John Alcock (bishop)

John Alcock
The Most Reverend; John Alcock
	Bishop of Ely
Church	Roman Catholic
In office	6 October 1486
Predecessor	John Morton
Successor	Richard Redman
Orders
Consecration	15 March 1472
Personal details
Born	c. 1430; Beverley, Yorkshire
Died	1 October 1500
Previous post	Bishop of Rochester; Bishop of Worcester

John Alcock (c. 1430 – 1 October 1500) was an English churchman.

Biography

Alcock was born at Beverley in Yorkshire, son of Sir William Alcock, Burgess of Kingston upon Hull and educated at Cambridge.^[1] In 1461 he was made dean of St Stephen's Chapel, Westminster, and his subsequent promotion was rapid in both church and state. In the following year he was made Master of the Rolls,^[2] and in 1470 was sent as ambassador to the court of Castile. He was nominated to the see of Rochester on 8 January 1472 and consecrated Bishop of Rochester on 15 March^[3] and was successively translated to the see of Worcester on 15 July 1476^[4] and the see of Ely on 6 October 1486.^[5] He was the first president of the Council of the Marches in Wales from 1473 to 1500. He twice held the office of Lord Chancellor, once from June 1475 to September 1475 and then again from October 1485 to March 1487.^[2]

Alcock was one of the leading pre-Reformation divines; he was a man of deep learning and also of great proficiency as an architect. Besides founding a charity at Beverley and a grammar school at Kingston upon Hull, he restored many churches and colleges; but his greatest achievement was the building of Jesus College, Cambridge, which he established on the site of the former Convent of St Radegund.

Alcock was appointed to the Council in 1470 and became Master of the Rolls in 1471, soon after being appointed tutor to King Edward IV's eldest son, Prince Edward. After the King's death he was with Prince Edward and his younger brother when they were intercepted by Richard, Duke of Gloucester, at Stony Stratford. Alcock was arrested and removed from office but soon rejoined the Council. He was with King Richard III when he entered York in August 1483 and was a member of the English delegation that met the Scots at Nottingham.

Later Alcock was one of several clerics who openly canvassed the proposition that Henry Tudor marry Elizabeth of York. Appointed temporary Lord Chancellor he opened King Henry VII's first Parliament on 7 November 1485 and became one of the new king's most trusted servants.

Alcock died on 1 October 1500^[5] and lies buried in the Alcock Chantry in Ely Cathedral.

The Princes in the Tower

Valerie Anand, a believer in the innocence of Richard III in the matter of The Princes in the Tower, points out the fact that Alcock, the tutor of Edward V, never quarrelled with Richard III, either publicly or privately, but chose to "continue to work serenely beside Richard".^[6] This would have been unthinkable if Alcock had any reason at all to suspect that King Richard had done any harm at all to young Edward.

Writings

Alcock's published writings, most of which are extremely rare, are: Mons Perfectionis, or the Hill of Perfection (London, 1497); Gallicontus Johannis Alcock episcopi Eliensis ad frates suos curatas in sinodo apud Barnwell (1498), a good specimen of early English printing and quaint illustrations; The Castle of Labour, translated from the French (1536), and various other tracts and homilies. See J. Bass Mullinger's History of the University of Cambridge, vol. i.

Citations

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↑ ^2.0 ^2.1 Fryde, et al. Handbook of British Chronology p. 88
↑ Fryde, et al. Handbook of British Chronology p. 268
↑ Fryde, et al. Handbook of British Chronology p. 280
↑ ^5.0 ^5.1 Fryde, et al. Handbook of British Chronology p. 245
↑ Anand, Valerie Crown of Roses (1989), p. 404

References

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Political offices
Preceded by Laurence Booth	Lord Chancellor 1475	Succeeded by Thomas Rotherham
Preceded by Thomas Rotherham	Lord Chancellor 1485–1487	Succeeded by John Morton
Catholic Church titles
Preceded by Thomas Rotherham	Bishop of Rochester 1472–1476	Succeeded by John Russell
Preceded by John Carpenter	Bishop of Worcester 1476–1486	Succeeded by Robert Morton
Preceded by John Morton	Bishop of Ely 1486–1500	Succeeded by Richard Redman

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[Handbook88-2] 2.0 ^2.1 Fryde, et al. Handbook of British Chronology p. 88

[Handbook268-3] Fryde, et al. Handbook of British Chronology p. 268

[Handbook280-4] Fryde, et al. Handbook of British Chronology p. 280

[Handbook245-5] 5.0 ^5.1 Fryde, et al. Handbook of British Chronology p. 245

[6] Anand, Valerie Crown of Roses (1989), p. 404

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v t e Bishops of Ely
High Medieval	Hervey le Breton Nigel Geoffrey Ridel William Longchamp Eustace Robert of York John of Fountains Geoffrey de Burgh Hugh of Northwold William of Kilkenny Hugh de Balsham John Kirkby William of Louth John Salmon/John Langton Ralph Walpole
Late Medieval	Robert Orford John Ketton John Hotham Simon Montacute Thomas de Lisle Simon Langham John Barnet Thomas Arundel John Fordham Philip Morgan Lewis of Luxembourg Thomas Bourchier William Grey John Morton John Alcock
Early modern	Richard Redman James Stanley Nicholas West Thomas Goodrich Thomas Thirlby Richard Cox Martin Heton Lancelot Andrewes Nicholas Felton John Buckeridge Francis White Matthew Wren Benjamin Lany Peter Gunning Francis Turner Simon Patrick John Moore William Fleetwood Thomas Green Robert Butts Thomas Gooch Matthias Mawson Edmund Keene James Yorke
Late modern	Thomas Dampier Bowyer Sparke Joseph Allen Thomas Turton Harold Browne Thomas Browne Lord Alwyne Compton Frederic Chase Leonard White-Thomson Bernard Heywood Edward Wynn Noel Hudson Edward Roberts Peter Walker Stephen Sykes Anthony Russell

v t e Bishops of Rochester
Pre-Conquest	Justus Romanus Paulinus of York Ithamar Damianus Putta Cwichelm Gebmund Tobias Aldwulf Dunn Eardwulf Diora Waermund (I) Beornmod Tatnoth Badenoth Waermund (II) Cuthwulf Swithwulf Ceolmund Cyneferth Burgric Beorhtsige Ælfstan Godwine (I) Godwine (II) Siward
Conquest–Reformation	Arnost Gundulf Ralph d'Escures Ernulf John (I) John (II) Ascelin Walter Waleran Gilbert Glanvill Benedict of Sausetun Henry Sandford Richard Wendene Lawrence of St Martin Walter de Merton John Bradfield John Kirkby Thomas Ingoldsthorpe Thomas Wouldham Hamo Hethe John Sheppey William Whittlesey Thomas Trilleck Thomas Brinton William Bottlesham John Bottlesham Richard Young John Kemp John Langdon Thomas Brunce William Wells John Low Thomas Rotherham John Alcock John Russell Edmund Audley Thomas Savage Richard FitzJames John Fisher
Post-Reformation	John Hilsey Nicholas Heath Henry Holbeach Nicholas Ridley John Ponet John Scory Maurice Griffith Edmund Allen Edmund Gheast Edmund Freke John Piers John Young William Barlow Richard Neile John Buckeridge Walter Curle John Bowle John Warner John Dolben Francis Turner Thomas Sprat Francis Atterbury Samuel Bradford Joseph Wilcocks Zachary Pearce John Thomas Samuel Horsley Thomas Dampier Walker King Hon Hugh Percy George Murray Joseph Wigram Thomas Claughton Anthony Thorold Randall Davidson Edward Talbot John Harmer Linton Smith Christopher Chavasse David Say Michael Turnbull Michael Nazir-Ali James Langstaff

v t e Bishops of Worcester
Early Medieval	Bosel Oftfor Egwin of Evesham Wilfrith (I) Milred Waermund Tilhere Heathured Denebeorht Heahbeorht Ealhhun Werferth Æthelhun Wilfrith (II) Koenwald St Dunstan St Oswald Ealdwulf
High Medieval	Wulfstan (I) Leofsige Beorhtheah Lyfing Ælfric Puttoc Lyfing Ealdred St Wulfstan (II) Samson Theulf Simon John de Pageham Alured Roger Baldwin of Forde William of Northall Robert FitzRalph Henry de Sully John of Coutances Mauger Randulf of Evesham Walter de Gray Sylvester William de Blois Walter de Cantilupe Nicholas of Ely Godfrey Giffard
Late Medieval	John St German William Gainsborough Walter Reynolds Walter Maidstone Thomas Cobham Wulstan Bransford Adam Orleton Simon Montacute Thomas Hemenhale Wulstan Bransford John of Thoresby Reginald Brian John Barnet William Whittlesey William Lenn Walter Lyghe Henry Wakefield Robert Tideman of Winchcombe Richard Clifford Thomas Peverel Philip Morgan Thomas Polton Thomas Brunce Thomas Bourchier John Carpenter ("Bishop of Worcester and Westbury") John Alcock Robert Morton Giovanni de' Gigli
Early modern	Silvestro de' Gigli Girolamo Ghinucci Hugh Latimer John Bell Nicholas Heath John Hooper Nicholas Heath Richard Pate Edwin Sandys Nicholas Bullingham John Whitgift Edmund Freke Richard Fletcher Thomas Bilson Gervase Babington Henry Parry John Thornborough John Prideaux George Morley John Gauden John Earle Robert Skinner Walter Blandford James Fleetwood William Thomas Edward Stillingfleet William Lloyd John Hough Isaac Maddox James Johnson Brownlow North Richard Hurd
Late modern	Folliott Cornewall Robert Carr Henry Pepys Henry Philpott John Perowne Charles Gore Huyshe Yeatman-Biggs Ernest Pearce Arthur Perowne William Wilson Cash Mervyn Charles-Edwards Robin Woods Philip Goodrich Peter Selby John Inge

John Alcock (bishop)

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The Princes in the Tower

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The Most Reverend John Alcock
Bishop of Ely

Church	Roman Catholic
In office	6 October 1486
Predecessor	John Morton
Successor	Richard Redman
Orders
Consecration	15 March 1472
Personal details
Born	c. 1430 Beverley, Yorkshire
Died	1 October 1500
Previous post	Bishop of Rochester Bishop of Worcester