John Standish

was born of, and descended from, an ancient and gentile family of his name living in Lancashire, and at about 17 Years of Age, in 1524, he was by the care of his Unkle Dr. Henry Standish Bishop of St. Asaph sent to Brasenose College, where making great proficiency in Logick, was elected Scholar of that of Corp. Chr. in Januar. 1528. partly by the endeavours made in his behalf of one Mr. Edw. Standish Fellow of Brasenose (who was either his Brother or Unkle) and partly by the said Doctor. After he was settled in that Coll. he went through the usual classes of Logick and Philosophy with unwearied industry, became a most noted Disputant, took the Degrees in Arts, holy Orders, and drudging much in the faculty of Divinity, proceeded Doctor therein, an. 1542. at which time he was one of the Fellows of Whyttingdon Coll. in London; and having a Chamber in Brasenose, took Commons there when he receeded to the University for conversation sake with Men and Books. In the time of K. Edw. 6. he seemed to be a zealous Reformer, was then, if not before, made Rector of Wygan in his own Country, and took to him a Wife, who lived not long with him, for when Qu. Mary came to the Crown they were separated. In 1550. Aug. 2. he was installed the second Canon of the eighth Canonry of the Church of Worcester in the place of Rog. Stanford deceased. When Qu. Mary ruled the Scepter, he wheeled about, and seeing what great mischief was like to follow upon the translation of the Bible into the English tongue in the time of K. Ed. 6. and before, bestirred himself so much about it, that he found means to have the matter proposed in Parliament, in the beginning of Queen Mary, that all such Bibles that were in the English tongue should be prohibited and burn’d. This being very displeasing to many, he was hated of them, and therefore one (e)(e) J. Baleus in lib De Scriptorib. maj. Britan p. 111. int. cent. 12. & 13. after his usual manner calls him Morio and Scurra, and another (f)(f) Mich. Wood in his Epistle to the Reader before Stephen Gardiners Oration De vera obedientia, Printed at Roan 1553. oct. as foul’mouth’d as he, Dr. Inkpot and a blenking Coxcomb, who married against his conscience, (as he saith) more fit to make a riding fool, than Chaplain for a King.—This being the language of two zealous reformers, incited one (g)(g) Jo. Pits. De illustr. Angl. script. aet. 16. num. 1001. of another opinion, who was after them in time, to characterize our Author Standish to be Vir doctrina, pietate, fide, & divinae gloriae zelo conspicu [•] s. His works are,

A little treatise against the protestation of Rob. Barnes at the time of his death. Lond. 1540. oct. Which R. Barnes was burn’d in Smithfield 3. Jul. 32. Hen. 8. Dom. 1540. Soon after came out a confutation of the said little treatise, in oct.

Treatise of the Union of the Church. Lond. 1556. Written to Card. Pole.

Treatise against the translation of the Bible in the vulgar Language—with other things, as ’tis probable, which I have not yet seen. He paid his last debt to nature about the beginning of the Year Fifteen hundred fifty and six, 1556 but whether buried at Worcester or Wygan, I know not. In his Canonry succeeded one Leonard Pollard Bach. of Div. and Chaplain to Dr. Pates Bishop of Worcester, who having written Five Sermons, were, after they had been revised by Dr. Bonner B. of Lond. printed there 1556 in qu. This Pollard who was not of the University of Oxon, that I can find, died about the beginning of March the same Year, (1556) having enjoyed his Canonry but few Months. Of the same Family of Standish, I find another very active Person of his time named Rich. Standish LL. D. and Parson of Standish in Lancashire, (but his education had been in Cambridge,) who dying at London in his Lodging in, or near to, Pater-noster-row, in the Winter time 1552, was, as ’tis probable, buried in the Church of St. Faith under the Cathedral of St. Paul.