John Pory (1502/03–1570) was an English churchman and academic, Master of
Corpus Christi College, Cambridge
Corpus Christi College (full name: "The College of Corpus Christi and the Blessed Virgin Mary", often shortened to "Corpus"), is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. From the late 14th century through to the early 19th century ...
.
Life
Born at
Thrapston
Thrapston is a market town in North Northamptonshire, England. It was the headquarters of the former East Northamptonshire district, and at the time of the United Kingdom Census 2011, 2011 census, had a population of 6,239.
The town's name mea ...
e,
Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire (; abbreviated Northants.) is a county in the East Midlands of England. In 2015, it had a population of 723,000. The county is administered by
two unitary authorities: North Northamptonshire and West Northamptonshire. It is ...
, Pory was admitted to Corpus Christi College, Cambridge in 1520. He graduated B.A. in 1524, M.A. in 1527, B.D. in 1535, and D.D. in 1557. He was elected about 1534 fellow of Corpus and also of the college of St. John the Baptist at
Stoke-by-Clare
Stoke-by-Clare is a small village and civil parish in Suffolk located in the valley of the River Stour, about two miles west of Clare.
In 1124 Richard de Clare, 1st Earl of Hertford, moved the Benedictine Priory that had been established at h ...
,
Suffolk
Suffolk () is a ceremonial county of England in East Anglia. It borders Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south; the North Sea lies to the east. The county town is Ipswich; other important towns include Lowes ...
, where
Matthew Parker
Matthew Parker (6 August 1504 – 17 May 1575) was an English bishop. He was the Archbishop of Canterbury in the Church of England from 1559 until his death in 1575. He was also an influential theologian and arguably the co-founder (with a p ...
, to whose friendship Pory owed preferments, was dean.
In 1557 Pory was elected Master of Corpus, and on 13 December of the year following he became vice-chancellor of Cambridge University. From 1555 to 1564 he was rector of
Bunwell
Bunwell is a parish (population 1024) situated in the county of Norfolk, England, approximately 7 miles south-east of Attleborough. The parish includes the hamlets of Bunwell Hill, Bunwell Street, Great Green, Little Green and Low Common.
Herita ...
, Norfolk; from 1555 or 1556 till 1561 vicar of
St Stephen's Church, Norwich
St Stephen's Church, Norwich is a Grade I listed parish church in the Church of England in Norwich.
History
The church dates from the 14th century. The tower was remodelled in 1601. Richard Caister was Vicar from 1402 to his death in 1420, duri ...
; from 1558 to 1569 rector of
Landbeach
Landbeach is a small fen-edge English village about three miles (5 km) north of Cambridge. The parish covers an area of .
History
The fen edge north of Cambridge was well populated in Roman times, and the village's situation on a Roman road ...
, Cambridgeshire; from 21 December 1559 prebendary of
Ely Cathedral
Ely Cathedral, formally the Cathedral Church of the Holy and Undivided Trinity, is an Anglican cathedral in the city of Ely, Cambridgeshire, England.
The cathedral has its origins in AD 672 when St Etheldreda built an abbey church. The presen ...
; from 19 August 1560 rector of
Pulham St. Mary
Pulham Saint Mary is a rural village and civil parish in Norfolk, that lies next to the village of Pulham Market. It is situated approximately northeast of Diss and south of Norwich, covers an area of and a population of 892 at the 2011 censu ...
, Norfolk; and from 1 May 1564 prebendary of
Canterbury Cathedral
Canterbury Cathedral in Canterbury, Kent, is one of the oldest and most famous Christian structures in England. It forms part of a World Heritage Site. It is the cathedral of the Archbishop of Canterbury, currently Justin Welby, leader of the ...
, resigning this prebend in 1567 for the seventh stall at
Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey, formally titled the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster, is an historic, mainly Gothic church in the City of Westminster, London, England, just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is one of the United ...
.
On the visit of
Queen Elizabeth I
Elizabeth I (7 September 153324 March 1603) was Queen of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death in 1603. Elizabeth was the last of the five House of Tudor monarchs and is sometimes referred to as the "Virgin Queen".
El ...
to Cambridge in August 1564, Pory was one of the four senior doctors who held the canopy over her as she entered
King's College Chapel
King's College Chapel is the chapel of King's College in the University of Cambridge. It is considered one of the finest examples of late Perpendicular Gothic English architecture and features the world's largest fan vault. The Chapel was bui ...
. He also took part in the divinity act held before the queen, on the thesis ''major est scripturæ quam ecclesiæ auctoritas''. He afterwards attended Elizabeth when she visited Oxford in 1566, and was incorporated there. During his mastership a new library was fitted up in his college, the north side of which was reserved for the manuscripts which Parker was intending to present. Pory also persuaded him to increase the endowment.
Pory declined to resign his mastership when disabled by failing health from performing his duties; and Parker instigated complaints against him before the ecclesiastical commissioners. Pressure was applied before Pory withdrew, and Thomas Aldrich was appointed master of Corpus on 3 February 1570. Pory gave up all his preferments about the same time. He died at
Thompson, Norfolk
Thompson is a civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. It covers an area of and including Tottington had a population of 341 in 147 households at the 2001 census,