John Clement (physician)
Encyclopedia
John Clement was an English Roman Catholic physician and humanist. He was tutor to Thomas More
's children, and became President of the College of Physicians.
In 1519 we find Clement at Corpus Christi College, Oxford
, when Cardinal Wolsey constituted him the Rhetoric Reader in the university; later he became professor of Greek there. About 1526 he married the daughter of a Norfolk gentleman, Margaret Giggs, who lived and studied with More's family; she had been adopted by More.
Applying himself to the study of medicine, he was admitted a Fellow of the College of Physicians (1 February 1528), and was chosen by Henry VIII
to attend Wolsey when the latter was dangerously ill at Esher
(1529). He was consiliarius of the college from 1529 to 1531, in 1547, and again from 1556 to 1558. He held the office of president in 1544, and that of censor in 1555.
After the accession of Edward VI of England
he retired to Louvain to escape persecution for his Catholicism; he was exempted from the general pardon granted by Edward. He returned to England in Mary Tudor
's reign and practised his profession in Essex
, but fled abroad again when Elizabeth of England came to the throne.
Mechlin was his last place of exile. He lies buried in the cathedral church of St. Rumbold in that city.
Thomas More
Sir Thomas More , also known by Catholics as Saint Thomas More, was an English lawyer, social philosopher, author, statesman and noted Renaissance humanist. He was an important councillor to Henry VIII of England and, for three years toward the end of his life, Lord Chancellor...
's children, and became President of the College of Physicians.
Life
He was educated at St. Paul's School and Oxford. Thomas More admitted Clement as one of his household to help in the education of his children and to assist him in linguistic studies.In 1519 we find Clement at Corpus Christi College, Oxford
Corpus Christi College, Oxford
Corpus Christi College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom...
, when Cardinal Wolsey constituted him the Rhetoric Reader in the university; later he became professor of Greek there. About 1526 he married the daughter of a Norfolk gentleman, Margaret Giggs, who lived and studied with More's family; she had been adopted by More.
Applying himself to the study of medicine, he was admitted a Fellow of the College of Physicians (1 February 1528), and was chosen by Henry VIII
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
to attend Wolsey when the latter was dangerously ill at Esher
Esher
Esher is a town in the Surrey borough of Elmbridge in South East England near the River Mole. It is a very prosperous part of the Greater London Urban Area, largely suburban in character, and is situated 14.1 miles south west of Charing Cross....
(1529). He was consiliarius of the college from 1529 to 1531, in 1547, and again from 1556 to 1558. He held the office of president in 1544, and that of censor in 1555.
After the accession of Edward VI of England
Edward VI of England
Edward VI was the King of England and Ireland from 28 January 1547 until his death. He was crowned on 20 February at the age of nine. The son of Henry VIII and Jane Seymour, Edward was the third monarch of the Tudor dynasty and England's first monarch who was raised as a Protestant...
he retired to Louvain to escape persecution for his Catholicism; he was exempted from the general pardon granted by Edward. He returned to England in Mary Tudor
Mary I of England
Mary I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from July 1553 until her death.She was the only surviving child born of the ill-fated marriage of Henry VIII and his first wife Catherine of Aragon. Her younger half-brother, Edward VI, succeeded Henry in 1547...
's reign and practised his profession in Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
, but fled abroad again when Elizabeth of England came to the throne.
Mechlin was his last place of exile. He lies buried in the cathedral church of St. Rumbold in that city.
Works
He wrote: "Epigrammatum et aliorum carminum liber"; and also translated from Greek into Latin:- (1) "The Epistles of St. Gregory Nazianzen";
- (2) "The Homilies of Nicephorus Callistus concerning the Greek Saints";
- (3) "The Epistles of Pope Celestine IPope Celestine IPope Saint Celestine I was elevated to the papacy in the year 422, on November 3 according to the Liber Pontificalis, but on April 10 according to Tillemont....
to Cyril, Bishop of Alexandria".