John Oliver (Dean of Christ Church)
Encyclopedia
John Oliver was an English churchman, canon lawyer, courtier and Dean 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...

.

Life

He graduated in 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...

. His degrees were B.C.L. on 30 June 1516, B.Can.L. and D.Can.L. on 20 May 1522, D.C.L. on 11 Oct. 1522. He received vnumerous preferments in the church. On 22 August 1522 he received the living of Winforton in the diocese of Hereford
Diocese of Hereford
The Diocese of Hereford is a Church of England diocese based in Hereford, covering Herefordshire, southern Shropshire and a few parishes within Worcestershire in England; and a few parishes within Powys and Monmouthshire in Wales....

, and in 1522 he became an advocate at Doctors' Commons
Doctors' Commons
Doctors' Commons, also called the College of Civilians, was a society of lawyers practising civil law in London. Like the Inns of Court of the common lawyers, the society had buildings with rooms where its members lived and worked, and a large library...

. He was also rector of St. Mary Mounthaw, London, but resigned the living in 1527.

Oliver seems to have been among the men whom Cardinal Wolsey advanced, and in 1527 was his commissary. On 4 September 1527 he received the living of Pembridge
Pembridge
Pembridge is a village located just south of the River Arrow on the A44 between Leominster and Kington in Herefordshire, England.Describing itself as The Jewel in the Crown of the Black and White Village Trail, Pembridge has a history stretching back at least eight hundred years and is notable for...

 in the diocese of Hereford, and on 8 September 1528 that of Whitchurch, Lincolnshire. He had now become prominent as the court as an active official. On 22 February 1529 he was sent to Shaftesbury Abbey
Shaftesbury Abbey
Shaftesbury Abbey was an abbey that housed nuns in Shaftesbury, Dorset. Founded in the year 888, the abbey was the wealthiest Benedictine nunnery in England, a major pilgrimage site, and the town's central focus...

 to take the fealty of Elizabeth Zouche, the new abbess; and at the end of the same year be became prebendary of Southwell. In 1531 he was employed in the proceedings about Henry VIII's divorce, and in 1532 he was one of those consulted by the king as to the consecration of Thomas Cranmer
Thomas Cranmer
Thomas Cranmer was a 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 helped build a favourable case for Henry's divorce from Catherine of Aragon which resulted in the separation of the English Church from...

. In the same year he took part in the trial of James Bainham
James Bainham
James Bainham was an English lawyer and Protestant reformer, burned as a heretic in 1532.-Life:He was, according to John Foxe, a son of Sir Alexander Bainham, who was sheriff of Gloucestershire in 1497, 1501, and 1516; he was a nephew of William Tracy. He was a member of the Middle Temple, and...

 for heresy. On 4 May 1533 Oliver was made dean of Christ Church, Oxford, in succession to John Hygdon
John Hygdon
John Hygdon , President of Magdalen College, Oxford , became the first dean of Cardinal College, Oxford and from 1532–3 of its successor, King Henry VIII's College . From 1502–4, he had served as vicar of Upper Beeding, Sussex.-References:...

 He attended to other affairs, however, and in 1533 formed one of the court which declared Queen Catherine of Aragon
Catherine of Aragon
Catherine of Aragon , also known as Katherine or Katharine, was Queen consort of England as the first wife of King Henry VIII of England and Princess of Wales as the wife to Arthur, Prince of Wales...

 contumacious. In 1540 he was consulted by convocation as to the validity of the king's marriage with Anne of Cleves
Anne of Cleves
Anne of Cleves was a German noblewoman and the fourth wife of Henry VIII of England and as such she was Queen of England from 6 January 1540 to 9 July 1540. The marriage was never consummated, and she was not crowned queen consort...

; and other similar public duties were confided to him.

When it was decided to alter the foundation of Christ Church, Oliver had to resign his deanery. This he did on 20 May 1545, receiving in exchange a substantial pension. He returned to Doctors' Commons, became a master in chancery in 1547, at some time master of requests; on Thomas Wriothesley
Thomas Wriothesley
Sir Thomas Wriothesley was a long serving officer of arms at the College of Arms in London. He was the son of Garter King of Arms, John Writhe, and he succeeded his father in this office.-Personal life:...

's fall the same year, he was one of the commissioners who transacted the lord-chancellor's business in the court of chancery. He took part in Stephen Gardiner
Stephen Gardiner
Stephen Gardiner was an English Roman Catholic bishop and politician during the English Reformation period who served as Lord Chancellor during the reign of Queen Mary I of England.-Early life:...

's trial at the close of 1550, was a commissioner for the suppression of the Anabaptists in Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...

 and 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...

 in 1551, and the same year accompanied the embassy to France to treat of the king Edward VI's possible marriage. He took part in 1551 in the trials of the bishops George Day
George Day (bishop)
George Day was Bishop of Chichester.-Life:He graduated at the University of Cambridge in 1520–21, and became a Fellow of St. John's College, Cambridge on 19 September 1522...

 and Nicholas Heath
Nicholas Heath
Nicholas Heath was archbishop of York and Lord Chancellor.-Life:Heath was born in London and graduated BA at Oxford in 1519. He then migrated to Christ's College, Cambridge, where he graduated BA in 1520, MA in 1522, and was elected fellow in 1524. After holding minor preferments he was appointed...

, and, as Lord-chancellor Richard Rich, 1st Baron Rich
Richard Rich, 1st Baron Rich
Sir Richard Rich, 1st Baron Rich , was Lord Chancellor during the reign of King Edward VI of England. He was the founder of Felsted School with its associated alms houses in Essex in 1564....

] was ill, he helped to clear off the chancery business. He died in Doctors' Commons about May 1552.
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