John Scory (died 1585) was an English
Dominican friar
The Order of Preachers ( la, Ordo Praedicatorum) abbreviated OP, also known as the Dominicans, is a Catholic mendicant order of Pontifical Right for men founded in Toulouse, France, by the Spanish priest, saint and mystic Dominic of Cal ...
who later became a bishop in the
Church of England
The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britain ...
.
He was
Bishop of Rochester
The Bishop of Rochester is the ordinary of the Church of England's Diocese of Rochester in the Province of Canterbury.
The town of Rochester has the bishop's seat, at the Cathedral Church of Christ and the Blessed Virgin Mary, which was foun ...
from 1551 to 1552, and then translated to
Bishop of Chichester
The Bishop of Chichester is the ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Chichester in the Province of Canterbury. The diocese covers the counties of East and West Sussex. The see is based in the City of Chichester where the bishop's seat ...
from 1552 to 1553. He was deprived of this position on
Queen Mary's accession, but returned to the Anglican episcopate under
Elizabeth
Elizabeth or Elisabeth may refer to:
People
* Elizabeth (given name), a female given name (including people with that name)
* Elizabeth (biblical figure), mother of John the Baptist
Ships
* HMS ''Elizabeth'', several ships
* ''Elisabeth'' (sch ...
's reign as
Bishop of Hereford
The Bishop of Hereford is the ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Hereford in the Province of Canterbury.
The episcopal see is centred in the Hereford, City of Hereford where the bishop's seat (''cathedra'') is in the Hereford Cathedr ...
from 1559 to 1585.
He participated in the
Westminster Disputation of 1559.
Life
He was a
Norfolk
Norfolk () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in East Anglia in England. It borders Lincolnshire to the north-west, Cambridgeshire to the west and south-west, and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the No ...
man, who became a friar in the
Dominicans' house at Cambridge about 1530, and was one of those who signed the surrender on its suppression in 1538. He proceeded B.D. in 1539. In 1541 he was one of the
six preachers
The college of Six Preachers of Canterbury Cathedral was created by Archbishop Thomas Cranmer as part of the reorganisation of the monastic Christ Church Priory into the new secular Cathedral.
First mentioned in a letter of Cranmer to Thomas Crom ...
whom
Thomas Cranmer
Thomas Cranmer (2 July 1489 – 21 March 1556) was a leader of the English Reformation and Archbishop of Canterbury during the reigns of Henry VIII, Edward VI and, for a short time, Mary I. He helped build the case for the annulment of Henry' ...
appointed at
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 ...
. He was also one of Cranmer's chaplains.
Scory was accused for a sermon preached on Ascension day 1541, but nothing seems to have resulted. King Edward notes that when
Joan Bocher
Joan Bocher (died 2 May 1550 in Smithfield, London) was an English Anabaptist burned at the stake for heresy during the English Reformation in the reign of Edward VI. She has also been known as Joan Boucher or Butcher, or as Joan Knell or Joan of ...
was executed (2 May 1550) for heresy, Scory preached, and she reviled him, saying that he lied like a rogue and ought to read the Bible. He was about this time made examining chaplain to
Nicholas Ridley, the bishop of London. In Lent 1551 he called attention to the want of ecclesiastical discipline, and to the covetousness of the rich, particularly in the matter of
enclosure
Enclosure or Inclosure is a term, used in English landownership, that refers to the appropriation of "waste" or " common land" enclosing it and by doing so depriving commoners of their rights of access and privilege. Agreements to enclose land ...
s. He was appointed to the bishopric of Rochester on 26 April 1551, and was a commissioner appointed to revise the ecclesiastical laws (February 1551–2). On 23 May 1552 he was translated to Chichester.
On Mary's accession Scory was deprived, but submitted himself to
Edmund Bonner
Edmund Bonner (also Boner; c. 15005 September 1569) was Bishop of London from 1539 to 1549 and again from 1553 to 1559. Initially an instrumental figure in the schism of Henry VIII from Rome, he was antagonised by the Protestant reforms intro ...
, renounced his wife, did penance for being married, and, having recanted and been absolved, was allowed to officiate in the London diocese. He is also supposed to have circulated Cranmer's ''Declaration concerning the Mass''. He soon, however, left England and went to
Emden
Emden () is an independent city and seaport in Lower Saxony in the northwest of Germany, on the river Ems. It is the main city of the region of East Frisia and, in 2011, had a total population of 51,528.
History
The exact founding date of E ...
in
Friesland
Friesland (, ; official fry, Fryslân ), historically and traditionally known as Frisia, is a province of the Netherlands located in the country's northern part. It is situated west of Groningen, northwest of Drenthe and Overijssel, north of ...
, where he became superintendent of the English congregation. He also spent time at
Wesel
Wesel () is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is the capital of the Wesel district.
Geography
Wesel is situated at the confluence of the Lippe River and the Rhine.
Division of the city
Suburbs of Wesel include Lackhausen, Obrighove ...
, then resided from 1556 at
Geneva
Geneva ( ; french: Genève ) frp, Genèva ; german: link=no, Genf ; it, Ginevra ; rm, Genevra is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland (after Zürich) and the most populous city of Romandy, the French-speaki ...
.
On Elizabeth's accession Scory returned to England. He preached before the queen in Lent 1559, took part in the Westminster disputation on 31 March 1559, and on 15 July 1559 became bishop of Hereford, one of the first bishops nominated by Elizabeth. When
Henry III of France
Henry III (french: Henri III, né Alexandre Édouard; pl, Henryk Walezy; lt, Henrikas Valua; 19 September 1551 – 2 August 1589) was King of France from 1574 until his assassination in 1589, as well as King of Poland and Grand Duke of ...
died, Scory preached at the solemn service held at
St Paul's Cathedral
St Paul's Cathedral is an Anglican cathedral in London and is the seat of the Bishop of London. The cathedral serves as the mother church of the Diocese of London. It is on Ludgate Hill at the highest point of the City of London and is a Grad ...
on 8 September 1559. He also assisted at
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 ...
's consecration, and preached the sermon on 17 December 1559.
As diocesan bishop at Hereford Scory had troubles. He wrote to Parker describing the condition of his diocese, which contained many chapels either unserved or served with a reader only; some of the parish churches were in danger, owing to an interpretation of the statute for the suppression of colleges. He also was bothered by the proceedings of the
Council of Wales and the Marches
The Court of the Council in the Dominion and Principality of Wales, and the Marches of the same, commonly called the Council of Wales and the Marches () or the Council of the Marches, was a regional administrative body based in Ludlow Castle wi ...
, and had difficulties with the cathedral clergy; but he obtained new statutes for the cathedral in 1582. He was accused of being a money-lender.
John Aubrey
John Aubrey (12 March 1626 – 7 June 1697) was an English antiquary, natural philosopher and writer. He is perhaps best known as the author of the ''Brief Lives'', his collection of short biographical pieces. He was a pioneer archaeologist, ...
says that he loved his son
Sylvanus Scory "so dearly that he fleeced the Church of Hereford to leave him a good estate". He instituted a thorough review of the lands of the bishopric which was carried out 1577–80 by the young Swithun Butterfield.
[Notes & Queries, 7th series, VIII, 6 July 1889; A. T. Bannister, English Historical Review, April 1928]
In dogma Scory was orthodox, and signed the articles of 1562, and the canons of 1571. He died at
Whitbourne, Herefordshire
Whitbourne (Anglo-Saxon for "white stream") is a village in Eastern Herefordshire, England on the banks of the River Teme and close to the A44. It is close to Bringsty Common on one side and the border of Worcestershire on the other. Around 400 ...
on 26 June 1585. He left money to charitable uses.
Works
*''Epistle to the Faytheful in Pryson in England'', written during his exile at Emden.
*''Certein Works of the blessed Cipriane the Martyr'', London, 1556.
*''Two Books of the noble doctor and B. S. Augustine'', translated into English, 8vo, between 1550 and 1560.
A survey of the lands belonging to the see of Hereford was made in 1577–8 by Swithun Butterfield under Scory's direction, and has been preserved.
Family
Scory's wife Elizabeth survived till 8 March 1592. A son
Sylvanus Scory was prebendary of Hereford 1565–9, fought in the Low Countries, was M.P. for
Newtown, Hampshire
Newtown is a village and civil parish in the English county of Hampshire, about south of Newbury, Berkshire.
History
In the early 13th century, the Bishops of Winchester created six new towns: Newtown, Overton and New Alresford in Hampshire; ...
in 1597, and, dying in 1617, was buried in
St Leonard's, Shoreditch
St Leonard's, Shoreditch, is the ancient parish church of Shoreditch, often known simply as Shoreditch Church. It is located at the intersection of Shoreditch High Street with Hackney Road, within the London Borough of Hackney in East London. The ...
. He left one son, Sylvanus, who died a prisoner in
Wood Street counter
The Wood Street Compter (or Wood Street Counter) was a small prison within the City of London in England. It was primarily a debtors' prison, and also held people accused of such misdemeanours as public drunkenness, although some wealthier pris ...
in 1641, and another son, Edmund, knighted on 4 July 1618.
References
Attribution
{{DEFAULTSORT:Scory, John
1585 deaths
English Dominicans
Bishops of Rochester
Bishops of Chichester
Bishops of Hereford
Year of birth unknown
Marian exiles
16th-century English clergy
16th-century Anglican theologians