William Alley

received his first breath at Wycombe (Great Wycombe) in Bucks. was educated in Eaton School near to Windsore, admitted into Kings Coll. in Cambridge, in the Year 1528, took one Degree in Arts in that University, retired to Oxon, where he spent some time to make a farther progress in Academical studies. Afterwards he married, was beneficed, and became a zealous reformer: But when Qu. Mary came to the Crown, he left his cure, travelled from place to place in the North parts of England where he was not known, and by his sometimes practising of Physick and teaching of youths, he obtained a comfortable subsistence for himself and his Wife. When Qu. Eliz. succeeded, he read the Divinity Lecture in St. Pauls Cathedral in London: which being admirably well performed, he was called thence to be Bishop of Exeter; to which See being consecrated 14. Jul. 1560. had the Temporalities thereof (*)(*) Pat. 2. Elizab. p. 14. given to him 26. Aug. following. In Nov. 1561 he supplicated the venerable congregation of Regents of this University that the Degree of Bach. of Divinity might be conferr’d on him: which being granted, he supplicated for that of Doctor; and that being granted also, he was admitted to them both successively, without any mention at all of Incorporation. He was a Person Universally learned, especially in Divinity and in the tongues, Preached almost every Holy-day, and read a Lecture every day while he lived at Exeter. He hath written,

The poor mans Library, a rapsodie or miscellany, in two tomes. The first containeth seaven Lectures upon the first Epistle of St. Peter, read publickly in St. Pauls Cath. in London, an. 1560. The second containeth 5. Lectures upon the said first Epist. read in the same place. Lond. 1571. fol.

Hebrew Grammar—Whether ever printed, I know not. He took his last farewel of this world on the 15. day of April in Fifteen hundred and seventy, 1570 and was buried in the middle almost of the Presbytery or Choire, (not far from that place where Woolton one of his Successors was afterwards buried) leaving behind him a Son named Rog. Alley Archdeacon of Cornwall. Soon after was a Mon. put over his grave, with an inscription thereon, wherein ’tis said that he was acerrimus Evangelicae veritatis propugnator, morum probitate praecelibris, bonarum disciplinarum mirabili scientia clarus, &c.