Edmund Bonner

, a Person much esteemed by those of his profession for the zeal he bore to the R. Catholick cause, was the natural Son of George Savage Priest, Parson of Davenham in Cheshire, natural Son of Sir Job. Savage of Clifton in the said County, Knight of the Garter, and one of the counsel to K. Hen. 7. Which Geo. Savage Priest had seven natural Children by three sundry Women, viz. (1) George Savage Chancellour of Chester (2) Joh. Wymesley Parson of Torperley in Cheshire, who was made Archdeacon of London by his Brother Ed. Bonner. (3) Randal Savage of Lodge in the said County. (4) Edm. Bonner (of whom we are to make further mention) begotten on the body of Elizab. Frodsham, who was the Wife (after Bonner had been begotten) of Edm. Bonner a Sawyer living with a Gentleman called Armingham of Potters Hanley in Worcestershire, besides three Daughters named Margaret, Ellen, and Elizabeth. Our Author, who was called by his supposed Fathers name, Edm. Bonner, was born either at Elmeley, or at Potters-Hanley in Worcestershire, and in 1512 or thereabouts, became a Student of Broadgates hall, (now Pembroke Coll.) being then a noted nursery for Civilians and Canonists. Soon after, having made a sufficient progress in Philosophy and the Laws, he was on the 12. June admitted Bach. of the Canon, and on the 13. of July following, an. 1519. Bach. of the Civil, Law. About that time he entred into Holy Orders, and performed many matters, relating to his faculty, in the Dioc. of Worcester, by the appointment of the then Bishop. In 1525, he was licensed to proceed in the Civil Law, and about that time obtained the rectories of Ripple, Bledon, Dereham, Cheswick, and Cherriburton (in Yorks.) Afterwards he was one of the Kings Chaplains, a favourer of the Lutherans, of the divorce between the K. and Catherine of Spain, a favourer of the Kings proceedings in expelling the Popes authority from the Kingdom of England, and Master of the Faculties under Dr. Cranmer Archb. of Canterbury. In 1535, he became Archdeacon of Leycester in the place of Edw. Fox promoted to the See of Hereford (which Fox had been installed in that Archdeaconry, upon the resignation of Steph. Gardener LL. D. 27. Sept. 1531.) and by the endeavours of Thom. Cromwell Secretary of State, he was employed Ambassador to the Kings of Denmark and France, to the Pope, and to the Emperour of Germany, and made Bishop of Hereford 1538: the temporalities of which See were (a)(a) Pat. 30. Hen. 8. p. 2. restored to him by the K. 4. March the same Year. But before he was consecrated thereunto, he was elected Bishop of London 1. Oct. 1539, (being then in an Embassie) had restitution (b)(b) Pat. 31. Hen. 8. p. 3. made of the Temporalities belonging thereunto 18 Nov. following, and was consecrated 3. Apr. 1540. After the death of K. Hen. 8. and Religion being about to be reformed by K. Ed. 6. Bonner seemed at first to be forward for it, but recanting what he had done, he was enjoyn’d to preach a Sermon at Pauls cross, (to make farther trial perhaps of his humour) wherein leaving out the article of the Kings authority, was, upon the complaints of Joh. Hooper and Will. (some call him Hugh) (c)(c) One Will. Latimer was Dean of Peterborough, an. 1560. whether the same, I know not. Latymer Bach. of Div. and Parson of St. Laurence Pountney (who prosecuted him very zealously for it, and his slowness in forwarding reformation in his Diocess) first committed Prisoner to the Marshalsea 20. Sept. and in the beginning of Oct. following an. 1549. was depriv’d of his Bishoprick. Soon after which time, his Mother Elizab. Frodsham died and was buried at Fulham, at whose Funeral, Bonner, tho a Prisoner, gave to several Persons mourning coats. In the beginning of Aug. 1553. he was released out of the Marshalsea, and restored to his Bishoprick by Qu. Mary, in whose Reign he shew’d himself severe (being put upon it by publick authority) against the Protestants, as may be fully seen in Joh. Fox his Book of the Acts and Mon. of the Church. As for the writings of the said Bonner, they are many, but all that I have yet seen, are only these, viz.

Preface to the oration of Stephen Bish. of Winchester concerning true obedience—Printed at London. in Lat. 1534. 35, and at Hamburgh 1536. oct. Translated and imprinted by a most zealous enemy to the Papists called Mich. Wood, who wrot a bitter and libellous Epistle before, and a conclusion after, it, to the Reader—Print. at Roan 1553. oct. I have seen another translation of it (perhaps by the same hand) without the said lib. Epist. printed in oct. an. 1536. In the said Pref. written by Bonner are several matters against the Popes power in England, and in defence of the Kings divorce from Qu. Catherine.

Several Letters to the Lord Tho. Cromwell. an. 1538.

A declaration to the Lord Th. Crom. describing to him the evil behaviour of Steph. Bish. of Winchester, an. 1538—These two last are mention’d in the Acts and Mon. of the Church, under that year.

Responsum & exhortatio. Lond. 1553. in oct. Which answer, and exhortation to the Clergy in praise of Priesthood, beginning Dum tacitus apud me considero, &c. were utter’d by our Author after Joh. Harpesfield had finished his Sermon to the Clergy in St. Pauls Cath. in Lond. 16. Oct. 1553, and the orations ended of John Wymesley Archdeacon of London before-mention’d, and of Hugh Weston Dean of Westminster. All which were printed and bound together in one volume.

Articles (in number 37.) to be enquired of in his general visitation exercised by him in the City and Dioc. of Lond. an. 1554—These being very unusual articles, I do therefore here set them down, especially for this reason, that Jo. Bale hath commented on them with a great deal of raillery in a Book entit. A Declaration of Edmund Bonners articles. Lond. 1561. oct.

A profitable and necessary doctrine (or Catechisme) with certaine Homelies adjoyned thereunto, for the instruction and information of the People within the Dioc. of Lond. Lond. 1554. 55. qu. Or thus. A necessary doctrine containing an exposition on the Creed, seaven Sacraments, ten commandments, the pater noster, Ave Maria and the seaven deadly sins.

Various letters, declarations, arguings, disputes, &c.—As in the said Book of Acts and Mon.

After Qu. Elizab. came to the Crown, he was for denying the Oath of Supreamacy deprived of his Bishoprick again, as he himself hath set it down in a spare leaf before Eusebius his Ch. Hist. with Ruffinus his commentary, printed at Basil, in the Year 1528. Which Book I, some years ago, bought for the sake of the note, which he had written, running thus. Litera dominicali A. an. dom. MDLIX die Maii XXX vocatus ad concilium, recusavi praestare juramentum, & omnino deprivatus. Afterwards being committed to his former prison, the Marshalsea in Southwarke near London, continued there in a cheerful and contented condition till the time of his death: which therefore made those that did not care for him, say, that he was like Dionysius the Tyrant of Syracuse, who being cruel and peremptory in prosperity, was both patient and pleasant in adversity. ’Tis said that Dr. Bonner being sometimes allowed liberty, he would walk, as his occasions served, in the street, and sometimes wearing his tippet, one begg’d it of him (in scoff) to line a coat, no (saith he) but thou shalt have a fools head to line thy cap. To another that bid him Good morrow Bishop quondam, he streight replyed Farewel knave semper. Which answers are Epigrammatiz’d by an admired (d)(d) Sir Joh. Harrington in his Epigrams, lib. 4. Epig. 15. Muse of our Nation in his time. When another Person shew’d the said Bonner his own picture in the Acts and Mon. of the Church, &c. commonly call’d the Book of Martyrs, on purpose to vex him, he merrily laugh’d and said a vengeance on the fool, how could he get my picture drawn so right? And when one asked him, if he were not ashamed to whip a Man with a beard, he laugh’d and told him, his beard was grown since, but (said (e)(e) See the same Author in his Brief view of the state of the Church of England, &c. Lond. 1653. p. 16. he) if thou hadst been in his case, thou would’st have thought it a good commutation of pennance to have thy bumm beaten, to save thy body from burning, &c.—He gave way to fate in the aforesaid Prison 5. Sept. 1569 in Fifteen hundred sixty and nine, and was at midnight buried near to the bodies of other Prisoners in the Cemitery belonging to St. Georges Church in Southwark, in which Parish the Marshalsea is situated. He had caused formerly two of his Nephews (Sons of one of his Sisters before-mention’d) to be educated in Broadgates hall, one of which was named Will. Darbyshire, who, by his Uncles favour, became Prebendary of St. Pauls Cathedral, and dying in Broadgates, was buried in St. Aldates Church adjoyning, 3. July 1552. The other was Tho. Darbyshire, who proceeded Doctor of Laws, as a Member of Broadgates, in 1555, under which year you may see more of him in the Fasti.