Thomas Goldwell (prior)
Encyclopedia
Thomas Goldwell was the last prior
of Christ Church Priory, Canterbury
before it was dissolved in the Dissolution of the Monasteries
in March 1540, entering office in 1517. During his term of office he corresponded with Thomas Cromwell about Elizabeth Barton
, the "Maid of Kent". In these letters, he reported that his then archbishop William Warham
"gave much credence unto her words in such things as she knew and surmised to know, that she did show unto him".
He and 69 of his monks signed the acknowledgement of the royal supremacy on 10 December 1534 and from then until its Dissolution he kept the house generally obedient to the will of the king
and Cromwell. In summer 1537 he received the king and Jane Seymour
at St Augustine's Abbey
on their summer progress to Canterbury
and Dover
. For his obedience to the Supremacy and for keeping his house obedient to the king, he was given a pension of £80 on 4 April 1539 along "with the office of one of the prebendaries
[at the new Cathedral]" after the monastery's surrender by its archbishop
in March 1539.
Prior
Prior is an ecclesiastical title, derived from the Latin adjective for 'earlier, first', with several notable uses.-Monastic superiors:A Prior is a monastic superior, usually lower in rank than an Abbot. In the Rule of St...
of Christ Church Priory, Canterbury
Canterbury
Canterbury is a historic English cathedral city, which lies at the heart of the City of Canterbury, a district of Kent in South East England. It lies on the River Stour....
before it was dissolved in the Dissolution of the Monasteries
Dissolution of the Monasteries
The Dissolution of the Monasteries, sometimes referred to as the Suppression of the Monasteries, was the set of administrative and legal processes between 1536 and 1541 by which Henry VIII disbanded monasteries, priories, convents and friaries in England, Wales and Ireland; appropriated their...
in March 1540, entering office in 1517. During his term of office he corresponded with Thomas Cromwell about Elizabeth Barton
Elizabeth Barton
Sr. Elizabeth Barton was an English Catholic nun...
, the "Maid of Kent". In these letters, he reported that his then archbishop William Warham
William Warham
William Warham , Archbishop of Canterbury, belonged to a Hampshire family, and was educated at Winchester and New College, Oxford, afterwards practising and teaching law both in London and Oxford....
"gave much credence unto her words in such things as she knew and surmised to know, that she did show unto him".
He and 69 of his monks signed the acknowledgement of the royal supremacy on 10 December 1534 and from then until its Dissolution he kept the house generally obedient to the will of the king
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...
and Cromwell. In summer 1537 he received the king and Jane Seymour
Jane Seymour
Jane Seymour was Queen of England as the third wife of King Henry VIII. She succeeded Anne Boleyn as queen consort following the latter's execution for trumped up charges of high treason, incest and adultery in May 1536. She died of postnatal complications less than two weeks after the birth of...
at St Augustine's Abbey
St Augustine's Abbey
St Augustine's Abbey was a Benedictine abbey in Canterbury, Kent, England.-Early history:In 597 Saint Augustine arrived in England, having been sent by Pope Gregory I, on what might nowadays be called a revival mission. The King of Kent at this time was Æthelberht, who happened to be married to a...
on their summer progress to Canterbury
Canterbury
Canterbury is a historic English cathedral city, which lies at the heart of the City of Canterbury, a district of Kent in South East England. It lies on the River Stour....
and Dover
Dover
Dover is a town and major ferry port in the home county of Kent, in South East England. It faces France across the narrowest part of the English Channel, and lies south-east of Canterbury; east of Kent's administrative capital Maidstone; and north-east along the coastline from Dungeness and Hastings...
. For his obedience to the Supremacy and for keeping his house obedient to the king, he was given a pension of £80 on 4 April 1539 along "with the office of one of the prebendaries
Prebendary
A prebendary is a post connected to an Anglican or Catholic cathedral or collegiate church and is a type of canon. Prebendaries have a role in the administration of the cathedral...
[at the new Cathedral]" after the monastery's surrender by its archbishop
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 March 1539.
Source
- Victoria County History at British History Online