Gilbert Sheldon

For Roman Catholic prelate in America, see Gilbert Sheldon (Bishop of Steubenville).

The Most Reverend and Right Honourable Gilbert Sheldon
Archbishop of Canterbury

Church	Church of England
Province	Province of Canterbury
Diocese	Diocese of Canterbury
Elected	11 August 1663 (elected); 31 August 1663 (election confirmed)
Installed	7 September 1663 (by proxy)
Term ended	9 November 1677 (death)
Predecessor	William Juxon
Successor	William Sancroft
Other posts	Dean of the Chapel Royal (1660–1663) Bishop of London (1660–1663) Master of the Savoy (1661–1663) Chancellor of the University of Oxford (1667–1669)
Personal details
Born	(1598-06-19)19 June 1598 Stanton, Staffordshire
Died	9 November 1677(1677-11-09) (aged 79) Lambeth Palace, Surrey
Buried	Croydon parish church, Surrey
Nationality	English
Denomination	Anglican
Parents	Roger Sheldon
Profession	Theologian
Alma mater	Trinity College, Oxford

Ordination history of Gilbert Sheldon
Diaconal ordination
Ordained by	John Howson (Oxford)
Date of ordination	23 May 1624
Place of ordination	Dorchester on Thames
Episcopal consecration
Principal consecrator	Brian Duppa (Winch.)
Co-consecrators	Accepted Frewen (York), Matthew Wren (Ely), John Warner (Rochester), Henry King (Chichester)
Date of consecration	28 October 1660
Place of consecration	Henry VII Chapel, Westminster Abbey
Source(s): ^[1]

Gilbert Sheldon (19 June 1598 – 9 November 1677) was the Archbishop of Canterbury from 1663 until his death.

Early life

He was born in Stanton, Staffordshire in the parish of Ellastone, on 19 June 1598, (according to an entry in Sheldon's family Bible, now in the Bodleian Library, Oxford, which states in handwriting, 'Gilb. Sheldon, borne June 19, 1598.'), the youngest son of Roger Sheldon; his father worked for Gilbert Talbot, 7th Earl of Shrewsbury. He was educated at Trinity College, Oxford; he matriculated at Oxford on 1 July 1614, graduated BA from Trinity College on 27 November 1617, and MA(Oxon) on 28 June 1620. In 1619 he was incorporated at Cambridge.^[2] In 1622 he was elected fellow of All Souls' College, where he took the degrees of BD on 11 November 1628 and DD on 25 June 1634. In 1622 he was ordained, and shortly afterwards he became domestic chaplain to Thomas Coventry, 1st Baron Coventry.^[3]

In March 1626 he was elected warden of All Souls' on the death of Richard Astley. He had already made the acquaintance of William Laud, and corresponded with him on college business, university politics, and on the conversion of William Chillingworth from Roman Catholicism. Sheldon was not initially a Laudian, and he resisted (unsuccessfully) Laud's appointment of Jeremy Taylor to a fellowship at All Souls'. In 1634 and 1640 he was pro-vice-chancellor. In 1638 he was on the commission of visitation for Merton College; the visit produced a report requiring reforms.^[3]

During the years 1632–1639 he received the livings of Hackney (1633); Oddington, Oxfordshire; Ickford, Buckinghamshire (1636); and Newington, Oxfordshire; besides being a prebendary of Gloucester from 1632. Sheldon gravitated towards the Great Tew circle of Lucius Cary (Falkland), and was on friendly terms with Edward Hyde; he had no Puritan sympathies. He became a royal chaplain through Coventry, and the king intended preferment for him, plans interrupted by the political crises.^[3]

Civil War period

He was intimate with the Royalist leaders, and participated in the negotiations for the Uxbridge treaty of 1645. During this period he became with Henry Hammond one of the churchmen closest to the king, and attended him as Clerk of the Closet in Oxford, later in Newmarket, Suffolk and finally in the Isle of Wight. When the parliamentarians occupied Oxford in 1646 he resisted the visitation, but was finally and physically ejected from All Souls in early 1648. Taken into custody, he was to have been imprisoned in Wallingford Castle with Hammond but the commander was unwilling to have them. He was freed, with restrictions on his movements, later that year.^[3]

He lived quietly for a dozen years in the Midlands, at Snelston in Derbyshire or with friends in Staffordshire and Nottinghamshire. He was active in fundraising for the poor clergy and for Charles II in exile. He corresponded with Jeremy Taylor, whom he supported, and with Hyde. On the death of John Palmer, whom the visitors had made warden of All Souls' in his place, on 4 March 1659, he was quietly reinstated.^[3]

Bishop of London

On 21 September 1660, Sheldon was nominated Bishop of London; he was elected on 9 October and his election confirmed on 23 October. On 28 October, he was consecrated in the Henry VII Chapel at Westminster Abbey; he had been made Dean of the Chapel Royal not long before and became Master of the Savoy not long after. Since William Juxon was now Archbishop of Canterbury, but was aged and infirm, Sheldon in practical terms exercised many of the powers of the archbishopric in the period to 1663, and he was on the privy council. He was commissioned to consecrate the new Scottish bishops.^[3]

The Savoy Conference of 1661 was held at his lodgings. He hardly participated, but was understood to be pulling strings in terms of the outcome. In his formulation, Puritan objections should be set out and considered; the point of the Conference was liturgical, to look into reform of the Book of Common Prayer. The subsequent Uniformity Act 1662 was very much in line with Sheldon's thinking.^[3] The Act was a sequel to Sheldon's successful orchestration of opposition to Charles II's intended Declaration of Indulgence, earlier in 1662.^[4]

Archbishop of Canterbury

He was translated to become Archbishop of Canterbury in 1663: the congé d'élire was issued on 14 July, Sheldon was elected on 11 August, royal assent was given on 20 August and his election was confirmed (in a legal ceremony by which he officially took his new post) on 31 August at Lambeth Palace;^{[N 1]}^[5] he was enthroned by proxy and vested with the temporalities on 7 September.^[6] He was greatly interested in the welfare of the University of Oxford, of which he became Chancellor in 1667, succeeding Lord Clarendon, as Hyde now was. The Sheldonian Theatre at Oxford was built and endowed at his expense.^[3]

He accepted much purely secular work, acting as arbiter on petitions presented through him, and taking up investigations passed on by the king, especially in connection with the navy. Sheldon lost political influence after the fall of Clarendon in 1667, and by making Charles's philandering a matter of religious reproach. He was vocal against the Royal Declaration of Indulgence of 1672.^[3]^[4] He is depicted in a window in Gray's Inn Chapel.

Sheldon is mentioned in Pepys' Diary who relates a story from his "Cozen Roger" that "...the Archbishop of Canterbury that now is, do keep a wench, and that he is a very wencher as can be and tells us that is publicly known that Sir Charles Sedley had got away one of the Archbishop's wenches from him..." There is in fact no credible evidence that Sheldon led an immoral life, and a later entry in Pepys' Diary praises the Archbishop as a "stout and high spirited man", who openly spoke his mind to the King on matters of morality.

Sheldon never married: this may have inspired the gossip reported by Pepys about his immoral private life. His niece, Catherine, married John Dolben, Archbishop of York.

Sheldon was buried in Croydon Parish Church, now renamed as Croydon Minster.

Notes

↑ The bishops present to confirm Sheldon's election were: George Morley, Bishop of Winchester; William Piers, Bishop of Bath and Wells; Robert Skinner, Bishop of Oxford; Humphrey Henchman, Bishop of Salisbury; Seth Ward, Bishop of Exeter; and John Earle, Bishop of Worcester.

References

↑ Perceval, A.P. An Apology for the Doctrine of Apostolical Succession: with an Appendix on the English Orders p. 206 (Google Books)
↑ "Sheldon, Gilbert (SHLN619G)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University of Cambridge.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Hutton, William Holden (1897). "Sheldon, Gilbert". In Lee, Sidney. Dictionary of National Biography. 52. London: Smith, Elder & Co.
1 2 Ronald H. Fritze, William B. Robison, Historical Dictionary of Stuart England, 1603–1689 (1996), p. 492
↑ Lambeth Palace Library Research Guide – Places of Confirmation of Election of Archbishops of Canterbury (Accessed 31 July 2013)
↑ Horn, Joyce M., Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae 1541–1857, 3, pp. 8–12 (Accessed 31 July 2013)

Sources

This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "^{article name needed}". Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: "Sheldon, Gilbert". Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900.

Church of England titles
Vacant Title last held by William Juxon	Bishop of London 1660–1663	Succeeded by Humphrey Henchman
Preceded by William Juxon	Archbishop of Canterbury 1663–1677	Succeeded by William Sancroft
Academic offices
Preceded by The Earl of Clarendon	Chancellor of the University of Oxford 1667–1669	Succeeded by The Duke of Ormonde

Archbishops of Canterbury

Pre-Conquest	Augustine Laurence Mellitus Justus Honorius Deusdedit Wighard Theodore of Tarsus Berhtwald Tatwine Nothhelm Cuthbert Bregowine Jænberht Æthelhard Wulfred Feologild Ceolnoth Æthelred Plegmund Athelm Wulfhelm Oda Ælfsige Byrhthelm Dunstan Æthelgar Sigeric the Serious Ælfric of Abingdon Ælfheah Lyfing Æthelnoth Eadsige Robert of Jumièges Stigand

Conquest–Reformation	Lanfranc Anselm Ralph d'Escures William de Corbeil Theobald of Bec Thomas Becket Roger de Bailleul Richard of Dover Baldwin of Forde Reginald Fitz Jocelin Hubert Walter Reginald John de Gray Stephen Langton Walter d'Eynsham Richard le Grant Ralph Neville John of Sittingbourne John Blund Edmund of Abingdon Boniface William Chillenden Robert Kilwardby Robert Burnell John Peckham Robert Winchelsey Thomas Cobham Walter Reynolds Simon Mepeham John de Stratford John de Ufford Thomas Bradwardine Simon Islip William Edington Simon Langham William Whittlesey Simon Sudbury William Courtenay Thomas Arundel Roger Walden Thomas Arundel Henry Chichele John Stafford John Kemp Thomas Bourchier John Morton Thomas Langton Henry Deane William Warham Thomas Cranmer Reginald Pole

Post-Reformation	Matthew Parker Edmund Grindal John Whitgift Richard Bancroft George Abbot William Laud William Juxon Gilbert Sheldon William Sancroft John Tillotson Thomas Tenison William Wake John Potter Thomas Herring Matthew Hutton Thomas Secker Frederick Cornwallis John Moore Charles Manners-Sutton William Howley John Sumner Charles Longley Archibald Tait Edward Benson Frederick Temple Randall Davidson Cosmo Lang William Temple Geoffrey Fisher Michael Ramsey Donald Coggan Robert Runcie George Carey Rowan Williams Justin Welby

Italics indicate a person who was elected but not confirmed.

Bishops of London

Post-Augustine	Mellitus Cedd Wine Earconwald Waldhere Ingwald Ecgwulf Wigheah Eadberht Eadgar Coenwalh Eadbald Heathoberht Osmund Æthelnoth Ceolberht Deorwulf Swithwulf Heahstan Wulfsige Æthelweard Leofstan Theodred Brihthelm Dunstan Ælfstan Wulfstan Ælfhun Ælfwig Ælfweard Robert of Jumièges Spearhafoc

Post-Conquest	William the Norman Hugh d'Orevalle Maurice Richard de Belmeis I Gilbert Universalis Anselm (quashed) Robert de Sigello Richard de Belmeis II Gilbert Foliot Richard FitzNeal William of Sainte-Mère-Église Eustace of Fauconberg Roger Niger Fulk Basset Henry Wingham Richard Talbot Henry of Sandwich John Chishull Fulke Lovell Richard Gravesend Ralph Baldock Gilbert Segrave Richard Newport Stephen Gravesend Richard de Wentworth Ralph Stratford Michael Northburgh Simon Sudbury William Courtenay Robert Braybrooke Roger Walden Nicholas Bubwith Richard Clifford John Kemp William Grey Robert FitzHugh Robert Gilbert Thomas Kempe Richard Hill Thomas Savage William Warham William Barons Richard FitzJames Cuthbert Tunstall

During the Reformation	John Stokesley Edmund Bonner (1st) Nicholas Ridley Edmund Bonner (2nd)

Post-Reformation	Edmund Grindal Edwin Sandys John Aylmer Richard Fletcher Richard Bancroft Richard Vaughan Thomas Ravis George Abbot John King George Montaigne William Laud William Juxon Gilbert Sheldon Humphrey Henchman Henry Compton John Robinson Edmund Gibson Thomas Sherlock Thomas Hayter Richard Osbaldeston Richard Terrick Robert Lowth Beilby Porteus John Randolph William Howley Charles Blomfield Archibald Tait John Jackson Frederick Temple Mandell Creighton Arthur Winnington-Ingram Geoffrey Fisher William Wand Henry Montgomery Campbell Robert Stopford Gerald Ellison Graham Leonard David Hope Richard Chartres

Deans of the Chapel Royal

Late Medieval	John de Wodeford John de Leek Thomas de Lynton John Boor Richard Kyngeston Richard Prentys Edmund Lacy Robert Gilbert Richard Praty John Croucher Robert Ayscogh William Say William Dudley John Gunthorpe William Chauntre Richard Hill Thomas Jane Richard Nikke Geoffrey Simeon

Early modern	William Atwater William Day Lancelot Andrewes William Laud Richard Steward Gilbert Sheldon George Morley Herbert Croft Walter Blandford Henry Compton Nathaniel Crew Henry Compton (again) John Robinson William Talbot Edmund Gibson

Authority control	WorldCat Identities VIAF: 74950665 LCCN: n83008113 ISNI: 0000 0000 6324 8709 GND: 130105422 SUDOC: 084569611 NLA: 35924929

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