John Hilsey

or Hildesley (was of the same Family with those of Beneham in Berks. and they originally of the Hildesleys of Hildesley in the same County) who being much addicted from his Childhood to Learning and Religion, nothing was wanting in his sufficient Parents to advance them. Whereupon falling under the tuition of a Dominican, or Preaching, or Black, Frier, was entred in his manly Years among the Brethren of that Order at Bristow, and thence for a time was removed to the House of the Dominicans in the S. Suburb of Oxon, purposely to initiate him in the supreme faculty, and in some smattering of Philosophical Learning. In the Month of May 1527, he supplicated to be admitted to the reading of the sentences, but whether he was admitted it does not appear (through neglect) in the publick Register, and in Nov. 1532. he by the name and title of Pater Johannes Hylsey de ordine praedicatorum & Bac. SS. Theol. supplicated to proceed in Divinity: Which being granted, he was admitted, but did not stand in the Act following to compleat that Degree. So that how it comes to pass, that a certain (h)(h) Franc. Godwin ep. Landav. in Comment. de praesulibus Angl. in Roff. Author of note should say, that he was Doctor of Divinity of Cambridge, I cannot perceive, seeing that his name doth not occur in the Catalogue of the Doctors of all faculties, who proceeded at Cambridge from 1500 to 1571. Printed at the end of the first Edition of Antiquitates Britannicae Ecclesiae. This Doctor Hilsey being elected Bishop of Rochester after the decollation of John Fisher, had restitution (i)(i) Pat 27. Hen. 8. p. 1. made to him of the temporalities of that See, 4. Oct. 27. Hen. 8. Dom. 1535, where being settled he wrot,

A Manual of Prayers (or Primer) with the Epistles and Gospels.—Which Book being dedicated to Thomas Lord Cromwell, was at his command published at Lond. 1539. in 8. He also wrot,

De veri corporis esu in Sacramento. Ded. also to the said Cromwell. Of which Book and its Author, see in a piece of Lat. Poetry intit. Diacosio-Martyrion (k)(k) Printed at Lond 1553 fol. 90. b., written by Job. White Warden of the College near Winchester, afterwards successively B. of Linc. and Winchester. As for our Author Dr. Hilsey, I know not yet to the contrary, but that he hath written other things, having always been accounted a Learned Man, but what the titles of them are, I cannot tell; nor do I know any thing else of him, only that he dying towards the latter end of the Year Fifteen hundred thirty and eight, was, 1538 I presume, buried in the Cathedral of Rochester. In the said See succeeded Nicholas Heath, as I shall tell you elsewhere among the Bishops.