William Capon (1480–1550) was an English Catholic priest and scholar.

Life

Capon was born at

Salcott Salcott or Salcott cum Virley is a village and civil parish in the Colchester borough of Essex, England, and forms part of the Winstred Hundred grouped parish council. It is adjacent to Tolleshunt Knights, Tollesbury and Great Wigborough, near ...

, near Colchester in Essex in 1480; he was educated at Cambridge University, graduating B.A. in 1499 and M.A. in 1502 (at the age of 22). In 1516 he became a Master of Jesus College, Cambridge and in 1526, aged 46, he was appointed Rector of St. Mary's Church in Southampton and subsequently also Rector of

St. Mary's Church, South Stoneham St. Mary's Church, South Stoneham is one of the two remaining medieval churches in the city of Southampton, England. Parts of the building date from the Norman period and the chancel arch is 12th century. The church lies in a secluded position off ...

. In 1546, aged 66, William resigned from his post at Jesus College and went to live in Southampton. At the time, there was a chantry grammar school in St Mary's. These chantries were responsible for much of the little education in the town, but in 1548 the Chantries Act abolished the grammar schools. Capon believed that this was a severe blow to education, so in his will he provided £100 towards the "erection, maynetenance and fyndinge of a gramer scole" in Southampton. It was not until 1553, three years after Capon's death in 1550, that this wish was fulfilled and

King Edward VI School, Southampton King Edward VI School (also known as King Edward's, or KES) is a selective co-educational independent school founded in Southampton, United Kingdom, in 1553. The school was founded at the request of William Capon, who bequeathed money in his ...

was founded by Royal Charter. His name lives on as the name of one of the houses at the school, named after him. His brother

John Capon John Capon, ''alias'' John Salcot (died 1557) was a Benedictine monk who became bishop of Bangor, then bishop of Salisbury under Henry VIII. He is often referred to as John Salcot alias Capon (variously spelt). He graduated B.A. from the Universi ...

Bishop of Salisbury served under

Henry VIII Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is best known for his six marriages, and for his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. His disa ...

, Edward VI and was one of the bishops commissioned by Mary I to persecute Protestant 'heretics'.John Foxe 1517-1587

References

External links

History of King Edward VI School
1480 births 1550 deaths Fellows of Jesus College, Cambridge Masters of Jesus College, Cambridge People educated at King Edward VI School, Southampton 16th-century English writers 16th-century male writers People from Colchester 16th-century scholars 16th-century English educators {{England-academic-administrator-stub