Oliver King (29 August 1503) was a

Bishop of Exeter The Bishop of Exeter is the ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Exeter in the Province of Canterbury. Since 30 April 2014 the ordinary has been Robert Atwell.

and Bishop of Bath and Wells who restored

Bath Abbey The Abbey Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, commonly known as Bath Abbey, is a parish church of the Church of England and former Benedictine monastery in Bath, Somerset, England. Founded in the 7th century, it was reorganised in the 10th ...

after 1500.

Early life

King was educated at

Eton Eton most commonly refers to Eton College, a public school in Eton, Berkshire, England. Eton may also refer to: Places *Eton, Berkshire, a town in Berkshire, England * Eton, Georgia, a town in the United States * Éton, a commune in the Meuse dep ...

, where he was a king's scholar, and

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 city ...

, where he graduated Master of Arts by 1456/57, was a

Fellow A fellow is a concept whose exact meaning depends on context. In learned or professional societies, it refers to a privileged member who is specially elected in recognition of their work and achievements. Within the context of higher education ...

of King's and served as junior proctor of the university in 1459–1460. He became a

priest A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particu ...

then studied civil law at the

University of Orléans The University of Orléans (french: Université d'Orléans) is a French university, in the Academy of Orléans and Tours. As of July 2015 it is a member of the regional university association Leonardo da Vinci consolidated University. History ...

as well as at Cambridge, graduating as doctor of Civil Law.

Career

In 1466 King was appointed Rector of Broughton, Hampshire, and in 1473 Warden of St John's Hospital, Dorchester. Under the new regime of

Edward IV of England Edward IV (28 April 1442 – 9 April 1483) was King of England from 4 March 1461 to 3 October 1470, then again from 11 April 1471 until his death in 1483. He was a central figure in the Wars of the Roses, a series of civil wars in England ...

he was appointed Clerk of the Signet in 1473, in 1475 was sent as ambassador to the Duke of Brittany. On 18 March 1476, Oliver King Master of the seven liberal Arts and Licentiate in Laws, became the king's 'first and principal Secretary' for the French tongue for life, and succeeded

William Hatteclyffe William Hatteclyffe (''ca.'' 1417–1480), sometimes spelt in other ways, such as Hattclyff, Hatcliff, and even Atcliff, was an English physician, diplomat, and King's Secretary. Hatteclyffe was one of a clerical dynasty, and there are other men ...

king's secretary In the Kingdom of England, the title of Secretary of State came into being near the end of the reign of Queen Elizabeth I (1558–1603), the usual title before that having been King's Clerk, King's Secretary, or Principal Secretary. From the ...

in 1480.; and receiving the salary of £20 per annum. Supposedly being expert in "the French language" Dr King was effectively second secretary, discharging the duties of the Signet in Hatteclyffe's absence. Under Edward IV the Secretary's office expanded the number of clerks to at least four, with a Gentleman and "writers of the King's Signet under him".

The Secretary and his clerks pay for their carriage of harness in court, except a little coffer to which the king's warrants and bills are signed, and other letters and remembrances be kept ...Thiis coffer is carried at the King's cost, whereas the Controller will sign. The Secretary has 3 Getlemen-in-waiting on him for all that office. The remnant of all other servants to be found at his livery in the country delivered by the Herberger... he is out, ehe has a yeoman to keep chamber, eating at Chamberlain's board in the hall: both he and his clerks take clothing off the King's Wardrobe.

During the early modern monarchy the Secretaries gradually assumed more importance, and standing at court, their office expanded and their salary improved to the same as the Clerk of the council. In 1480 he was appointed Canon of the eleventh stall at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, a position he held until 1503.''Fasti Wyndesorienses'', May 1950. S.L. Ollard. Published by the Dean and Canons of St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle. King was appointed Bishop of Exeter on 1 October 1492, consecrated on 3 February 1493.Fryde, et al. ''Handbook of British Chronology'' p. 247 He was then translated to the see of Bath and Wells on 6 November 1495. He died on 29 August 1503.Fryde, et al. ''Handbook of British Chronology'' p. 228

Restoration of Bath Abbey

King organised the restoration of

after 1500. The story of the refounding is told on the front of the Abbey in carved Bath stone. King had a dream in which he saw a host of

angel In various theistic religious traditions an angel is a supernatural spiritual being who serves God. Abrahamic religions often depict angels as benevolent celestial intermediaries between God (or Heaven) and humanity. Other roles include ...

s on a ladder, the

Holy Trinity The Christian doctrine of the Trinity (, from 'threefold') is the central dogma concerning the nature of God in most Christian churches, which defines one God existing in three coequal, coeternal, consubstantial divine persons: God the F ...

and an olive tree with a crown on it. He heard a voice: :'Let an Olive establish the crown, and let a King restore the Church.' King believed this was a call for him to support the candidature of Henry Tudor as King, and to restore the Abbey. These images are carved on the West Front of the Abbey with coats of arms of the Montague Family (who paid for the carved wooden doors) and Henry VII's

coat of arms A coat of arms is a heraldry, heraldic communication design, visual design on an escutcheon (heraldry), escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central ele ...

. There are also statues of the

twelve apostles In Christian theology and ecclesiology, the apostles, particularly the Twelve Apostles (also known as the Twelve Disciples or simply the Twelve), were the primary disciples of Jesus according to the New Testament. During the life and minist ...

, including a large statue of

St Peter ) (Simeon, Simon) , birth_date = , birth_place = Bethsaida, Gaulanitis, Syria, Roman Empire , death_date = Between AD 64–68 , death_place = probably Vatican Hill, Rome, Italia, Roman Empire , parents = John (or Jonah; Jona) , occupation ...

and one of

Saint Paul Paul; grc, Παῦλος, translit=Paulos; cop, ⲡⲁⲩⲗⲟⲥ; hbo, פאולוס השליח (previously called Saul of Tarsus;; ar, بولس الطرسوسي; grc, Σαῦλος Ταρσεύς, Saũlos Tarseús; tr, Tarsuslu Pavlus; ...

Citations

References

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:King, Oliver Alumni of King's College, Cambridge Bishops of Bath and Wells Bishops of Exeter Deans of Hereford People educated at Eton College 16th-century English Roman Catholic bishops 1430s births 1503 deaths 15th-century English Roman Catholic bishops Canons of Windsor Angelic visionaries Year of birth uncertain