Richard Taverner

Son of Joh. Taverner of Brisley in Norfolke, was born at Brisley, or else in that County, in the Year 1505, descended from an ancient Family of his name living sometimes at North Elmham near to Brisley before-mentioned, educated for a time in Logick in Bennet Coll. in Cambridge, but before he had consummated an year and an half there, did, with others of that University go to Oxon, for preferment about the same time that Card. Wolsey did begin his Coll. there. At length being admitted one of the Junior Canons of that Coll. he took the Degree of Bach. of Arts in the Year 1529 and about that time obtaining a competent knowledge in Philosophy, the Greek tongue and Divinity, left Oxon some time before the said Coll. came into the Kings hands by Wolseys fall, and forthwith went to an Inn of Chancery near London call’d Staire Inn, otherwise Strond Inn, (pulled down when Edw. D. of Somerset built Somerset house in the Strond or Strand) and thence to the Inner Temple (for before his time and some years, after, students were not admitted into the Inns of Court, before they had read the ground of Law in one of the Inns of Chancery) where his humour was to quote the Law in Greek, when he read any thing thereof. In 1534 he went to the Court, and was there taken into the attendance of Tho. Cromwell then Principal Secretary to K. Hen. 8. by whose commendation, he was afterwards made by the said King one of the Clerks of the Signet in ordinary, an. 1537. Which place he kept till the first of Q. Mary, having been in good repute not only with K. Hen. 8. but also with K. Edw. 6. and most of all with Edw. Duke of Somerset Lord Protector. In 1552, he, tho a mere Lay-man, obtained by the name of Rich. Taverner Master of Arts (being Master of Arts of both the Universities) a special licence subscribed by K. Ed. 6. to Preach in any place of his dominions, and the more for this reason because the scarcity and slackness of Preachers was so great, that some of the Kings Chaplains were appointed to ride circuit about the Kingdom to preach to the People, especially against Popery. I have been informed by some notes of him, written by his (b)(b) Franc. Taverner of Hexton in Hertfordsh. Esq. in a fol. MS. by him written, an. 1636. entit. The genealogie of the family of the Taverners of Northelmham in Norfolke, faithfully collected out of records and private evidence, &c. Grandson, that he preached before the King at Court, and in some publick places in the Kingdom, wearing a velvet bonnet or round cap, a damask gown, and a chain of gold about his neck; in which habit he was seen, and heard, preaching several times in St. Maries Church in Oxon. in the beginning of Qu. Eliz. In like manner other Lay-Gentlemen, such that had been educated in the Universities, did either preach, or else write books concerning controversies in Religion, or else make translations from Divinity books. Will. Holcot of Buckland in Berks. Esq; (whom I have mention’d in Joh. Jewell) sometimes of Univ. Coll. was often seen in the same habit in Pulpits in London, and in his own Country, and would often give the printed Catechismes in the book of Common-Prayer to Children as he walked in London streets to learn without book, and would after call out those children and examine them, and for encouragement would give, especially to the poorer sort of them, money, silk points, ribbands, &c. Sir Tho. More also, after he was called to the bar in Lincolns Inn, did for a considerable time read a publick Lecture out of St. Austin De civitate Dei, in the Church of St. Laurence in the Old Jewrie, to which the learneder sort in the City of London would resort. Afterwards also, when he was L. Chanc. of England, he wrot treatises against the Lutherans, and when at home on Sundays he would sit in the choir in a surplice and sing service. But to return; as for our Author Rich. Taverner, he, for security sake when Qu. Mary came to the Crown, did receede to his house called Norbiton hall in Surrey, where he mostly continued all her Reign. But when Qu. Elizab. succeeded, he presented to her a gratulatory Epistle in Latin; by which being made more known to her than formerly, she had so great respect for, and confidence in, him, that she not only offer’d to him the Degree of Knighthood, but put him into the commission of peace for the County of Oxon, (wherein he had several mannors that had belonged to religious houses) entrusted him with a considerable share of the concerns thereof, and in the 12 Year of her Reign, Dom. 1569 made him High Sherriff of the said County. In which office he appeared in St. Maries Pulpit with his sword by his side (as ’tis said) and a chain of gold hanging about his neck and preached to the Scholars a Sermon (there being then a great scarcity of Divines in the University) beginning thus. Arriving at the mount of St. Maries, in the stony (c)(c) St. Maries Pulpit was then of fine carved Ashler stone, joyning to the upper pillar of the South side of the body of the Church: which Pulpit was taken away when Dr. Joh. Owen was Vicechanc. about 1654, and a framed pulpit of wood was set on the pedestall that upheld the frame of stone. stage where I now stand, I have brought you some five biskets, baked in the oven of charity, carefully conserv’d for the chickens of the Church, the sparrows of the spirit, and the sweet swallows of salvation, &c. Which way of preaching was then mostly in fashion, and commended by the generality of Scholars. This Rich. Taverner hath written and published,

The sum or pith of the 150 Psalmes of David, reduced into a forme of prayers and meditations, with other certaine godly orisons, &c. Lond. 1539. oct.

Recognition or correction of the Bible after the best exemplars. Lond. 1539 fol. Allowed to be publickly read in Churches in the English tongue, with an Epist. dedic. to the King, whose servant Taverner then was. But after the death of the Lord Cromwell the Kings Secretary, an. 1540, the Bishops caused the Printers of the Bible in the Engl. tongue to be imprison’d and punished, and this our Author for his labours was committed Prisoner to the Tower of London; but he so well acquitted himself, that he was shortly after released, and restored to his place in Court and in the Kings favour.

The Epistles and Gospels, with a brief postill upon the same, from Advent to Low Sunday (which is the Winter part) drawn forth by divers learned Men for the singular commoditie of all good Christian Persons, and namelie of Priests and Curats. Lond 1540. qu.

The Epist. and Gosp. with a brief postill upon the same, from after Easther till Advent (which is the summer part) set. forth, &c. Lond. 1540. qu.

Fruite of faith, containing all the prayers of the holy Fathers, Patriarks, Prophets, Judges, Kings, renowned Men, and Women in the Old and New Test. Lond. 1582. in tw. Various Poems in Latine and English.

Hortus sapientiae. lib. 2. Sententiarum flores. In Catonis disticha. lib. 4. In Mimum publianum. Catechismus fidei. These are mention’d by Jo. Bale (d)(d) In cent. 8. num. 96. but I have not yet seen any of them, and therefore I cannot tell you whether they are in Engl. or Lat.

He also translated from Lat. into English (1) Rob. Capito (Grosthead) his prayers on the Psalmes. Lond. 1539. oct. (2) Confession of the Germans exhibited to the Emperour Charles 5. in the Councell of Augusta in the Year 1530, to which is added, The Apologie of Melancton of the said confession. Lond. 1536 in oct. Translated at the command of the Lord Cromwell Lord Privy Seal, (3) Common places of Scripture orderly and after a compendious forme of teaching, &c. Lond. 1577. oct. Written by Erasmus Sarcerius (4) An introduction to a Christian concord and unitie in matters of Religion. Translated from Erasm. Roterd. De sarciendâ ecclesiae concordiâ. Which translation was done by our Author upon K. Hen. the eighth, his coming into the Parliament house an. 1545, at which time he exhorted the members thereof (of which number R. Taverner our Author was one) to charity, unity and concord. At length after he had lived beyond the age of Man, and had been a zealous promoter of reformation and the Protestant Religion, laid down his head in peace, and willingly resign’d up his last breath at Woodeaton near to, and in the County of, Oxford, in the mannour-house now standing there, (which he did build from the ground, about 1544) on the 14 day of July in Fifteen hundred seventy and five. Whereupon his body being conveyed to the Church there by two Heralds or Officers of Arms about 5 days after, 1575 was buried in the Chancel with great solemnity near to the body of his first Wife Margaret. Soon after the said Officers caused to be hung up, on the North wall of the said Chancell, an helmet, standard, pennon and other cognisances belonging to Esquires. All which continued there several years after the Restauration of K. Ch. 2. and then were pulled down by Mr. Joh. Nourse the Lord of that mannour, to make room for a monument and banners for his Relations. He the said Rich. Taverner had married two wives; the first was Margaret Dau. of Walt. Lambert Esq. by whom he had several Sons, whose male issue is now, as I conceive, worn out, except that of Peter his second Son of Hexton in Hertfordsh. His second Wife was Mary Daughter of Sir Joh. Harcourt, of the noble and antient family of the Harcourts of Stanton-Harcourt in Oxfordshire, by whom having only one Daughter that survived, named Penelopie, she was married to my Grandfather (by the Mothers side) named Robert Le Petite, commonly called Pettie of Wifald near to Henlie, and of Cottesford near Bister, in Oxfordshire Gentleman, a younger Son of Joh. Pettie of Tetsworth and Stocke-Talmache near Thame in the said County Esq. The next Brother in order to the said Rich. Taverner, was named Roger, born in Norfolk also, and educated for a time in Cambridge, afterwards surveyour general on this side of the river Trent of the Kings woods to Hen. 8. Ed. 6. and Qu. Elizabeth, who in the Year 1560 wrot a (e)(e) See in Dr. Tho. James his Rologa Oxonie-Cantabrig, printed at Lond. 1600. p. 94. num. 343, who there entitles the book De fame; and saith it was written by Robert (instead of Roger) Taverner: Followed by Joh. Pits in append. ad lib. De illustr. Angl. Scriptorib. p. 903. book De fame, viz. of the means to prevent famine in this land, dedicated to Qu. Elizab. who delivering it to Dr. Parker Archb. of Canterbury, he gave it afterwards with many other MSS. to Bennet Coll. Library in Cambridge, where it now remains, and hath had this testimony given of the writer by some of that house in the beginning of Ch. 1. that tho the Author was no professed Scholar, yet he was competently learned, well versed in the affairs of the Commonwealth, and of the Estates of Kingdoms in Forreign parts, and that the book was worthy of publication. He died at Upminster in Essex (where he had a fair Estate) and was buried in the Church there, in 1582, leaving behind him a Son named John, who in 1600 publish’d a little treatise concerning The making of ponds, breeding and feeding of fish, and planting of fruits, &c. printed several times. Which John succeeded his Father in the surveyourship before-mention’d, and dying in 1606 was, as I conceive, buried by his Father, leaving then behind him a Son named Roger, living 1636.