John Wynne (born between 1665 and 1667 – 15 July 1743) was Bishop of

St Asaph St Asaph (; cy, Llanelwy "church on the Elwy") is a city and community on the River Elwy in Denbighshire, Wales. In the 2011 Census it had a population of 3,355, making it the second-smallest city in Britain in terms of population and urban ...

(1715–1727) and of Bath and Wells (1727–1743), having previously been principal of

Jesus College, Oxford Jesus College (in full: Jesus College in the University of Oxford of Queen Elizabeth's Foundation) is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. It is in the centre of the city, on a site between Turl Street, Ship S ...

(1712–1720).

Life

Wynne was born in Maes-y-coed,

Caerwys Caerwys is a town in Flintshire, Wales. It is just under two miles from the A55 road, A55 North Wales Expressway and one mile from the A541 road, A541 Mold, Flintshire, Mold-Denbigh road. At the United Kingdom Census 2001, 2001 Census, the popula ...

Flintshire , settlement_type = County , image_skyline = , image_alt = , image_caption = , image_flag = , image_shield = Arms of Flint ...

, in north

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in ...

and educated in

Northop Northop ( cy, Llaneurgain) is a village, community and electoral ward situated in Flintshire, Wales, approximately 12 miles west of the city of Chester, midway between Mold and Flint, and situated just off junction 33 of the A55 North Wale ...

and at

Ruthin School Ruthin School is a public school (i.e. independent school) located on the outskirts of Ruthin, the county town of Denbighshire, North Wales. It is over seven hundred years old, making it one of the oldest schools in the United Kingdom. Origina ...

before entering Jesus College in March 1682. He obtained his BA degree in 1685 and was elected 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 the college in January 1687. Subsequently, he was awarded the degrees of MA (1688), BD (1696) and DD (1706). He was chaplain to the 8th Earl of Pembroke, who appointed him rector of

Llangelynnin Llangelynnin (; Welsh language, Welsh for ''The church of Celynnin'') is a former parish in the Conwy valley, in Conwy county borough, north Wales. Today the name exists only in connection with the church, a school in the nearby village of Henry ...

Merionethshire , HQ= Dolgellau , Government= Merionethshire County Council (1889-1974) , Origin= , Status= , Start= 1284 , End= , Code= MER , CodeName= ...

in 1701 (a post he held until 1714). In 1705, he became prebendary of Christ College, Brecon. He was Lady Margaret Professor of Divinity at

Oxford Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...

1705–1716. In 1712, he became deputy-principal of Jesus College, being appointed principal in August 1712 after some division between Whig and Tory Fellows (Wynne probably being a moderate Tory at this time), with the help of the college's Visitor, his former employer the Earl of Pembroke. He held onto the post until 1720, despite much grumbling at Oxford after he had been appointed Bishop of St Asaph in 1715 (the first bishop to be created by King George I). He became Bishop of Bath and Wells in 1727, as a compromise candidate, and remained there until his death in 1743. Whilst at St Asaph, he raised £600 for repairs to the

cathedral A cathedral is a church that contains the '' cathedra'' () of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually specific to those Christian denominatio ...

. He was one of the few Welshmen to be appointed as bishop of a Welsh diocese during the eighteenth century (and was the last Welsh bishop of St Asaph before 1870) and gained a reputation as a diligent bishop and one who appointed local men to parishes. He published only three of his sermons and, in 1696, an abridgment of John Locke's ''

An Essay Concerning Human Understanding ''An Essay Concerning Human Understanding'' is a work by John Locke concerning the foundation of human knowledge and understanding. It first appeared in 1689 (although dated 1690) with the printed title ''An Essay Concerning Humane Understan ...

'', with Locke's approval, which was translated into French and Italian. In 1732, in light of a debt, Edward Conway sold the

Soughton Hall Soughton Hall is a Grade II* listed country house hotel in Sychdyn, Flintshire, Wales. Notable guests that have stayed include Luciano Pavarotti, Michael Jackson and King Juan Carlos I of Spain. William John Bankes inherited Soughton Hall in the ...

estate in

Flintshire , settlement_type = County , image_skyline = , image_alt = , image_caption = , image_flag = , image_shield = Arms of Flint ...

to Wynne. He planted extensively in the wider house grounds, including three well-preserved

Lime tree ''Tilia'' is a genus of about 30 species of trees or bushes, native throughout most of the temperate Northern Hemisphere. The tree is known as linden for the European species, and basswood for North American species. In Britain and Ireland they ...

avenues including the almost-complete one which still flanks the approach to the house. After his death it passed to his daughter Margaret, wife of

Henry Bankes Henry Bankes (1757–1834) was an English politician and author. Life Bankes was the only surviving son of Henry Bankes and the great-grandson of Sir John Bankes, chief justice of the common pleas in the time of Charles I. Bankes was educated ...

Corfe Castle Corfe Castle is a fortification standing above the village of the same name on the Isle of Purbeck peninsula in the English county of Dorset. Built by William the Conqueror, the castle dates to the 11th century and commands a gap in the P ...

Dorset Dorset ( ; archaically: Dorsetshire , ) is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The ceremonial county comprises the unitary authority areas of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole and Dorset. Covering an area of , ...

Life

References

Further reading