John Williams (archbishop of York)

For other people named John Williams, see John Williams (disambiguation).

The Most Reverend and Right Honourable John Williams
Archbishop of York

Installed	1641
Term ended	1646 (episcopacy abolished)
Predecessor	Richard Neile
Successor	Accepted Frewen (1660)
Other posts	Bishop of Lincoln (1621–1641)
Personal details
Born	(1582-03-22)22 March 1582 Conwy, Wales
Died	25 March 1650(1650-03-25) (aged 68) Gwydir, Wales
Buried	Llandygai Church
Nationality	English
Denomination	Anglicanism
Education	Ruthin School
Alma mater	St John's College, Cambridge

John Williams (22 March 1582 – 25 March 1650) was a Welsh clergyman and political advisor to King James I. He served as Bishop of Lincoln 1621–1641, Lord Keeper of the Great Seal 1621–1625, and Archbishop of York 1641–1646. He was the last bishop to serve as lord chancellor.

Early life

John Williams, Bishop of Lincoln, and later Archbishop of York, was born in Conwy, Wales, second son of Edmund and Mary Williams.^[1] At a time when many bishops came from rather humble backgrounds, Williams prided himself on belonging to an "ancient family". He attended Ruthin School before graduating from St John's College, Cambridge BA 1601, MA 1605, BD 1613, and DD 1616.^[2] He became a fellow in 1603 and was a University Proctor in 1611-12. He entered the clergy and he first impressed the king by a sermon in 1610. He became the king's chaplain in 1617.

Political career

In 1620 he was made Dean of Westminster and was swiftly elevated by King James I to the Bishopric of Lincoln in 1621, as well as being made Lord Keeper of the Great Seal. Throughout his political career Williams was identified as a strong supporter of King James, who, it has been said, valued him as a man "who knew his mind and would do his bidding"^[3] and with whom personally he had much in common. He alienated the Prince of Wales, the future Charles I by disapproving of his ill-fated expedition with the Duke of Buckingham to Madrid. When James I died and was succeeded by Charles I in 1625, Williams was quickly removed from the office of Lord Chancellor, and was prevented from attending Parliament. Though Williams managed to survive Buckingham, who was assassinated in 1628, he remained out of favour; he incurred the enmity of William Laud, Archbishop of Canterbury from 1633 and his powerful ally Thomas Wentworth, 1st Earl of Strafford, both of whom had great influence with Charles I.

Williams's liberal attitudes toward the Puritans led to a legal battle with the Court of the Star Chamber. Laud's biographer refers to the original charge against him, of revealing State secrets, as frivolous;^[4] but Williams, in his efforts to clear himself, laid himself open to a charge of subornation of perjury, which was proved, and he was suspended from his benefices in 1636, fined, and imprisoned in the Tower of London until 1640.^[5] Laud had assumed that the conviction would force Williams' resignation as Bishop of Lincoln; to his fury Williams refused to resign and no machinery existed to remove him.^[6] Until his imprisonment, Williams remained defiantly at his episcopal palace, Buckden, lavishing hospitality on his neighbours.

In 1640 the Lords forced the King to release him, and Rt.Rev. Williams resumed his offices and tried to steer a course between the extreme wings of the Church. He showed little pity for either Laud or Strafford, supporting the impeachment of both men. In the case of Laud there is no evidence that he approved of Laud's eventual execution; but it was otherwise with Strafford. He fatally weakened Strafford's cause in the House of Lords by arguing successfully that bishops should absent themselves in cases involving the death penalty,^[7] and later specifically urged the King not to spare Strafford's life, arguing that in his public role he was discharged from his private promise to that effect.^[8] He was re-imprisoned by Parliament in 1641, but was released on bail in 1642 and went to be with the King in Yorkshire, as well as be enthroned as Archbishop of York, a position to which he had been appointed the previous year. His stay in Yorkshire was brief, however, and he spent the last years of his life in his native north Wales, initially supporting the royalist cause, but eventually coming to an accommodation with the local parliamentarian commander in 1646.

Death and legacy

Archbishop Williams died of quinsy in 1650 whilst staying with his kinsfolk, the Wynns of Gwydir, and was buried at the parish church of Llandygai. He had repurchased the family estate, which passed to his nephew Sir Griffith Williams. Through his niece Elizabeth Dolben he was the grand-uncle of a later Archbishop of York, John Dolben.

18th century copy of a portrait of Archbishop John Williams
John Williams, from A Tour in Wales by Thomas Pennant (1726-1798) that chronicle the three journeys he made through Wales between 1773 and 1776.
John Williams by Jacobus Houbraken, 1742.

Political offices
In commission Title last held by The Lord Verulam	Lord Keeper of the Great Seal 1621–1625	Succeeded by Sir Thomas Coventry
Church of England titles
Preceded by George Montaigne	Bishop of Lincoln 1621–1641	Succeeded by Thomas Winniffe
Preceded by Richard Neile	Archbishop of York 1641–1646	Vacant Title next held by Accepted Frewen

References

↑ "WILLIAMS , JOHN ( 1582 - 1650 )". Dictionary of Welsh Biography. The National Library of Wales. 2009. Retrieved 27 August 2015.
↑ "Williams, John (WLMS598J)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University of Cambridge.
↑ Kenyon, J.P. The Stuart Constitution 2nd Edition Cambridge University Press 1986 p.77
↑ Trevor-Roper, Hugh Archbishop Laud Phoenix Press Reissue 2000 p.326
↑ Trevor-Roper p.330
↑ Trevor-Roper p.332
↑ Wedgwood, C.V. Thomas Wentworth, 1st Earl of Strafford 1593-1641- a revaluation Phoenix Press Reissue 2000 p. 330
↑ Wedgwood p.377

Welsh Biography Online

Deans of Salisbury

High Medieval	Walter Osbert Robert Serlo Roger Azo Robert of Chichester Henry de Beaumont John of Oxford Jordan Eustace Richard Poore Adam William de Wanda Robert de Hertford Robert Wickhampton Walter Scammel Henry Brandeston Simon de Micham

Late Medieval	Peter of Savoy William Rufati Reymund de Fargis Bertrand de Fargis Reynold Orsini James Orsini Robert Braybrooke Thomas Montagu John Chandler Simon Sydenham Thomas Brunce Nicholas Bildeston Adam Moleyns Richard Leyot Gilbert Kymer James Goldwell John Davison Edward Cheyne

Early modern	Thomas Ruthall William Atwater John Longland Cuthbert Tunstall Richard Pace Peter Vannes William Bradbridge Thomas Cole Edmund Freke John Piers John Bridges John Gordon John Williams John Bowle Edmund Mason Richard Baylie Ralph Brideoake Thomas Pierce Robert Woodward Edward Young John Younger John Clarke Thomas Greene Rowney Noel John Ekins

Late modern	Charles Talbot Hugh Pearson Francis Lear Henry Hamilton J. C. Ryle George Boyle Allan Webb William Page Roberts Andrew Burn John Randolph Edward Henderson Henry Robins Robert Moberly Kenneth Haworth Fenton Morley Sydney Evans Hugh Dickinson Derek Watson June Osborne

Westminster Abbey

Deans

Early modern	William Benson Richard Cox Hugh Weston William Bill Gabriel Goodman Lancelot Andrewes Richard Neile George Montaigne Robert Tounson John Williams Richard Steward John Earle John Dolben Thomas Sprat Francis Atterbury Samuel Bradford Joseph Wilcocks Zachary Pearce John Thomas Samuel Horsley

Late modern	William Vincent John Ireland Thomas Turton Samuel Wilberforce William Buckland Richard Chenevix Trench Arthur Stanley George Bradley Armitage Robinson Herbert Ryle William Foxley Norris Paul de Labilliere Alan Don Eric Abbott Edward Carpenter Michael Mayne Wesley Carr John Hall

Canons (current)

Vernon White (Canon Theologian)
David Stanton (Canon Treasurer & Almoner)
Jane Sinclair (Rector of St Margaret's)
Anthony Ball (Canon Steward)
vacant roles: Sub-Dean; Archdeacon
Chris Stoltz (Minor Canon & Precentor)
Mark Birch (Minor Canon & Chaplain)
Paul Arbuthnot (Minor Canon & Sacrist)

Category
Commons

Bishops and Archbishops of York

Pre-Reformation Bishops	Paulinus Chad Wilfrid Bosa John of Beverley Wilfrid II

Pre-Reformation Archbishops	Egbert Æthelbert Eanbald I Eanbald II Wulfsige Wigmund Wulfhere Æthelbald Hrotheweard Wulfstan I Oscytel Edwald Oswald Ealdwulf Wulfstan II Ælfric Puttoc Cynesige Ealdred Thomas of Bayeux Gerard Thomas II Thurstan William FitzHerbert Henry Murdac William FitzHerbert Roger de Pont L'Évêque Geoffrey Plantagenet Simon Langton Walter de Gray Sewal de Bovil Godfrey Ludham William Langton Bonaventure Walter Giffard William de Wickwane John le Romeyn Henry of Newark Thomas of Corbridge William Greenfield William Melton William Zouche John of Thoresby Alexander Neville Thomas Arundel Robert Waldby Richard le Scrope Thomas Langley Robert Hallam Henry Bowet Philip Morgan Richard Fleming John Kemp William Booth George Neville Lawrence Booth Thomas Rotherham Thomas Savage Christopher Bainbridge Thomas Wolsey

Post-Reformation Archbishops	Edward Lee Robert Holgate Nicholas Heath Thomas Young Edmund Grindal Edwin Sandys John Piers Matthew Hutton Tobias Matthew George Montaigne Samuel Harsnett Richard Neile John Williams Accepted Frewen Richard Sterne John Dolben Thomas Lamplugh John Sharp Sir William Dawes Bt Lancelot Blackburne Thomas Herring Matthew Hutton John Gilbert Robert Hay Drummond William Markham Edward Venables-Vernon-Harcourt Thomas Musgrave Charles Longley William Thomson William Magee William Maclagan Cosmo Lang William Temple Cyril Garbett Michael Ramsey Donald Coggan Stuart Blanch John Habgood David Hope John Sentamu

Bishops of Lincoln

Leicester	Cuthwine Wilfrid Headda Aldwine Torhthelm Eadbeorht Unwona Wernbeorht Hræthhun Ealdred Ceobred see removed to Dorchester

Dorchester	Harlardus Wigmund Coenwulf Wynsige Æthelwold Oscytel united see: Leofwine Alnothus Æscwig Ælfhelm Eadnoth (I) Æthelric Eadnoth (II) Ulfus Normanus Wulfwig Remigius de Fécamp

High Medieval	Remigius de Fécamp Robert Bloet Alexander Robert de Chesney Geoffrey Plantagenet Walter de Coutances Hugh of Avalon William de Blois Hugh of Wells Robert Grosseteste Henry of Lexington Richard of Gravesend Oliver Sutton

Late Medieval	John Dalderby Anthony Bek Henry Burghersh Thomas Bek John Gynwell John Bokyngham Henry Beaufort Philip Repyngdon Richard Fleming William Grey William Alnwick Marmaduke Lumley John Chadworth Thomas Rotherham John Russell

Early modern	William Smyth Thomas Wolsey William Atwater John Longland Henry Holbeach John Taylor John White Thomas Watson Nicholas Bullingham Thomas Cooper William Wickham William Chaderton William Barlow Richard Neile George Montaigne John Williams Thomas Winniffe Robert Sanderson Benjamin Lany William Fuller Thomas Barlow Thomas Tenison James Gardiner William Wake Edmund Gibson Richard Reynolds John Thomas John Green Thomas Thurlow

Late modern	George Pretyman (later Pretyman Tomline) George Pelham John Kaye John Jackson Christopher Wordsworth Edward King Edward Hicks William Swayne Nugent Hicks Aylmer Skelton Leslie Owen Maurice Harland Kenneth Riches Simon Phipps Bob Hardy John Saxbee Christopher Lowson

Authority control	WorldCat Identities VIAF: 120699644 LCCN: n80122778 ISNI: 0000 0000 8416 1071 BNF: cb122012028 (data)

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