Chrisiopher Bainbridge

, Bambridg, or Baynbrigg, was born at Hilton near Appleby in Westmoreland, educated in Queens coll. of which he became Provost before the year 1495. (being about that time LL. D.) and afterwards a liberal benefactor thereunto. In Feb. 1485. he being then Prebendary of South-Grantham in the Cath. Church of Salisbury, (which he resigned) became Prebendary of Chardstock in the said Church, and in Apr. 1486. was made Preb. of Horton in that Church on the resignation of R. Morton. In 1503. Sept. 28. he was admitted Preb. of Strenshall in the Cath. Ch. of York, then void by the consecration of Jeffr. Blyth to the See of Lich. and Coventry, and on the 21. Dec. following he was installed Dean of the said Church of York, in the place of the said Jeffr. Blyth, who had been installed in that Dignity (in the place of Dr. Will. Sheffield deceased,) 24. Mar. 1496. In 1505. he was not only made Dean of Windsore but Master of the Rolls, and one of the Kings Councellours, in which year he resigned his Rectory of the Ch. of Aller in the Dioc. of B. and Wells. In 1507. he being elected Bishop of Durham, had restitution (f)(f) Pat [•] 3. Hen. 7. p. 2. m. 24. made to him of the temporalities of that See 17. Nov. the same year; and in the next, being elected Archbishop of York on the death of Thom. Savage, had the temporalities also of that See restored (g)(g) Pat. 24. Hen. 7. p. 3. m. 11. to him 12. Dec. 24. Hen. 7. In March 1511. he was made Cardinal of S. Praxedis for the service he did in perswading K. Hen. 8. to take part with the Pope in the Wars between him and Lewis 12. King of France, and in 1514. being then in Rome, was poisoned by one Rinaldo de Modena an Italian Priest, (who was his Steward,) upon malice and displeasure conceived, for a blow his Master gave him, as the said Rinaldo, when he was executed for it, confessed at his death. He ended his days on the 14. July in fifteen hundred and fourteen, and was, as certain authors say, buried in the English hospital (now called the English college) in Rome. 1514 The author of Cardinal Wolseys life (h)(h) (In cap. 4. saith, that the said Cardinal Bainbridge died at Rohan in France, being then, and there the Kings Embassador. Onuph. Panvinius, and Joh. Baleus with his authors, tells us that Christopher Vrswyke, who was Predecessor to the said Cardinal Bainbridge in the Deanry of Windsore, was made Cardinal of S. Praxedis, but false, for it must be understood of Bainbridge. As for Christoph. Vrswyke, he had been Recorder of London in part of the Reign of Edw. 4. in the time of Ric. 3. and in part of Hen. 7. To which last King being Chaplain, and afterwards Almoner, was by him imployed in several Embassies, especially to Charles 8. K. of France, choosing him then the rather for that imployment, because he was a Church-man, as best sorting with an Embassie of pacification, as that, and others were, to the said King. In 1488. May 22. he being then LL. D. he was confirmed Dean of York by his Proctor, in the place of Rob. Bothe, who died 25. Jan. going before. Which dignity Vrswyke resigning, was succeeded therein by Will. Sheffield LL. D. in the month of June 1494. In 1490. he was made Canon of Windsore, and about that time Archdeacon of Wilts, (in the place, if I mistake not, of one Hugh (*)(*) The said Hugh Pavy was afterwards Bish. of S. Davids. Pavy, who had succeeded in that dignity Pet. Courtney upon his promotion to the See of Exeter, in the beginning of Febr. 1478.) and in 1493. Mar. 21. was not only only made Preb. of Botevaunt in the Church of York on the resignation of Edward Cheyney, but also Archdeacon of Richmond on the promotion of John Blyth to the See of Sarum. In 1495. Nov. 20. he was installed Dean of Windsore in the place of Dr. Jo. Morgan made Bishop of St. Davids, and about the same time became Registrary of the most Noble Order of the Garter. Afterwards he was offered the Bishoprick of Norwich, upon the death of James Goldwel, but refused it, and in the beginning of Febr. an. 1504. became Archdeacon of Oxford, on the promotion of Dr. Rich. Mayhew to the See of Hereford. At length after he (in the chief part of his life-time) had refused great honours, and so consequently riches, he retired to Hackney near London, where, in a contented condition, he spent several years in a religious and close retirement even to his death, which hapning in a good old age on the 24. Octob. in 1521. was buried on the north side of the Chancel of the Ch. there; where was lately, if not still, a monument of white free-stone remaining over his grave.