James Brooks (bishop)

For other people named James Brooks, see James Brooks (disambiguation).

James Brooks D.D. (or Brookes) (1512–1558) was an English Catholic bishop.

Life

Born in May 1512, in Hampshire, southern England, Brooks became a Fellow of Corpus Christi College, Oxford in 1532, took the B.A. that same year and in 1546 the D.D. He was Master of Balliol College, Oxford in the years 1547–1555. He was Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University during 1552–3.

Widely known as an eloquent preacher, with the deprivation of John Hooper on the accession of Queen Mary, Brooks succeeded him as Bishop of Gloucester by papal provision in 1554 and was consecrated on 1 April.

In 1555, Brooks was one of the papal sub-delegates in the Royal Commission for the trial of the Oxford Martyrs, Thomas Cranmer, Hugh Latimer, and Nicholas Ridley. Brooks was a man not only of learning but also of integrity. He refused to degrade Ridley, probably on the ground that Ridley's consecration in 1547 had been according to the invalid form which was established by law very soon after that date. If, as the Protestant polemicist John Foxe asserts, Brooks refused to degrade Latimer as well, his position may have been based upon the fact that Latimer had lived for several years as a simple clergyman.

Brooks died in July or August 1558.ref name="ODNB"/> He was buried in Gloucester Cathedral, but without a monument.

References

Attribution

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Academic offices
Preceded by William Wright	Master of Balliol College, Oxford 1547–1555	Succeeded by Francis Babington
Preceded by Owen Oglethorpe	Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University 1552–1553	Succeeded by Richard Marshall
Church of England titles
Preceded by John Hooper	Bishop of Gloucester 1554–1558	Succeeded by Richard Cheyney