John Wynne
Encyclopedia
John Wynne was Bishop of St Asaph
(1715–1727) and of Bath and Wells
(1727–1743), having previously been Principal of Jesus College, Oxford
(1712–1720).
, Flintshire
in north Wales
and educated in Northop
and at Ruthin School
before entering Jesus College in March 1682. He obtained his BA
degree in 1685 and was elected a Fellow of the college in January 1687. Subsequently, he was awarded the degrees of MA (1688), BD
(1696) and DD
(1706). He was chaplain to the 8th Earl of Pembroke
, who appointed him rector of Llangelynnin
, Merionethshire
in 1701 (a post he held until 1714). In 1705, he became prebendary of Christ College, Brecon
. He was Lady Margaret Professor of Divinity at Oxford
1705–1716. In 1712, he became deputy-principal of Jesus College, being appointed Principal in August 1712 after some division between Whig and Tory Fellows (Wynne probably being a moderate Tory at this time), with the help of the College's Visitor
, his former employer the Earl of Pembroke. He held onto the post until 1720, despite much grumbling at Oxford after he had been appointed Bishop of St Asaph in 1715 (the first bishop to be created by King George I
). He became Bishop of Bath and Wells in 1727, as a compromise candidate, and remained there until his death in 1743.
Whilst at St Asaph, he raised £600 for repairs to the cathedral
. He was one of the few Welshmen to be appointed as bishop of a Welsh diocese during the eighteenth century (and was the last Welsh bishop of St Asaph before 1870) and gained a reputation as a diligent bishop and one who appointed local men to parishes. He published only three of his sermons and, in 1696, an abbreviation of John Locke
's An Essay Concerning Human Understanding
, with Locke's approval, which was translated into French and Italian.
Bishop of St Asaph
The Bishop of St Asaph heads the Church in Wales diocese of St Asaph.The diocese covers the counties of Conwy and Flintshire, Wrexham county borough, the eastern part of Merioneth in Gwynedd and part of northern Powys. The Episcopal seat is located in the Cathedral Church of St Asaph in the town of...
(1715–1727) and of Bath and Wells
Bishop of Bath and Wells
The Bishop of Bath and Wells heads the Church of England Diocese of Bath and Wells in the Province of Canterbury in England.The present diocese covers the vast majority of the county of Somerset and a small area of Dorset. The Episcopal seat is located in the Cathedral Church of Saint Andrew in...
(1727–1743), having previously been Principal of Jesus College, Oxford
Jesus College, Oxford
Jesus College is one of the colleges of the University of Oxford in England. It is in the centre of the city, on a site between Turl Street, Ship Street, Cornmarket Street and Market Street...
(1712–1720).
Life
Wynne was born in Maes-y-coed, CaerwysCaerwys
Caerwys is a town in Flintshire, Wales. It is situated just under two miles from the A55 North Wales Expressway and one mile from the A541 Mold-Denbigh road. At the 2001 Census, the population of Caerwys civil parish was 1,315, with a total ward population of 2,496.Caerwys is mentioned in the...
, Flintshire
Flintshire
Flintshire is a county in north-east Wales. It borders Denbighshire, Wrexham and the English county of Cheshire. It is named after the historic county of Flintshire, which had notably different borders...
in north Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
and educated in Northop
Northop
Northop is a small village situated in Flintshire, Wales, approximately 12 miles west of the city of Chester, mid-way between Mold and Flint, and situated just off junction 33 of the A55 North Wales Expressway. At the 2001 Census, the population of Northop was 2,983.The village is home to two...
and at Ruthin School
Ruthin School
Ruthin School is one of the oldest public schools in the United Kingdom. Located on the outskirts of Ruthin, the county town of Denbighshire in North Wales, the school is over seven hundred years old and has been co-educational since 1990.- Beginnings :...
before entering Jesus College in March 1682. He obtained his BA
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 1685 and was elected a Fellow of the college in January 1687. Subsequently, he was awarded the degrees of MA (1688), BD
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....
(1696) and DD
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....
(1706). He was chaplain to the 8th Earl of Pembroke
Thomas Herbert, 8th Earl of Pembroke
Thomas Herbert, 8th Earl of Pembroke, 5th Earl of Montgomery, KG, PC, FRS was a British politician during the reigns of William III and Anne....
, who appointed him rector of Llangelynnin
Llangelynnin, Gwynedd
Llangelynnin is a small village and community in Gwynedd, Wales.- Location, History & Amenities :It sits on a slope above Cardigan Bay to the north of Tywyn. The A493 road and Cambrian Coast railway pass through the village, although Llangelynin station was closed in 1991...
, Merionethshire
Merionethshire
Merionethshire is one of thirteen historic counties of Wales, a vice county and a former administrative county.The administrative county of Merioneth, created under the Local Government Act 1888, was abolished under the Local Government Act 1972 on April 1, 1974...
in 1701 (a post he held until 1714). In 1705, he became prebendary of Christ College, Brecon
Christ College, Brecon
Christ College, Brecon is a co-educational, boarding and day independent school, located in the market town of Brecon in mid-Wales. It caters for pupils from eleven to eighteen.Christ College was founded by Royal Charter in 1541 by King Henry VIII...
. He was Lady Margaret Professor of Divinity at 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...
1705–1716. In 1712, he became deputy-principal of Jesus College, being appointed Principal in August 1712 after some division between Whig and Tory Fellows (Wynne probably being a moderate Tory at this time), with the help of the College's Visitor
Visitor
A Visitor, in United Kingdom law and history, is an overseer of an autonomous ecclesiastical or eleemosynary institution , who can intervene in the internal affairs of that institution...
, his former employer the Earl of Pembroke. He held onto the post until 1720, despite much grumbling at Oxford after he had been appointed Bishop of St Asaph in 1715 (the first bishop to be created by King George I
George I of Great Britain
George I was King of Great Britain and Ireland from 1 August 1714 until his death, and ruler of the Duchy and Electorate of Brunswick-Lüneburg in the Holy Roman Empire from 1698....
). He became Bishop of Bath and Wells in 1727, as a compromise candidate, and remained there until his death in 1743.
Whilst at St Asaph, he raised £600 for repairs to the cathedral
St Asaph Cathedral
St Asaph Cathedral is the Anglican cathedral in St Asaph, Denbighshire, north Wales. It is sometimes claimed to be the smallest Anglican cathedral in Britain.- History :...
. He was one of the few Welshmen to be appointed as bishop of a Welsh diocese during the eighteenth century (and was the last Welsh bishop of St Asaph before 1870) and gained a reputation as a diligent bishop and one who appointed local men to parishes. He published only three of his sermons and, in 1696, an abbreviation of John Locke
John Locke
John Locke FRS , widely known as the Father of Liberalism, was an English philosopher and physician regarded as one of the most influential of Enlightenment thinkers. Considered one of the first of the British empiricists, following the tradition of Francis Bacon, he is equally important to social...
's An Essay Concerning Human Understanding
An Essay Concerning Human Understanding
First appearing in 1690 with the printed title An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding, An Essay Concerning Human Understanding by John Locke concerns the foundation of human knowledge and understanding. He describes the mind at birth as a blank slate filled later through experience...
, with Locke's approval, which was translated into French and Italian.