William Warham

, Son of Rob. Warham, was born of a gentile Family at Okely in Hampshire, educated in Grammaticals in Wykehams School, admitted true and perpetual Fellow of New coll. in 1475. took the degrees in the Laws, left the coll. 1488. and about that time became an Advocate in the Court of Arches, and soon after Principal or chief Moderator of Civil Law School, then situated in S. Edwards Parish in Oxon. On the 2. Nov. 1493. he was collated to the Chantorship of Wells upon the death of Tho. Overey, (sometimes Fellow of Alls. coll.) and on the 13. of Feb. following, he was constituted Master of the Rolls. Afterwards being elected to the See of London, he had the Great Seal of England delivered unto him on the 11. of Aug. 1502: So that in few days after being consecrated Bishop of that See, had restitution (b)(b) Pat. 18. Hen. 7. p. 1. m. 14. made to him of the temporalities belonging thereunto, on the first of Octob. following. In the beginning of January in the same year he was constituted L. Chanc. of England, and in Nov. (as one (c)(c) Fr. Godwin in Com. de praesul. Angl. int. Episc. Cantuar. saith) in 1504. he was translated to the See of Canterbury; whose inthronization there, appointed to be on the 9. March following, was performed then with great and wonderful solemnity and magnificence, as it may be partly elsewhere (d)(d) Vide Hist. & Antiq. Univ. Ox. lib. 1. p. 239. a. seen. In 1506. May 28. he was unanimously elected Chancellour of the University of Oxon, being then, and ever after, an especial friend to it, and its members, as may be discerned in several Epistles (e)(e) Ib. lib. 2. p. 416. b. that passed between them. In some the said members stile him Sanctissimus in Christo Paeter, and in others, they proclaim in an high manner his prudence, profound understanding, &c. All which, I presume, was done because he had been a benefactor to the finishing of S. Maries Church and the Divinity School. It must be now known that there was a young Knight called William Warham, Godson and Nephew to the Archbishop, (as being Son to his Brother Hugh Warham,) that waited upon him in his chamber: With him the Archb. being always ready to discourse, did more than once seriously tell him, that if ever after his death any should succeed him in the See of Canterbury called Thomas, he should in no wise serve him, or seek his favour and acquaintance, for there shall (said he) one of that name shortly enjoy this See, that shall as much by his vicious living and wicked heresies dishonour, wast, and destroy the same, and the whole Church of England, as ever the blessed Bishop and Martyr St. Thomas did before benefit, bless, adorn and honour the same, &c. This is reported by Nich. Harpessfield (f)(f) In his Treatise of Marriage, MS lib. 2. from the mouth of the said Sir Will. Warham, being prophetically spoken by the said Archb. concerning the Thomas that succeeded him, meaning Thom. Cranmer. After Dr. Warham had sate in Canterbury in great prosperity about 28 years, he concluded this life at S. Stephens near to the said City, on the 22. of Aug. between the hours of 3 and 4 in the morning, 1532 in fifteen hundred thirty and two: Whereupon his body was laid in a little Chappel built by himself for the place of his burial, on the north side of the Martyrdom of S. Thomas of Canterbury, and had there a reasonable fair Tomb erected over his body, but defaced in the beginning of the grand Rebellion began and carried on by the Presbyterians. Erasmus of Rotterdam having been a great acquaintance of the said Archbishop, had the honour to have his picture sent to him by the owner: Which being with great devotion received, Erasmus sent him his, and between them passed several Epistles. In one of which, or else in another place, Erasmus (who had the Parsonage of Aldington in Kent bestowed on him) so commends him for humanity, learning, integrity, and piety, that in the conclusion he saith, nullan absoluti Praesulis dotem in eo desideres. The said Archb. left all his Theological books to Alls. coll. Library, his Civil and Can. Law books, with the prick-song books belonging to his Chappel, to New coll. and his Ledgers, Grayles, and Antiphonals to Wykehams coll. near to Winchester. See more of him in a book intit. De antiquitate Britannicae Ecclesiae, &c. Lond. 1572-3. p. 348. 349. &c.