39 Facts About Matthew Parker

Matthew Parker was the Archbishop of Canterbury in the Church of England from 1559 to his death.

Matthew Parker was an influential theologian and arguably the co-founder of a distinctive tradition of Anglican theological thought.

Matthew Parker's father was a wealthy worsted weaver and the grandson of Nicholas Parker, registrar to successive archbishops of Canterbury between 1450 and 1483.

William Matthew Parker died in about 1516, and within three or four years following his death, Alice Matthew Parker married John Baker.

Matthew Parker's surviving siblings were Botolph, Thomas and Margaret.

Matthew Parker was brought up in Norwich on Fye Bridge Street, now called Magdalen Street.

Matthew Parker was possibly educated at home, and recalled later in life being taught by six men, mostly clerics.

In 1520, the 16-year-old Matthew Parker went up to Cambridge University, where he studied at Bene't College, now known as Corpus Christi College under Richard Cowper.

Matthew Parker was associated with the circle of Thomas Bilney, remaining loyal to him throughout their university days together.

Matthew Parker graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1525.

Matthew Parker returned to Cambridge, regretting his recantation, and began to preach throughout Norfolk.

Matthew Parker was licensed to preach by Cranmer in 1533, and quickly became a popular preacher in and around Cambridge; none of his sermons have survived.

Matthew Parker would have had to adhere to the Ten Articles enforced on the clergy during that period.

Matthew Parker retained his fellowship at Cambridge University whilst he was dean at Stoke-by-Clare.

Audley dismissed the charges and urged Matthew Parker to "go on and fear no such enemies".

Matthew Parker worked hard to make Corpus Christi a centre of learning, founding new scholarships.

Matthew Parker was obliged to make enquiries into the nature of the play, but then allowed to settle the matter himself on behalf of the university authorities.

Hill is associated with the publication of the Geneva Bible and joined Matthew Parker in ratifying the Thirty-nine Articles.

Matthew Parker respected authority, and when his time came he could consistently impose authority on others.

Matthew Parker was not eager to assume this task, and made great efforts to avoid promotion to Archbishop of Canterbury, which Elizabeth designed for him as soon as she had succeeded to the throne.

Matthew Parker had been the favourite chaplain of Elizabeth's mother, the queen Anne Boleyn.

Matthew Parker possessed all the qualifications Elizabeth expected from an archbishop, except celibacy.

Matthew Parker mistrusted popular enthusiasm, and he wrote in horror of the idea that "the people" should be the reformers of the church.

Matthew Parker was convinced that if ever Protestantism was to be firmly established in England at all, some definite ecclesiastical forms and methods must be sanctioned to secure the triumph of order over anarchy, and he vigorously set about the repression of what he thought a mutinous individualism incompatible with a catholic spirit.

Matthew Parker was not an inspiring leader and no dogma or prayer book is associated with his name.

The 55 volumes published by the Matthew Parker Society include only one by its eponymous hero, and that is a volume of correspondence.

Matthew Parker was a disciplinarian, a scholar, a modest and moderate man of genuine piety and irreproachable morals.

Matthew Parker's consecration gave rise to a dispute, which continues to this day, in regard to its sacramental validity from the perspective of the Roman Catholic Church.

Matthew Parker was ordained in 1527 in the Latin Rite and before the break with Rome.

All four of Matthew Parker's consecrators were consecrated by bishops who themselves had been consecrated with the Roman Pontifical in the Church of England which at the time was in schism from Rome.

Matthew Parker avoided involvement in secular politics and was never admitted to Elizabeth's Privy Council.

The Book of Advertisements, which Matthew Parker published in 1566 to check the anti-vestments faction, had to appear without specific royal sanction; and the Reformatio legum ecclesiasticarum, which John Foxe published with Matthew Parker's approval, received neither royal, parliamentary or synodical authorisation.

Matthew Parker is buried in the chapel of Lambeth Palace.

Matthew Parker has a residence, named The Old Palace, next to Canterbury Cathedral on the site of the medieval Archbishop's Palace.

Matthew Parker gave the English people the Bishops' Bible, which was undertaken at his request, prepared under his supervision, and published at his expense in 1572.

Matthew Parker had the principal share in drawing up the Book of Common Prayer, for which his skill in ancient liturgies peculiarly fitted him.

Matthew Parker published A Testimonie of Antiquitie Showing the Ancient Fayth in the Church of England Touching the Sacrament of the Body and Bloude of the Lord to prove that transubstantiation was not the doctrine of the ancient English Church.

Matthew Parker collaborated with his secretary John Joscelyn in his manuscript studies.

Matthew Parker left a priceless collection of manuscripts, largely collected from former monastic libraries, to his college at Cambridge.