James Stanley

, Son of Thomas Earl of Derby, was born in Lancashire, and educated in this University, but in what house, I cannot yet tell. On the 3. March 1491. he became Preb. of Yatminster prima in the Cath. Church of Sarum, and in the year following Preb. of Beminster prima in the said Church. In 1500. Dec. 3. he became Archdeacon of Richmond on the resignation of Christop. Vrswyke, and in 1505. in Sept. Chantor of the Cath. Ch. of Sarum, being then Warden of the coll. at Manchester in his own Country. On the 18. June 1506. he, by the name of Jacobus Stanley nuper hujus Vniversitatis Scholasticus, (did (a)(a) Reg. Univ. Oxon. [•] . contin. Acta Congreg. fol. [•] 9. b. supplicate the venerable congregation of Regents, that he might be licensed to proceed in the Civil Law, which was granted with some conditions; and being soon after elected Bishop of Ely, after the death of Rich, Reaman, the temporalities thereof were (b)(b) Fat. 22. Hen. 7. p. 3. [•] . [•] 3. restored to him 5. Nov. following. On the 29. Jan. 1507. the said Regents, with the Non-Regents, did grant (c)(c) Ib. in cod. [•] eg. [〈◊〉] 51. that he the said James Stanly Bishop of Ely might be created Doctor of decrees by a cap put on his head by Will. Archb. of Canterbury and Richard B. of London. Which grant being accordingly performed with solemnity, a Letter of thanks was sent to the University for the honour they had done unto him. He left behind him at his death a natural Son called John de Yarford a Knight; whom probably he had begotten on a Concubine, which (as Dr. Fr. Godwin tells (d)(d) In Comment. de praesul. Angl. edit. 1616. p. 331. us) he kept at Somersham in his Diocess. In his last (e)(e) In Offic. Praerog. Cant. in reg. Holder. Qu. 7. Will and Test. dated 210. March 1514. and proved 23. May 1515. I find that it was his desire to be buried in a new Chappel to be made within the precincts of the Cath. Ch. of Ely, or else in his new Chappel then in building at Manchester. His will farther was, That the Chappel to be made for him to be buried and rest his bones in, should be made at the east end of the Cathedral Church of Ely, for which be would that 100 marks be bestowed on a Tomb for him to be erected therein. Also that another Chappel be built at Manchester, on the north side of the Church, between St. James Chappel and the east end of the Church, wherein he would have a Tomb made for him. On which Chappel and Tomb he would have an hundred pounds bestowed for the building of them, &c.—In this last Chappel dedicated to S. Joh. Bapt. which joyns on the north side of the collegiate Church at Manchester (wherein I presume he was buried, because there is neither Tomb or inscription for him at Ely) I find this inscription following. Of your charytye pray for the Sowle of James Stanley sometymes Byshop of Elye and Wardeyn of Manchester, 1514-15. who decessed thys transytory Wourld the xxii. of March yn the yere of owre Lord God mdxv. upon whose Sowle and all Christen Sowles Jesu have mercy, &c.

Vive deo gratus, toto mundo tumulatus.

Crimine mundatus, semper transire paratus.

Filii hominum, &c.

In a catalogue, or rather history of the Wardens of Manchester coll. which I have (f)(f) In [〈…〉] C. 37. seen, I find these matters of James Stanley,—At Manchester he built a most sumptuous Chappel on the north side of the Church, being 28 yards long and 9 yards broad, and a square Chappel on the north side of that again he built. He built the south side of the wood-work in the Quire, the seats for the Warden, Fellows, and Church-men, being thirty seats on both sides, and Mr. Rich. Bexwick that builded Jesus Chappel, builded the other side.—He lyeth buried on the north side of this Chappel, in a fair Tomb, with his picture in brass, in his pontificial robes, and the Arms of Derbie and his Bishoprick impaled, &c. In the See of Ely succeed James Stanly one Nicholas West Doctor of both the Laws of Cambridge, who had restitution (g)(g) Pat. 7. Hen. 8. p. 2. made of the temporalities of that See 6. Sept. 7. Hen. 8. dom. 1515. He was born at Putney in Surrey, educated in Grammar learning in Eaton School near Windsore, chose Scholar of Kings coll. in 1477. Where (h)(h) Tho. Hatcher in his cat. of Provests. Fellows and S [•] hol. of Kings coll. in Cambr. MS. [•] ub an. 1477. proving a factious and turbulent person set the whole College together by the Ears about the Proctorship of the Vniversity. And when he could not obtain his desires, he set fire on the Provosts lodgings, stole away silver spoons, and ran away from the Colledge. But within short space after, he became a new Man, repaired to the Vniversity, and with general approbation for his excellent learning he was made Doctor (i)(i) But in the Kings writing for the the restitution of his temporalities, he is stiled Doctor of both the laws. of Divinity. He was well experienced in the Civil and Canon Laws, and had such an art and faculty in opening dark places and sentences of the Scripture that none of his time could exceed him, &c. In 1510. he became Dean of Windsore, in the place of Dr. Thom. Hobbes Warden of Alls. coll. deceased, and Registrary of the most Noble Order of the Garter. Afterwards King Hen. 8. sent him often Embassador to Foreign Princes, and Q. Katherine chose him and Bishop Fisher her Advocates in the cause of divorce from K. Hen. 8. for which he incur’d that Kings displeasure. He paid his last debt to nature on the sixth day of Apr. 1533. Whereupon his body was buried in the Cath. Ch. of Elye, in the middle of a Chappel by him a little before erected on the south side of the same Church. Soon after was a large marble laid over his grave, with this inscription thereon. Of your charytye pray for the Sowle of Nicholas West sometymes Bishop of this See, and for all Christian Sowles. For the whych prayer, he hath graunted to every person so doying fortye days of pardon for every tyme that they shall so pray, &c. In the said See of Elye succeeded Thom. Goodrick D. of Div. Son of Edward Goodrick of Kirbye in Lincolnshire, Son of John Goodricke of Bullingbrook in the said County, which Thomas was educated in Kings colledge in the University of Cambridge.