William Bill
Encyclopedia
William Bill was Master of St Johns College, Cambridge (1547-1551?), Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge
(1548) and twice Master of Trinity College, Cambridge
(1551–1553, 1558–1561), Provost of Eton College
(1558–1561) and Dean of Westminster (1560–1561).
He was born to John and Margaret Bill of Ashwell, Hertfordshire. He had two brothers and two sisters. His brother Thomas became physician to Henry VIII of England
. William was educated at St Johns College, Cambridge, gaining his BA in 1532. He was elected a Fellow of St Johns College in 1535, and gained his MA in 1546. He received a BD during the period 1544-1546. In 1547, he was elected Master of St Johns College, and also received a Doctor of Divinity
. In 1551, he was appointed Master of Trinity College. He was appointed Lord High Almoner from 1558–1561 and helped revise the liturgy of Edward VI of England
. Following the accession of Mary I of England
in 1553, he lost all his former positions. John Christopherson
was appointed in his stead to the Mastership of Trinity. When Elizabeth I of England
acceded in 1558, he was appointed Provost of Eton College, and re-appointed as Master of Trinity College. He was subsequently appointed Dean of Westminster on 30 June 1560 but died the following year.
He was buried in St Benedict's Chapel, Westminster Abbey
, where his tomb and small brass figure can still be seen.
There are varying reports of whether or not he married during his lifetime.
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
(1548) and twice Master of Trinity College, Cambridge
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...
(1551–1553, 1558–1561), Provost of Eton College
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
(1558–1561) and Dean of Westminster (1560–1561).
He was born to John and Margaret Bill of Ashwell, Hertfordshire. He had two brothers and two sisters. His brother Thomas became physician to Henry VIII of England
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...
. William was educated at St Johns College, Cambridge, gaining his BA in 1532. He was elected a Fellow of St Johns College in 1535, and gained his MA in 1546. He received a BD during the period 1544-1546. In 1547, he was elected Master of St Johns College, and also received a Doctor of Divinity
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....
. In 1551, he was appointed Master of Trinity College. He was appointed Lord High Almoner from 1558–1561 and helped revise the liturgy 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...
. Following the accession of Mary I of England
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...
in 1553, he lost all his former positions. John Christopherson
John Christopherson
John Christopherson was Chaplain and confessor to Queen Mary I of England, Master of Trinity College, Cambridge , Dean of Norwich and Bishop of Chichester - all during the reign of Queen Mary ....
was appointed in his stead to the Mastership of Trinity. When Elizabeth I of England
Elizabeth I of England
Elizabeth I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty...
acceded in 1558, he was appointed Provost of Eton College, and re-appointed as Master of Trinity College. He was subsequently appointed Dean of Westminster on 30 June 1560 but died the following year.
He was buried in St Benedict's Chapel, Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey
The Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster, popularly known as Westminster Abbey, is a large, mainly Gothic church, in the City of Westminster, London, United Kingdom, located just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is the traditional place of coronation and burial site for English,...
, where his tomb and small brass figure can still be seen.
There are varying reports of whether or not he married during his lifetime.