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Samuel Harsnett
Samuel Harsnett (or Harsnet) (June 1561 – May 1631), born Samuel Halsnoth, was an English writer on religion and Archbishop of York from 1629.
Born in St Botolph's parish, Colchester, Essex, the son of William Halsnoth, a baker, and his wife Agnes, Harsnett was probably educated at Colchester's free school, now Colchester Royal Grammar School. After leaving school, he entered King's College, Cambridge as a sizar on 8 September 1576 and removed into Pembroke Hall where he gained a BA in 1580/1 and was elected a Fellow on 27 November 1583. In 1583 he was ordained into the Church of England, where he was soon disciplined by Archbishop Whitgift for preaching against predestination at St Paul's Cross on 27 October 1584. As David Hughson notes, "he was one of those divines who opposed the decrees of the synod of Dort and he wrote a very learned treatise against absolute predestination". In 1584 he proceeded Master of Arts by seniority.
In March 1587 Harsnett became headmaster of Colchester Royal Grammar School. In recognition of his achievements, the school has had, since 1908, a school house bearing his name. Preferring his studies at Cambridge University to the position, he resigned his office in November 1588, disliking the "painful trade of teaching", and returned to Pembroke Hall where he studied divinity, gaining his BD c.1590.
He re-entered himself into Pembroke Hall, where he was first a fellow and was elected master on 1 November 1605, remaining in that position until 1616, when he resigned because accusations totalling fifty-seven articles were made against him, by the Fellows of Pembroke to King James I. He was also Vice-Chancellor of Cambridge University for the years 1606, the same year he gained his Doctor of Divinity degree, and 1614.
In 1592 he served the office of Junior Proctor and five years later became chaplain to Richard Bancroft, then Bishop of London and shortly to become Archbishop of Canterbury by whose favour he quickly rose through the ranks. On the authority of Bancroft, he obtained the rectory of St Margaret, New Fish Street, London which he resigned in 1604 and the vicarage of Chigwell in Essex on 14 June 1597 which he resigned in 1605. Whilst at Chigwell, his wife, Thomazine, died in 1601, having given birth in 1600 to a short-lived daughter. Even after 1605 he continued to reside at Chigwell, where he had purchased a house and estate. In 1619 he purchased land in the parish on which he founded both a Latin school (which survives as Chigwell School) and an English school in 1629.
In 1598 he was promoted, becoming the prebendary of Mapesbury on 5 August and on 17 January 1602 the archdeacon of Essex – both posts chosen for him by Bishop Bancroft. On 16 April 1604 Sir Thomas Lucas of Colchester, father of Charles Lucas, installed him in the rectory of Shenfield, Essex.
Having been Bishop of Chichester since 13 November 1609, on 8 August 1619, he became Bishop of Norwich, resigning the living of Stisted he had held since 1609. He spent most of his time when absent from his city at the bishop's palace in Ludham, which he rebuilt after a fire and consecrated a chapel for divine worship. In May 1624 he was charged before Parliament with high-handedness by the citizens of Norwich and in that same year he also persecuted the Puritans in Great Yarmouth, leading to a complaint by them to King Charles I in 1627.
On 26 November 1628, he was elected Archbishop of York, and on 10 November 1629 he was sworn a Privy Councillor.
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Samuel Harsnett
Samuel Harsnett (or Harsnet) (June 1561 – May 1631), born Samuel Halsnoth, was an English writer on religion and Archbishop of York from 1629.
Born in St Botolph's parish, Colchester, Essex, the son of William Halsnoth, a baker, and his wife Agnes, Harsnett was probably educated at Colchester's free school, now Colchester Royal Grammar School. After leaving school, he entered King's College, Cambridge as a sizar on 8 September 1576 and removed into Pembroke Hall where he gained a BA in 1580/1 and was elected a Fellow on 27 November 1583. In 1583 he was ordained into the Church of England, where he was soon disciplined by Archbishop Whitgift for preaching against predestination at St Paul's Cross on 27 October 1584. As David Hughson notes, "he was one of those divines who opposed the decrees of the synod of Dort and he wrote a very learned treatise against absolute predestination". In 1584 he proceeded Master of Arts by seniority.
In March 1587 Harsnett became headmaster of Colchester Royal Grammar School. In recognition of his achievements, the school has had, since 1908, a school house bearing his name. Preferring his studies at Cambridge University to the position, he resigned his office in November 1588, disliking the "painful trade of teaching", and returned to Pembroke Hall where he studied divinity, gaining his BD c.1590.
He re-entered himself into Pembroke Hall, where he was first a fellow and was elected master on 1 November 1605, remaining in that position until 1616, when he resigned because accusations totalling fifty-seven articles were made against him, by the Fellows of Pembroke to King James I. He was also Vice-Chancellor of Cambridge University for the years 1606, the same year he gained his Doctor of Divinity degree, and 1614.
In 1592 he served the office of Junior Proctor and five years later became chaplain to Richard Bancroft, then Bishop of London and shortly to become Archbishop of Canterbury by whose favour he quickly rose through the ranks. On the authority of Bancroft, he obtained the rectory of St Margaret, New Fish Street, London which he resigned in 1604 and the vicarage of Chigwell in Essex on 14 June 1597 which he resigned in 1605. Whilst at Chigwell, his wife, Thomazine, died in 1601, having given birth in 1600 to a short-lived daughter. Even after 1605 he continued to reside at Chigwell, where he had purchased a house and estate. In 1619 he purchased land in the parish on which he founded both a Latin school (which survives as Chigwell School) and an English school in 1629.
In 1598 he was promoted, becoming the prebendary of Mapesbury on 5 August and on 17 January 1602 the archdeacon of Essex – both posts chosen for him by Bishop Bancroft. On 16 April 1604 Sir Thomas Lucas of Colchester, father of Charles Lucas, installed him in the rectory of Shenfield, Essex.
Having been Bishop of Chichester since 13 November 1609, on 8 August 1619, he became Bishop of Norwich, resigning the living of Stisted he had held since 1609. He spent most of his time when absent from his city at the bishop's palace in Ludham, which he rebuilt after a fire and consecrated a chapel for divine worship. In May 1624 he was charged before Parliament with high-handedness by the citizens of Norwich and in that same year he also persecuted the Puritans in Great Yarmouth, leading to a complaint by them to King Charles I in 1627.
On 26 November 1628, he was elected Archbishop of York, and on 10 November 1629 he was sworn a Privy Councillor.
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