Robert Kynge

was descended from the ancient Kings of Devonshire, as the posterity of his brother Thomas say, but where he was born, unless in Oxfordshire, I cannot justly tell. While he was young, being much addicted to religion and learning, was made a Cistercian Monk, and among those of that order did he for some years live in Rewley Abby in the West suburb of Oxon, and partly, as I conceive, for the sake of learning among the Bernardins in their coll. in the North suburb of the said City. In 1506. he, as a Cistercian Monk, was admitted to the reading of the sentences, and in 1510. 13. and 15. he supplicated to be licensed to proceed in Divinity by the title of a Monk of the order of S. Benedict; in the last of which years he occurs Abbat of Bruerne near to Burford in Oxfordshire, anciently founded for Monks of Cisteaux, which is a branch of the Benedictine order, as the Bernardins are. In 1518. he proceeded in Divinity in an Act celebrated on the last of Febr. and afterwards was made Abbat of Thame in Oxfordshire, the Monks of which were also Cistercians. About the time that the Abbey of Osney near Oxon was to be dissolved, he was made Abbat commendatary thereof, being then a Suffragan, or titular Bishop under the title of Roven (Rovenesis) in the province of Athens, by which name or title I find him to occur in 1539. In 1542. when Oxford was made an Episcopal See by K. Hen. 8. and the Abbey of Osney appointed to be the place of habitation of the Dean and Canons of the Cathedral to be there, he the said Rob. Kynge was made and constituted the first Bishop in the beginning of Sept. the same year, at which time Glocester coll. was appointed his Palace or place of residence, the Abbats lodgings at Osney for the Dean, and the other lodgings in that Abbey for the Canons, and Officers belonging to the Cathedral. In 1546. when the said Cath. Ch. at Osney was translated to Cardinal coll. alias Kings coll. or the coll. of K. Hen. 8. in Oxon, which was formerly the Priory of S. Frideswyde, but then called Christ-church, he the said Kynge notwithstanding continued in his office of Bishop, and his chair was thence translated also, but not his Palace. Yet when K. Ed. 6. came soon after to the Crown, and made a recital of his fathers erection of the aforesaid Episcopal See, he left out Gloc. coll. with intentions that it should remain with the Crown for another use in future time. So that what house or lodgings the said Bishop Kynge had for his use during the remaining part of his life, in truth I cannot tell. All that I know more of him is, that he being an aged man in Qu. Maries reign, (being then by Joh. Fox called (a)(a) In the Acts and Mon. of the Church, sub. an. 1558. the Bishop of Thame) he did not care to have any thing to do with such that were then called Her [•] icks, and therefore he is commended by Posterity for his mildness: Also that he paying his last debt to nature on the fourth day of Decemb. in fifteen hundred fifty and seven, was buried on the North side of the East end of the Choire of Ch. Church. 1557 Over his grave was a Tomb of course Marble almost breast-high erected, with a Canopy over it supported by Pillars of the same, but no Arms put on it, as never having any, or any at least that he knew of. But the said Tomb being afterwards looked upon as cumbersome to the place, when the Choire was to be new wainscoted, and paved with black and white marble, (Dr. Duppa being then Dean of Ch. Church) it was taken away by Henry and John King Canons of the said Church, Sons of Dr. Joh. King sometimes Bishop of London, great Nephew to Dr. Rob. Kynge before-mentioned, and by them it was placed under the lower South Window of the Isle joyning on the South side of the said Choire. In which Window they caused to be painted soon after the Picture of the said Rob. Kynge in his Episcopal Robes, with his Miter on his head, and Crosier in his hand, and the ruins of Osney Abbey behind him, as also the Arms which the said Hen, and John then pretended to. The said window was pulled down when the Presbyterians and Independents governed, an. 1651. by one of the Family of the Kings then living, who preserving it safe till the Restauration, an. 1660. was soon after set up again, where it yet continues. A certain author named VVill. Harrison tells (†)(†) In his Description of England, printed in the first vol. of Rap. Helinshed Chronicle. lib. 2. cap. 2. us, that in the time of Q. Mary (who died 1558.) one Goldwell was Bishop of Oxford, who was a Jesuit dwelling in Rome, and more conversant (as the constant fame went) in the Black Art, than skilful in the Scriptures, and yet he was of great countenance among the Roman Monarchs. It is said also, that observing the Canons of his Order; he regarded not the temporality of that See. But it seems since that, he wist well enough what became of those commodities, for by one mean or another he found the sweetness of 354. l.—16s.—06d. yearly growing to him, &c. Thus the said author Harrison: By which Goldwell, he means, I suppose, Thow. Goldwell Bishop of S. Asaph, as if he had been translated thence to Oxon on the death of Rob. Kynge before-mentioned, for what Goldwell it should be else, unless another Thomas, whom I shall mention in the Fasti, I know not, forasmuch as the generality of authors say, that the said Tho. Goldwell left the Bishoprick of S. Asaph when Q. Elizabeth came to the Crown, and that thereupon he went to Rome, where he lived in great repute for many years. See more among these Bishops under the year 1580.