Richard Howland
Encyclopedia
Richard Howland was an English churchman and academic, Master of Magdalene College, Cambridge
and of St John's College, Cambridge
and bishop of Peterborough
.
, was born at Newport Pond, near Saffron Walden
, Essex
, and baptised 26 September 1540. He was admitted pensioner at Christ's College, Cambridge
, 18 March 1558, but he migrated to St. John's College, where he graduated B.A. in 1561. He was elected a fellow of Peterhouse 11 November 1562, and proceeded M. A. in 1564. His subsequent degrees were B.D. 1570, D.D. 1578. He was incorporated M.A. of Oxford 9 July 1567. In 1569 he became rector of Stathern
, Leicestershire
, on the presentation of the master and fellows of Peterhouse.
Initially Howland was a follower of Thomas Cartwright, and signed the unsuccessful petition to Lord Burghley in 1571 asking that Cartwright might be allowed to return to Cambridge. He then changed his opinions, and after as sermon in a puritan vein in Great St. Mary's by John Millen or Milayn, a fellow of Christ's, in October 1573, he controverted its teaching in the same place during the afternoon. Howland gained the confidence of Burghley, then chancellor of the university, and became his chaplain. By Burghley's influence he was appointed to the mastership of Magdalene College, then almost in a state of bankruptcy, in 1576.
When John Whitgift
resigned the mastership of Trinity
in June 1577, on his election to the see of Worcester, he strongly recommended Howland, a personal friend, to Burghley, as his successor. The queen, however, had already selected John Still
, the master of St. John's, and it was arranged that Howland should be transferred from Magdalene to St. John's as Still's successor. He was admitted Master 20 July 1577, finding a college full of religious dissensions but with new statutes. In 1578 he served the office of vice-chancellor, in which capacity he, at the head of the university, waited on the queen on her visit to Audley End, 27 July 1578, and presented her with a Greek Testament and a pair of gloves, making a suitable oration . In 1583 he was again vice-chancellor. The following year Whitgift, by this time archbishop, recommended his old friend for either of the vacant sees of Bath and Wells or of Chichester, or, failing these, for the deanery of Peterborough; in 1584 the queen nominated him to the see of Peterborough. He was consecrated by Whitgift at Lambeth
, 7 February 1585. The choice of a successor threatened to involve the college in a fierce internal struggle and it was arranged that Howland should continue to hold the mastership with his bishopric; he resigned in February 1586.
Howland pleaded the cause of his diocese against the excessive tax for furnishing light horse. As bishop he took the first place at the funeral of Mary, Queen of Scots, in Peterborough Cathedral
, February 1587. The funeral cortege met at his palace, and after a great supper in his hall proceeded to the cathedral. On the death of Archbishop John Piers
in 1594, Howland was earnestly recommended for the see of York by the lord president Henry Hastings, 3rd Earl of Huntingdon
and the council of the north
; Matthew Hutton
was appointed. The deprivation of Robert Cawdrey
, vicar of South Luffenham
, Rutland
, led to a long dispute. Howland while bishop held the living of Sibson, Leicestershire, in commendam
. He was rumoured to have impoverished his bishopric for Burghley, and was also the object of attacks of Martin Mar-Prelate. He died unmarried at Castor
, near Peterborough, 23 June 1600, and was buried in his cathedral, without any memorial or epitaph.
Magdalene College, Cambridge
Magdalene College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England.The college was founded in 1428 as a Benedictine hostel, in time coming to be known as Buckingham College, before being refounded in 1542 as the College of St Mary Magdalene...
and 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 bishop of Peterborough
Bishop of Peterborough
The Bishop of Peterborough is the ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Peterborough in the Province of Canterbury.The diocese covers the counties of Northamptonshire, Rutland and the Soke of Peterborough in Cambridgeshire...
.
Life
He was the son and heir of John Howland, of the city of London, and Anne Greenway of Cley, NorfolkNorfolk
Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...
, was born at Newport Pond, near Saffron Walden
Saffron Walden
Saffron Walden is a medium-sized market town in the Uttlesford district of Essex, England. It is located north of Bishop's Stortford, south of Cambridge and approx north of London...
, 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...
, and baptised 26 September 1540. He was admitted pensioner at 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:...
, 18 March 1558, but he migrated to St. John's College, where he graduated B.A. in 1561. He was elected a fellow of Peterhouse 11 November 1562, and proceeded M. A. in 1564. His subsequent degrees were B.D. 1570, D.D. 1578. He was incorporated M.A. of Oxford 9 July 1567. In 1569 he became rector of Stathern
Stathern
Stathern is a village and civil parish in the Melton district of Leicestershire, England. It is in the Vale of Belvoir about north of Melton Mowbray. In the 2001 census the parish had 288 dwellings, and a population of 672.-External links:...
, Leicestershire
Leicestershire
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...
, on the presentation of the master and fellows of Peterhouse.
Initially Howland was a follower of Thomas Cartwright, and signed the unsuccessful petition to Lord Burghley in 1571 asking that Cartwright might be allowed to return to Cambridge. He then changed his opinions, and after as sermon in a puritan vein in Great St. Mary's by John Millen or Milayn, a fellow of Christ's, in October 1573, he controverted its teaching in the same place during the afternoon. Howland gained the confidence of Burghley, then chancellor of the university, and became his chaplain. By Burghley's influence he was appointed to the mastership of Magdalene College, then almost in a state of bankruptcy, in 1576.
When John Whitgift
John Whitgift
John Whitgift was the Archbishop of Canterbury from 1583 to his death. Noted for his hospitality, he was somewhat ostentatious in his habits, sometimes visiting Canterbury and other towns attended by a retinue of 800 horsemen...
resigned the mastership of Trinity
Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Trinity has more members than any other college in Cambridge or Oxford, with around 700 undergraduates, 430 graduates, and over 170 Fellows...
in June 1577, on his election to the see of Worcester, he strongly recommended Howland, a personal friend, to Burghley, as his successor. The queen, however, had already selected John Still
John Still
John Still , bishop of Bath and Wells enjoyed considerable fame as a preacher and disputant. He was formerly reputed to be the author of the early English comedy drama Gammer Gurton's Needle .-Career:...
, the master of St. John's, and it was arranged that Howland should be transferred from Magdalene to St. John's as Still's successor. He was admitted Master 20 July 1577, finding a college full of religious dissensions but with new statutes. In 1578 he served the office of vice-chancellor, in which capacity he, at the head of the university, waited on the queen on her visit to Audley End, 27 July 1578, and presented her with a Greek Testament and a pair of gloves, making a suitable oration . In 1583 he was again vice-chancellor. The following year Whitgift, by this time archbishop, recommended his old friend for either of the vacant sees of Bath and Wells or of Chichester, or, failing these, for the deanery of Peterborough; in 1584 the queen nominated him to the see of Peterborough. He was consecrated by Whitgift at Lambeth
Lambeth
Lambeth is a district of south London, England, and part of the London Borough of Lambeth. It is situated southeast of Charing Cross.-Toponymy:...
, 7 February 1585. The choice of a successor threatened to involve the college in a fierce internal struggle and it was arranged that Howland should continue to hold the mastership with his bishopric; he resigned in February 1586.
Howland pleaded the cause of his diocese against the excessive tax for furnishing light horse. As bishop he took the first place at the funeral of Mary, Queen of Scots, in Peterborough Cathedral
Peterborough Cathedral
Peterborough Cathedral, properly the Cathedral Church of St Peter, St Paul and St Andrew – also known as Saint Peter's Cathedral in the United Kingdom – is the seat of the Bishop of Peterborough, dedicated to Saint Peter, Saint Paul and Saint Andrew, whose statues look down from the...
, February 1587. The funeral cortege met at his palace, and after a great supper in his hall proceeded to the cathedral. On the death of Archbishop John Piers
John Piers
John Piers was Archbishop of York between 1589–1594. Previous to that he had been Bishop of Rochester and Bishop of Salisbury.-Life:...
in 1594, Howland was earnestly recommended for the see of York by the lord president Henry Hastings, 3rd Earl of Huntingdon
Henry Hastings, 3rd Earl of Huntingdon
Sir Henry Hastings, 3rd Earl of Huntingdon, KG KB was the eldest son of Francis Hastings, 2nd Earl of Huntingdon and Catherine Pole.-Ancestry:...
and the council of the north
Council of the North
The Council of the North was an administrative body originally set up in 1484 by king Richard III of England, the third and last Yorkist monarch to hold the Crown of England; its intention was to improve government control and economic prosperity, to benefit the entire area of Northern England...
; Matthew Hutton
Matthew Hutton
Matthew Hutton may refer to:*Matthew Hutton, Archbishop of York, 17th century Archbishop of York*Matthew Hutton, Archbishop of Canterbury, 18th century Archbishop of both York and later Canterbury...
was appointed. The deprivation of Robert Cawdrey
Robert Cawdrey
Robert Cawdrey produced one of the first dictionaries of the English language, the Table Alphabeticall, in 1604.-Career:...
, vicar of South Luffenham
South Luffenham
South Luffenham is a village in the county of Rutland in the East Midlands of England.The village lies largely on the north side of the A6121 road from Uppingham to Stamford. It is divided into two by a small stream, the Foss, which is a tributary of the River Chater...
, Rutland
Rutland
Rutland is a landlocked county in central England, bounded on the west and north by Leicestershire, northeast by Lincolnshire and southeast by Peterborough and Northamptonshire....
, led to a long dispute. Howland while bishop held the living of Sibson, Leicestershire, in commendam
In Commendam
In canon law, commendam was a form of transferring an ecclesiastical benefice in trust to the custody of a patron...
. He was rumoured to have impoverished his bishopric for Burghley, and was also the object of attacks of Martin Mar-Prelate. He died unmarried at Castor
Castor, Cambridgeshire
Castor is a village and civil parish in the City of Peterborough unitary authority, about west of the city centre. The parish is part of the former Soke of Peterborough, which was considered part of Northamptonshire but was more recently part of Cambridgeshire.-History:Castor's toponym is derived...
, near Peterborough, 23 June 1600, and was buried in his cathedral, without any memorial or epitaph.