William Cheadsey

, a Somersetshire Man born, was admitted Scholar of Corp. Chr. Coll. 16. March 1528. aged 18. or thereabouts, Probationer-Fellow 13. Oct. 1531 and two years after compleat Fellow. In 1534, he proceeded in Arts, and in 1542, he was admitted to the reading of the Sentences, being about that time Chaplain to Dr. Bonner B. of London; who having a special respect for his learning, and zeal for the R. Catholick Religion, he made him not only Archdeacon of Middlesex, but Prebendary of St. Pauls Cathedral. In 1546 he proceeded in Divinity, having about that time subscribed to the 34 Articles, and three years after did learnedly dispute with Pet. Martyr in the Divinity School. From which time (an. 1549) he seemed so moderate in his Religion in the remaining part of the Reign of K. Ed. 6. that the Protestants took him to be one of their number. In the beginning of Qu. Mary he was made Canon of Windsore, shewed himself a zealous Man against the Professors of Protestancy, and in 1557, had a Canonry of Ch. Ch. in Oxon confer’d on him after the death of James Curthopp. In 1558, he was elected President of Corp. Ch. Coll. and on the 15. Sept. in the same Year he was admitted thereunto, but removed from it the next Year by the Commissioners sent by Qu. Elizabeth to visit the University. About that time he was appointed one of the number of the R. Catholick Divines to repair to London, to dispute with those of the Protestant Party, when the said Queen was setting on foot a Reformation in the Church of England. He was by the Protestants accounted a very mutable and unconstant Man in his Religion, but by the Rom. Catholicks not, but rather a great stickler for their Religion and the chief prop in his time in the University for the cause, as it appeared not only in his opposition of P. Martyr but of the three Bishops that were burnt in Oxon. He was a learned Man, a deep Divine, an excellent Disputant, and a characterised by John Leland (t)(t) In. Crg. Cant. edit. Lond. 1658. p. 22. to be resonae Scholae columna. His works are,

Serm. on Matth. 22. 15.—Printed 1545. in oct.

Disputatio de Eucharistiae Sacramento in Univ. Oxon, habita contra D. Pet. Martyrem, 29. Maii & Jun. 1. an. 1549. Lond. 1549. qu. Which disputation hath also been printed once at least among Pet. Martyrs works, but whether true according to the Authors Copy, I leave it to others to judge. ’Tis also translated into English.

Dispution with John Philpot concerning the real presence in the Sacrament, in Octob. 1553.

Disp. with Archb. Cranmer at Oxon, an. 1554.

Communication with B. Rydley, an. 1555.—See more in the Acts and Monuments of the Church, &c. written by Jo. Fox, wherein you’ll find several of his discourses with, and examination of, Protestant Martyrs. At length he was deprived of most, if not all, of his spiritualities, and committed a Prisoner to the Fleet in London; where,Clar. 1561. as ’tis supposed by some, he died soon after. However in my searches into obscure (*)(*) In a certain Book of Wills and Testaments, beginning an. 1569. in the custody of Mr. Ben. Cooper Registrary to the Office belonging to the Bishop and Archdeac. of Oxon. Writings, I find that one John Joanes a Priest, living at, or near, Thame in Oxfordshire, did by his last Will dated 27. of Aug. and proved the 16. of Oct. following, an. 1574, bequeath to Mr. Dr. Chedsey twenty shillings. By which it appears, that he was then living, but where, I find not, nor when he died.