John Fryer (died 1563) was an English physician, humanist and early reformer. He was a

Member Member may refer to: * Military jury, referred to as "Members" in military jargon * Element (mathematics), an object that belongs to a mathematical set * In object-oriented programming, a member of a class ** Field (computer science), entries in ...

of the

Parliament of England The Parliament of England was the legislature of the Kingdom of England from the 13th century until 1707 when it was replaced by the Parliament of Great Britain. Parliament evolved from the great council of bishops and peers that advised ...

for

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in 1545.

Life

Fryer, born at Balsham,

Cambridgeshire Cambridgeshire (abbreviated Cambs.) is a county in the East of England, bordering Lincolnshire to the north, Norfolk to the north-east, Suffolk to the east, Essex and Hertfordshire to the south, and Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire to the ...

, was educated at

Eton College Eton College () is a public school in Eton, Berkshire, England. It was founded in 1440 by Henry VI under the name ''Kynge's College of Our Ladye of Eton besyde Windesore'',Nevill, p. 3 ff. intended as a sister institution to King's College, ...

and went to

King's College, Cambridge King's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Formally The King's College of Our Lady and Saint Nicholas in Cambridge, the college lies beside the River Cam and faces out onto King's Parade in the centre of the cit ...

in 1517. He graduated B.A. in 1521 and M.A. in 1525. On 5 November 1525 he was incorporated at Oxford, being one of three masters of arts who had been preferred to

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; all

Lutheran Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Cathol ...

s, they were obliged to leave. He was imprisoned for heresy in the

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. By 1528 he was again a prisoner, this time in the Fleet Prison. On 16 September 1528 he addressed from prison an elegant Latin letter to Cardinal Wolsey. Fryer's scholarship and personal qualities gained him the friendship of many eminent men, especially that of

Edward Foxe Edward Foxe (c. 1496 – 8 May 1538) was an English churchman, Bishop of Hereford. He played a major role in Henry VIII's divorce from Catherine of Aragon, and he assisted in drafting the '' Ten Articles'' of 1536. Early life He was born at ...

, then Provost of King's College. By Foxe's assistance he was able to study medicine at the

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, where he took the degree of M.D. in 1535. It is probable that he was incorporated on this degree at Cambridge. In December 1535 he attended Foxe at the Diet of Smalcalde in

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. The following year he returned home, and ultimately settled in London, residing in Bishopsgate within the parish of St Martin Outwich. He was admitted a fellow of the

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in 1536, was censor in 1541, 1553, 1554, 1555, and 1559, elect in 1547, consiliarius in 1548 and 1555 to 1560, and president in 1549 and 1550. On 24 June 1560 Fryer was committed to the

Compter A compter, sometimes referred to as a counter, was a type of small English prison controlled by a sheriff. The inmates were usually civil prisoners, for example dissenters and debtors. Examples of compters include London's Wood Street Compter, Po ...

; he was liberated on the following day. In 1561 he was imprisoned in the

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, not for Lutheranism but for

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, 'wherein he was educated' (cf. Cal. State Papers, Dom. Ser. Addenda, 1547–65, p. 510). There in an examination of his servant, Thomas How, organ-maker, taken before Sir William Chester, lord mayor of London, 23 April 1561. It relates to the visit of his master to Dr. Martyn at Buntingford, Hertfordshire, and states that neither he nor his master to his knowledge had received the communion since Queen Elizabeth's accession. Fryer was liberated from prison in the beginning of August 1563, but died of the

plague Plague or The Plague may refer to: Agriculture, fauna, and medicine *Plague (disease), a disease caused by ''Yersinia pestis'' * An epidemic of infectious disease (medical or agricultural) * A pandemic caused by such a disease * A swarm of pe ...

on 21 October, and was buried at St. Martin Outwich. His

nuncupative will An oral will (or nuncupative will) is a will that has been delivered orally (that is, in speech) to witnesses, as opposed to the usual form of wills, which is written and according to a proper format. A minority of U.S. states (approximately 20 ...

is attested by a curate of St Martin's.

Family

His wife, Ursula, and several of his children also lost their lives by the pestilence. In her will, proved 28 December 1563, Mrs. Fryer, after desiring burial with her husband, names as her children three sons, Thomas, Jarmyn, and Reinolde, and two daughters, Mathe and Lucie.

References

* ;Attribution {{DEFAULTSORT:Fryer, John Year of birth missing 1563 deaths 16th-century English medical doctors People educated at Eton College People from Balsham Presidents of the Royal College of Physicians English MPs 1545–1547 16th-century deaths from plague (disease)