William Latymer or Latimer (1499–1583) was an English

evangelical Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide interdenominational movement within Protestant Christianity that affirms the centrality of being " born again", in which an individual expe ...

clergyman Clergy are formal leaders within established religions. Their roles and functions vary in different religious traditions, but usually involve presiding over specific rituals and teaching their religion's doctrines and practices. Some of the ter ...

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 abbe ...

from 1560. He was chaplain to

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 f ...

, and is best known for his biography of her, the ''Chronickille of Anne Bulleyne''.

Life

He was the third son of William Latymer of Freston,

Suffolk Suffolk () is a ceremonial county of England in East Anglia. It borders Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south; the North Sea lies to the east. The county town is Ipswich; other important towns include ...

, and his wife Anne, daughter of Edward Bokinge of Ashbocking,

. He was among the group of evangelicals, including

Thomas Cranmer Thomas Cranmer (2 July 1489 – 21 March 1556) was a leader of the English Reformation and Archbishop of Canterbury during the reigns of Henry VIII, Edward VI and, for a short time, Mary I. He helped build the case for the annulment of Hen ...

and

Matthew Parker Matthew Parker (6 August 1504 – 17 May 1575) was an English bishop. He was the Archbishop of Canterbury in the Church of England from 1559 until his death in 1575. He was also an influential theologian and arguably the co-founder (with a ...

, who gathered round Anne Boleyn as Queen and patron of the reformers. He became one of her chaplains;

Hugh Latimer Hugh Latimer ( – 16 October 1555) was a Fellow of Clare College, Cambridge, and Bishop of Worcester during the Reformation, and later Church of England chaplain to King Edward VI. In 1555 under the Catholic Queen Mary I he was burned at the ...

apparently did not, though the coincidence of names has led to confusion on this point. In 1535 Latymer was arrested at

Sandwich A sandwich is a food typically consisting of vegetables, sliced cheese or meat, placed on or between slices of bread, or more generally any dish wherein bread serves as a container or wrapper for another food type. The sandwich began as a po ...

, bringing forbidden books of Protestant reformers into the country. Anne Boleyn was already detained on the charges that would bring about her death. Latymer was allowed to send his books ahead, to Joan Wilkinson. His reputation was not damaged. He graduated M.A. 1536 at

Corpus Christi College, Cambridge Corpus Christi College (full name: "The College of Corpus Christi and the Blessed Virgin Mary", often shortened to "Corpus"), is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. From the late 14th century through to the early 19th centur ...

;''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Latymer atimer William (1498/9–1583), dean of Peterborough and biographer of Anne Boleyn by Andrew Hope Latymer at this date this was by special grace after seven years of study. He was rector of

Witnesham Witnesham is a village situated roughly to the north of Ipswich, Suffolk. The main road from Ipswich that links the village to the town is the B1077, Westerfield Road. History It is in the Domesday Book as 'Wytenesham’ (Witta's/Witten's meado ...

, Suffolk, from 1538 to 1554, presented by Edward Latymer, and also in 1538 was appointed by the king Master of the College of

St Laurence Pountney St Laurence Pountney was a Church of England parish church in the Candlewick ward of the City of London. It was destroyed in the Great Fire of 1666, and not rebuilt. History The church stood on the west side of what is now Laurence Pountney ...

, though this appointment was ended in 1547, since Edward VI dissolved the College and sold it to

John Cheke Sir John Cheke (or Cheek) (16 June 1514 – 13 September 1557) was an English classical scholar and statesman. One of the foremost teachers of his age, and the first Regius Professor of Greek at the University of Cambridge, he played a great ...

. He became involved in the trial and downfall of

Edmund Bonner Edmund Bonner (also Boner; c. 15005 September 1569) was Bishop of London from 1539 to 1549 and again from 1553 to 1559. Initially an instrumental figure in the schism of Henry VIII from Rome, he was antagonised by the Protestant reforms intro ...

, after Bonner's Paul's Cross sermon of 1 September 1549 was the subject of a complaint by Latymer and John Hooper, who were monitoring it. Latymer made no objection to the dissolution, and with others received a pension. Under Queen Mary, he lost a number of preferments. The ''Chronickille'' was written for

Elizabeth I of England Elizabeth I (7 September 153324 March 1603) was Queen of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death in 1603. Elizabeth was the last of the five House of Tudor monarchs and is sometimes referred to as the "Virgin Queen". Eli ...

, and concentrates on the religious aspects of her mother Anne Boleyn's life. Prominent in the Queen's 1564 visit to Cambridge, he was

Clerk of the Closet The College of Chaplains of the Ecclesiastical Household of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom is under the Clerk of the Closet, an office dating from 1437. It is normally held by a diocesan bishop, who may, however, remain in office after leav ...

and D.D.

Family

He married Ellen or Helena (died 1603); her son Edmund English from a previous marriage (died 1603), was a benefactor of

Emmanuel College, Cambridge Emmanuel College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. The college was founded in 1584 by Sir Walter Mildmay, Chancellor of the Exchequer to Elizabeth I. The site on which the college sits was once a priory for Dominican m ...

. He was father of the benefactor Edward Latymer, who was his eldest son.

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Latymer, William 1499 births 1583 deaths 16th-century English Anglican priests Deans of Peterborough English chaplains Christian chaplains English biographers 16th-century English writers 16th-century male writers