Gilbert Bourn

, son of Philip Bourn of Wor. cestershire, became a Student in this University, in 1524. Fellow of Allsouls coll. in 1531. and in the year after he proceeded in Arts, being then esteemed a good Orator and disputant. In the 33. Hen. 8. Dom. 1541. he was made one of the first Prebendaries of Worcester, after the said King had converted the Prior and Monks of that place into a Dean and Prebendaries; and two years after was admitted to the reading of the Sentences, that is to the degree of Bach. of div. which was the highest degree (as it appears in the register of that time) that he took in this University. About that time he became Chaplain to Bishop Bonner, and a Preacher against the Hereticks of the times, In 1549. he closed so much with the reformation then on foot, that he became Archdeacon of Bedford on the death of Dr. Joh. Chamber, being also then, or about that time, Archdeacon of Essex and Middlesex and Canon of S. Pauls Cath. Ch. but whether he kept the said dignities altogether, I cannot tell. In the beginning of Q. Mary, he turn’d about, and became so zealous for the Rom. Catholick cause, that preaching at Pauls cross in the behalf of the said Bonner then present, against his late unjust sufferings, and against the unhappy times of King Edw. 6. as he called them, had a dagger thrown at him by one of the auditors: Whereupon Bourn withdrawing himself to prevent farther danger, the work was carried on by another, and search being made after the Assissinate, certain persons were imprison’d for it. In the year 1554. Sir Joh. Bourn of Batenhall in Worcestershire, Uncle to the said Gilb. Bourne, being then Principal Secretary of State to Q. Mary, the said Gilb. was elected to the See of Bathe and Wells, upon the free resignation, as ’tis (*)(*) In p. 1. Mar. p: 1. said, of D. Will. Barlow: Whereupon he had the temporalities thereof given to him 20. of April the same year, at which time Barlow fled into Germany upon account of Religion. Soon after Gilb. Bourn was made President of Wales, and was in great favour during the reign of Q. Mary, but when Q. Elizab. succeeded, he was deprived of his bishoprick for denying her Supremacy, notwithstanding he had done many good offices for his Cath. Church, and had been a benefactor thereunto. Afterwards, he being committed to free custody with the Dean of Exeter, he gave himself up wholly to reading and devotion. At length dying at Silverton in Devenshire, 10. Sept. (†)(†) Ibid. in Godwin ut supr. int. ep. B. &. Wells. p. 4. in fifteen hundred sixty and nine,156 [•] . was buried in the Parish Church there, on the south side of the Altar, bequeathing then what he had, to his brother Rich. Bourn of Wyvelscomb in Somersetsh. Father of Gilb. Bourn of the City of Wells. In the See of Wells did not succeed Will. Barlow, who returned from his exile in the beginning of Q. Elizabeth, as ’twas expected, but Gilb. Berkley D. of div. a Lincolnshire man born, and a descendant from the Noble Family of the Berkleys.