Daniel Greenwood ( – 29 January 1674) was an

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

clergyman and academic administrator at the

University of Oxford , mottoeng = The Lord is my light , established = , endowment = £6.1 billion (including colleges) (2019) , budget = £2.145 billion (2019–20) , chancellor ...

. Greenwood was the son of Richard Greenwood of Sowerby, North Yorkshire. He matriculated at

Lincoln College, Oxford Lincoln College (formally, The College of the Blessed Mary and All Saints, Lincoln) is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford, situated on Turl Street in central Oxford. Lincoln was founded in 1427 by Richard Fleming, the ...

in 1624, aged 19, and graduated B.A. in 1627 ( incorporated B.A. at Cambridge in 1632). He was appointed a Clifton Fellow of

Brasenose College, Oxford Brasenose College (BNC) is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. It began as Brasenose Hall in the 13th century, before being founded as a college in 1509. The library and chapel were added in the mi ...

in 1627, graduating M.A. 1629, B.D. 1641,

D.D. A Doctor of Divinity (D.D. or DDiv; la, Doctor Divinitatis) is the holder of an advanced academic degree in divinity. In the United Kingdom, it is considered an advanced doctoral degree. At the University of Oxford, doctors of divinity are ra ...

1649. In 1637,

Archbishop Laud William Laud (; 7 October 1573 – 10 January 1645) was a bishop in the Church of England. Appointed Archbishop of Canterbury by Charles I in 1633, Laud was a key advocate of Charles I's religious reforms, he was arrested by Parliament in 1640 ...

instructed the Vice-Chancellor (Laud's nephew-in-law

Richard Baylie Richard Baylie (1585 – 27 July 1667) was twice President of St John's College, Oxford, twice Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University, Archdeacon of Nottingham and Dean of the Salisbury Cathedral. Baylie was President of St John's College, Oxford fr ...

) to keep an eye on Greenwood, whose Puritan preaching had come to Laud's attention: In the church, Greenwood was Rector of Chastleton, Oxfordshire 1640–1662. During the Parliamentary occupation of Oxford (Parliament had captured Oxford at the Siege of Oxford in 1646), Samuel Radcliffe, Principal of Brasenose College, refused to recognise the authority of the Parliamentary visitors, who issued an order expelling Radcliffe as Principal in January 1648, and appointed Greenwood as Principal on 29 February. On 13 April the Chancellor visited Brasenose to invest Greenwood with the office. Radcliffe, by then in terminal ill health, did not leave Brasenose, dying under house arrest on 26 June. In a process disrupted by Parliamentary soldiers, the Fellows then elected

Thomas Yate Thomas Yate, D.D. (1604–1681), sometimes called Yates, was an Oxford college head. Yate was educated at Brasenose College, Oxford. He held the living at Middleton Cheney Middleton Cheney is a village and civil parish in West Northamptonshir ...

in opposition to Greenwood. Yate and 12 other Fellows (out of 16 Fellows in total) were then expelled from their Fellowships. Although a Parliamentary appointee, Greenwood was a good college administrator; under Greenwood, numbers at the College rose from 20 to 120. He was also

Vice-Chancellor A chancellor is a leader of a college or university, usually either the executive or ceremonial head of the university or of a university campus within a university system. In most Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth and former Commonwealth n ...

Oxford University Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...

1650–1652. His Vice-Chancellorship was renewed in 1651 by

Oliver Cromwell Oliver Cromwell (25 April 15993 September 1658) was an English politician and military officer who is widely regarded as one of the most important statesmen in English history. He came to prominence during the 1639 to 1651 Wars of the Three Ki ...

as University Chancellor, Cromwell commending Greenwood's "ability and zeale for Reformation". In 1660, both Greenwood and Yate presented their claims to the principalship, Yate stating that Greenwood had not taken the Principal's oath, Greenwood stating that Yate's election was not entered in the college register and did not follow the statutes. Yate prevailed, the college Visitor (the Bishop of Lincoln) ordering that Yate be reinstated as Principal. Greenwood died at

Steeple Aston Steeple Aston is a village and civil parish on the edge of the Cherwell Valley, in the Cherwell District of Oxfordshire, England, about north of Oxford, west of Bicester, and south of Banbury. The 2011 Census recorded the parish populatio ...

on 29 January 1673/74, and was buried in the chancel of the church.

References

1600s births 1674 deaths Alumni of Lincoln College, Oxford Fellows of Brasenose College, Oxford Principals of Brasenose College, Oxford Vice-Chancellors of the University of Oxford {{UOxford-stub