Richard Clayton (died 1612) was an English churchman and academic, Master of

Magdalene College, Cambridge Magdalene College ( ) is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. The college was founded in 1428 as a Benedictine hostel, in time coming to be known as Buckingham College, before being refounded in 1542 as the College of St Mary ...

and

St John's College, Cambridge St John's College is a Colleges of the University of Cambridge, constituent college of the University of Cambridge founded by the House of Tudor, Tudor matriarch Lady Margaret Beaufort. In constitutional terms, the college is a charitable corpo ...

and

Dean of Peterborough The Dean of Peterborough is the head of the chapter at Peterborough Cathedral. On the Dissolution of Peterborough Abbey in 1539 and the abbey-church's refoundation as a cathedral for the new bishop and diocese of Peterborough, care for the abbey ...

Life

He was son of John Clayton of

Crook Crook is another name for criminal. Crook or Crooks may also refer to: Places * Crook, County Durham, England, a town * Crook, Cumbria, England, village and civil parish * Crook Hill, Derbyshire, England * Crook, Colorado, United States, a ...

Preston, Lancashire Preston () is a city on the north bank of the River Ribble in Lancashire, England. The city is the administrative centre of the county of Lancashire and the wider City of Preston local government district. Preston and its surrounding distri ...

, and was admitted a pensioner of St. John's College, Cambridge, in 1572, but moved to Oxford, where he proceeded B.A., and was incorporated in that degree at Cambridge in 1576. In the following year he was admitted a fellow of St. John's, on the Lady Margaret's foundation. He commenced M.A. at Cambridge in 1579, and was incorporated in that degree at Oxford on 12 July 1580. He proceeded B.D. at Cambridge in 1587, was elected a college preacher at St. John's the same year, and was created D.D. in 1592. He became Master of Magdalene College, Cambridge, in 1593, was installed

Archdeacon of Lincoln The Archdeacon of Lincoln is a senior ecclesiastical officer in the Diocese of Lincoln – he or she has responsibilities within his archdeaconry (the ancient Archdeaconry of Lincoln) including oversight of church buildings and some supervision, d ...

on 30 August 1595, and was collated to the prebend of Thorngate in the church of Lincoln on 11 December 1595. He was admitted Master of St. John's College, Cambridge, on 22 December 1595, in what as a highly politicised election manipulated by

Lord Burghley William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley (13 September 15204 August 1598) was an English statesman, the chief adviser of Queen Elizabeth I for most of her reign, twice Secretary of State (1550–1553 and 1558–1572) and Lord High Treasurer from 1 ...

: the Fellows had a shortlist including Henry Alvey, Clayton, John Ireton, John Knewstub, Roger Morrell,

John Rainolds John Rainolds (or Reynolds) (1549 – 21 May 1607) was an English academic and churchman, of Puritan views. He is remembered for his role in the Authorized Version of the Bible, a project of which he was initiator. Life He was born about Mi ...

, and a Dr. Webster, but Burghley insisted on one of Clayton and Laurence Stanton (who was the choice of the heads of houses).Mark Dever, ''Richard Sibbes'' (2000), p. 22. The second court of the college was his major work as Master at St. John's; he was intolerant of

Puritan The Puritans were English Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries who sought to purify the Church of England of Catholic Church, Roman Catholic practices, maintaining that the Church of England had not been fully reformed and should become m ...

ism in the college. He was collated to a canonry of Peterborough on 21 June 1596, was vice-chancellor of the university of Cambridge in 1604; and was installed dean of Peterborough on 28 July 1607. He died on 2 May 1612, and was buried in St. John's College chapel.

Notes

References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Clayton, Richard Alumni of St John's College, Cambridge Masters of Magdalene College, Cambridge Masters of St John's College, Cambridge Deans of Peterborough 1612 deaths Year of birth missing 16th-century births 16th-century English Anglican priests 17th-century English Anglican priests 16th-century scholars 17th-century scholars Clergy from Preston, Lancashire Vice-Chancellors of the University of Cambridge Fellows of St John's College, Cambridge