholic Church, its teachings, practices, or adherents. The term was coined during the English Reformation to denote a person whose loyalties were to the Pope, rather than to the Church of England...
. In 1563, he had to resign the rectorship of Lincoln College, and two years later was forced to flee overseas, where he is said to have died in 1569.