Thomas Forman (also referred to as ''Robert Forman'' and sometimes spelled ''Farman''; ), was an early English reformer who served as the rector of

All Hallows, Honey Lane All Hallows, Honey Lane was a parish church in the City of London, England. Of medieval origin, it was destroyed in the Great Fire of London in 1666 and not rebuilt; the site became part of Honey Lane Market, which was in turn partially cleared ...

and also as President of Queens' College, Cambridge. He is chiefly remembered for distributing heretical books before the English Reformation with his curate

Thomas Gerrard Thomas Gerard (1500?–1540) (Gerrard, also Garret or Garrard) was an English Protestant reformer. In 1540, he was burnt to death for heresy, along with William Jerome and Robert Barnes. Life He matriculated at Corpus Christi College, Oxford, ...

Life

Forman received his

B.A. Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four yea ...

degree in 1511 and in 1514 he was elected as a Fellow of Queens' College, Cambridge. He took his

Doctorate in Divinity A Doctor of Divinity (D.D. or DDiv; la, Doctor Divinitatis) is the holder of an advanced academic degree in divinity. In the United Kingdom, it is considered an advanced doctoral degree. At the University of Oxford, doctors of divinity are ra ...

in 1524 and in 1525 he was elected as President of the college and also became the rector of one of the wealthiest parishes in

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

All Hallows Honey Lane All Hallows, Honey Lane was a parish church in the City of London, England. Of medieval origin, it was destroyed in the Great Fire of London in 1666 and not rebuilt; the site became part of Honey Lane Market, which was in turn partially cleared t ...

. Forman was staunch adherent of the

Reformation The Reformation (alternatively named the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation) was a major movement within Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the Catholic Church and in ...

and distributed the books of

Luther Luther may refer to: People * Martin Luther (1483–1546), German monk credited with initiating the Protestant Reformation * Martin Luther King Jr. (1929-1968), American minister and leader in the American civil rights movement * Luther (give ...

and

Tyndale William Tyndale (; sometimes spelled ''Tynsdale'', ''Tindall'', ''Tindill'', ''Tyndall''; – ) was an English biblical scholar and linguist who became a leading figure in the Protestant Reformation in the years leading up to his executi ...

from London booksellers to the universities of Oxford and Cambridge and elsewhere when they were proscribed in England. In February 1526 he is thought to have tipped of the White Horse Group prior to a raid by Sir Thomas More. In 1528, Forman was arrested in London and his curate,

, was picked up in Oxford as part of a two-pronged investigation to the illicit book trade. He was interrogated by

Cuthbert Tunstall Cuthbert Tunstall (otherwise spelt Tunstal or Tonstall; 1474 – 18 November 1559) was an English Scholastic, church leader, diplomat, administrator and royal adviser. He served as Prince-Bishop of Durham during the reigns of Henry VIII, Edwar ...

, the bishop of London, and denied sending the books to Oxford but freely admitted having them in his possession. Tunstall was not convinced and advised Cardinal Wolsey to take sureties for good behavior. An intervention by

Anne Boleyn Anne Boleyn (; 1501 or 1507 – 19 May 1536) was Queen of England from 1533 to 1536, as the second wife of King Henry VIII. The circumstances of her marriage and of her execution by beheading for treason and other charges made her a key ...

, who wrote to Wolsey, allowed Forman and Garred to be released. Forman died in October 1528.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Forman, Thomas 1490s births 1528 deaths Year of birth uncertain Presidents of Queens' College, Cambridge 15th-century English people 16th-century English educators English evangelicals Fellows of Queens' College, Cambridge English Christian clergy