Henry Cole

, a zealous maintainer for a time of the Rom. Cath. Religion, was born at Godsbyll in the Isle of Wight in Hampshire, educated in Wykehams School near Winchester, admitted true and perpetual Fellow of New Coll. in 1523, studied the Civil Law, travelled some years after into Italy, was at Padöuo, where he advanced his studies, and afterwards, notwithstanding all this, he did acknowledge K. Hen. 8. to be the supreme head of the Church in England. In 1540, he being then returned and settled in London, he took the Degree of Doctor of the Civil Law, and the same year resign’d his Fellowship, being then an Advocate in the Court of Arches, Prebendary of Salisbury, and about that time Archdeacon of Ely in the place (as it seems) of Rich. Coxe. In 1542 he was elected Warden of New Coll. and in 45 he was made Rector of Newton Longvill in Bucks. Soon after when K. Ed. 6. came to the Crown, he was altogether for reformation, was an admirer of Pet. Martyr, was a frequenter of Protestant service and a receiver of the holy communion according to their way, did after preach up reformation in the Church of St. Martin commonly called Carfax in Oxon, did approve of the proceedings of King Ed. 6. and other matters as a learned and puritannical (*)(*) Laur [〈◊〉] in Vita & Mart Jo. Juelli, printed 1573. p. 129 13 [••] . 131. Author tells you. In 1551. (5. Ed. 6.) he resigned his Wardenship, and the year after the aforesaid Rectory. In 1554 (2. Mariae) he was made Provost of Eaton Coll. (in the place of Tho. Smith LL. D. of Cambridge) of which house he had been Fellow, and the same year had the Degree of Doct. of Div. confer’d upon him. Soon after he was appointed one of the Commissioners to visit the University of Cambridge, became Dean of St. Pauls Cathedral on the removal of Feckenham to Westminster an. 1556, Vicar general of the spiritualities under Card. Pole Archb. of Cant. and in 1558 one of the overseers of the said Cardinals will. I find extant under Dr. Coles name these things following.

Letters to Joh. Jewell Bishop of Salisbury, upon occasion of a Sermon that the said Bishop preached before the Queens Majesty and her honorable Counsell, an. 1560. Lond. 1560 in a pretty thick oct. It was afterwards remitted into Jewells works. I find also that divers letters of Dr. Cole were sent to Bishop Jewell after he had preached at Pauls cross on the second Sunday before Esther in the year 1560, which are also printed.

Disputation with Archb. Cranmer and Bish. Rydley in the Div. School at Oxon, an. 1554—Printed in the Acts and Mon. of the Church.

Funeral Sermon at the burning of Dr. Tho. Cranmer Archb. of Canterbury.—He hath also other things extant, which I have not yet seen. After Qu. Elizab. came to the Crown, he, with Jo. Whyte B. of Winchester, and five more most zealous Cath. Divines, did dispute with as many Protestant Divines concerning matters of Religion, when Qu. Elizab. was about to make a reformation in the Church of England. But that disputation coming to nothing, he was depriv’d of his Deanery to make room for Dr. Will May Master of Trin. Coll. in Cambridge, who dying about the beginning of 1561. Alex. Nowell succeeded him. About that time Dr. Cole was imprison’d, but where I cannot tell: Sure I am that he died in or near to the Compter in Woodstreet within the City of London, in the month of Decemb. 1579 in Fifteen hundred seventy and nine, but where buried by his Executor Humph. Moseley Secondary of the said Compter, I know not. Joh. Leland the Antiquary was Dr. Cole’s acquaintance, and having had experience of his learning, hath eterniz’d his memory among other learned Men of our Nation and of his time, in his book of Encomia’s (f)(f) In Principum ac illustrium, &c. in Auglia virorum encomiis, trophaetis, &c. Lond. 1, 89. p. 79. to which the curious reader may recur if he please, wherein he’ll find a just character of this our Author Dr. Cole and his learning.