Samuel Harsnett

Samuel Harsnett

Infobox Archbishop of York
name = Samuel Harsnett


birth_name =
began = 1629
term_end = 1631
predecessor = George Montaigne
successor = Richard Neile
birth_date = June 1561
birthplace = Colchester, Essex
death_date = May 1631
deathplace =
tomb = St Mary's Church, Chigwell
Anglican Portal

Samuel Harsnett (June 1561 - May 1631) was an English writer on religion and Archbishop of York from 1629.

Life

He was born in Colchester, Essex and educated at Colchester Royal Grammar School and Pembroke Hall, Cambridge, where he became a fellow and then master (1605-1616). Harsnett became Vice-Chancellor of Cambridge University. In 1584 he was disciplined by Archbishop Whitgift for preaching against predestination. Harsnett went on to be the vicar of Chigwell from 1597 - 1605 and in 1619 he purchased land to found Chigwell School (1629) in his former parish. He became Archbishop of York in 1629 after being Bishop of Norwich from 1619 to 1628. A brass of Harsnett can be found in St Mary's Church, Chigwell, where he is buried.

Harsnett and Demons

Harsnett is also noted for his skeptical attitude towards demons and witchcraft. As the chaplain to Bishop Bancroft, Harsnett was commissioned to write a treatise condemning the 1590s exorcisms of John Darrell. Darrell, curate at St. Mary's Church, Nottingham was a puritan minister who performed a series of public exorcisms in the English midlands. Eventually, the exorcisms caused such a disturbance that they attracted the attention of Anglican authoritites in London. Harsnett's "A Survey of Certain Dialogical Discourses" was a polemical piece intended to discredit Darrell's puritan agenda. It was drafted as a piece of political propaganda, but it also genuinely questioned the belief in demons. Harsnett sought natural explanations for supposedly supernatural phenomena. In 1603, he wrote another book, "Declaration of Egregious Popish Impostures", which condemned exorcisms performed by Roman Catholic priests in the 1580s. Shakespeare used this book as a source, pulling words and phrases when writing the play "King Lear". As a member of England's religious authority, Harsnett's skeptical attitudes set important precedents for English policy. He may have contributed to the relative lack of witch hunts in England, compared to other countries.Fact|date=November 2007

ee also

* List of the Bishops of the Diocese of Norwich, England and its precursor offices


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно решить контрольную?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Samuel Harsnett — Samuel Harsnett. Samuel Harsnett (1561 1631) est un ecclésiastique anglican. Il est évêque de Chichester de 1609 à 1619, puis évêque de Norwich de 1619 à 1628 et enfin archevêque d York de 1629 à sa mort …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Colchester Royal Grammar School — For other schools with the name RGS, see Royal Grammar School. Colchester Royal Grammar School Motto Vitae Corona Fides (Faith is the Crown of Life) Established By 1206 Refounded 1539 Refounded 1584 Type …   Wikipedia

  • Le Roi Lear — Pour les articles homonymes, voir Lear. Le Roi Lear …   Wikipédia en Français

  • List of Vice-Chancellors of the University of Cambridge — The Vice Chancellor of the University of Cambridge is the main administrative and academic officer of the university, and is elected by the Regent House for a term of up to seven years.Prior to 1992, the position was part time, the post holder… …   Wikipedia

  • Chigwell School — Motto aut viam inveniam aut faciam Established 1629 Type …   Wikipedia

  • Liste der Bischöfe von Norwich — Das Bistum Norwich führt diesen Namen erst seit dem 11. Jahrhundert. Die Vorläufer des Bistum liegen aber 500 Jahre weiter zurück. Mit den Tod von Bifus im Jahre 673 wurde das Bistum von dem Erzbischof von Canterbury, Theodor (Hl.) auf die 2… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • King Lear — This article is about Shakespeare s play. For other uses, see King Lear (disambiguation). King Lear and the Fool in the Storm by William Dyce (1806–1864) King Lear is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. The title character descends into madness… …   Wikipedia

  • John Overall (bishop) — Infobox Bishop name = John Overall bishop of = Bishop of Norwich caption = province = Church of England diocese = Norwich see = enthroned = 1618 ended = 1619 predecessor = John Jegon successor = Samuel Harsnett ordination = 1591 consecration =… …   Wikipedia

  • Shakespeare, William — (baptized April 26, 1564, Stratford upon Avon, Warwickshire, Eng. died April 23, 1616, Stratford upon Avon) British poet and playwright, often considered the greatest writer in world literature. He spent his early life in Stratford upon Avon,… …   Universalium

  • Liste der Erzbischöfe von York — Die folgenden Personen waren Bischöfe und Erzbischöfe von York: Bischöfe von York Name (Lebensdaten)[1] Amtszeit Anmerkung Bild Paulinus (Hl.) † 10. Oktober 644 625 bis 633 danach Bischof von Rochester …   Deutsch Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”