Sir Thomas Goodrich (also spelled Goodricke; died 10 May 1554) was an

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

ecclesiastic and statesman who was Bishop of Ely from 1534 until his death.

Life

Bishop Goodrich illustrationsofm00camb 0036

He was a son of Edward Goodrich of

East Kirkby East Kirkby is a village and civil parish in the East Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England. It is situated south-east from Horncastle, and on the A155 road. East Kirkby 13th century Grade II* listed Anglican parish church is dedicated t ...

Lincolnshire Lincolnshire (abbreviated Lincs.) is a Counties of England, county in the East Midlands of England, with a long coastline on the North Sea to the east. It borders Norfolk to the south-east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south-we ...

and brother of Henry Goodricke of Ribston Hall, North Yorkshire. He was educated at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, afterwards becoming a fellow of Jesus College in the same university. He was among the divines consulted about the legality of Henry VIII's marriage with Catherine of Aragon, became one of the royal chaplains about 1530, and became Bishop of Ely in 1534; he was consecrated a bishop on 19 April 1534, by

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 Henry ...

, Archbishop of Canterbury, assisted by John Longland,

Bishop of Lincoln The Bishop of Lincoln is the ordinary (diocesan bishop) of the Church of England Diocese of Lincoln in the Province of Canterbury. The present diocese covers the county of Lincolnshire and the unitary authority areas of North Lincolnshire and ...

; and Christopher Lord, suffragan bishop of

Canterbury Canterbury (, ) is a cathedral city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, situated in the heart of the City of Canterbury local government district of Kent, England. It lies on the River Stour. The Archbishop of Canterbury is the primate of ...

and Bishop of Sidon. The diplomat Nicholas Hawkins had been the successor in waiting for his uncle

Nicholas West Nicholas West (146128 April 1533), was an English bishop and diplomatist, born at Putney in Surrey, and educated at Eton and at King's College, Cambridge, of which he became a fellow in 1486. He also had periods of study at Oxford and Bologna.

; but he had recently died on a mission to Emperor Charles V. Goodrich was favourable to 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 ...

, helped in 1537 to draw up the '' Institution of a Christian Man'' (known as the ''Bishops' Book''), and translated the

Gospel of St John The Gospel of John ( grc, Εὐαγγέλιον κατὰ Ἰωάννην, translit=Euangélion katà Iōánnēn) is the fourth of the four canonical gospels. It contains a highly schematic account of the ministry of Jesus, with seven "sig ...

for the revised

New Testament The New Testament grc, Ἡ Καινὴ Διαθήκη, transl. ; la, Novum Testamentum. (NT) is the second division of the Christian biblical canon. It discusses the teachings and person of Jesus, as well as events in first-century Chri ...

. On the accession of

Edward VI Edward VI (12 October 1537 – 6 July 1553) was King of England and Ireland from 28 January 1547 until his death in 1553. He was crowned on 20 February 1547 at the age of nine. Edward was the son of Henry VIII and Jane Seymour and the first E ...

in 1547 the bishop was made a privy councillor, and took a conspicuous part in public affairs during the reign. "A busy secular spirited man," as the historian Burnet called him, he was equally opposed to the zealots of the "old" and the "new religion." He assisted to compile the ''First Prayer Book of Edward VI'', was one of the commissioners for the trial of Bishop Gardiner, and in January 1552 succeeded

Richard Rich Richard Rich, 1st Baron Rich (July 1496 – 12 June 1567), was Lord Chancellor during King Edward VI of England's reign, from 1547 until January 1552. He was the founder of Felsted School with its associated almshouses in Essex in 1564. He wa ...

as Lord High Chancellor. This office he continued to hold during the reign of Lady Jane Grey (July 1553); but he made his peace with Queen Mary, conformed to the restored

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

religion, and, though deprived of the Chancellorship, was allowed to keep his Bishopric until his death.

Notes

References

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Goodrich, Thomas 1554 deaths 15th-century English people 16th-century English bishops 16th-century English Roman Catholic bishops Alumni of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge Bishops of Ely Fellows of Jesus College, Cambridge Lord chancellors of England Members of the Privy Council of England People from East Lindsey District Year of birth unknown