David Whitehead (clergyman)

David Whitehead (also Whitehet and Whithead) (1492?–1571) was an English evangelical priest, a Marian exile and author.

Born about 1492, he was a native of Hampshire; his contemporary Hugh Whitehead (died 1551), with whom David Whitehead has sometimes been confused, was from the County Durham area.

David Whitehead is said to have been educated at Brasenose College, Oxford or All Souls College, Oxford, but his name does not appear in the registers. He was tutor to Charles Brandon, 1st Duke of Suffolk, who died in 1551. During the winter of 1549–50 Whitehead, Thomas Lever and Roger Hutchinson endeavoured to convert Joan Bocher from her heresies. On Brandon's death Whitehead retained a prominent position as chaplain to his widow, Catherine Brandon, Duchess of Suffolk. On 25 November 1551 he took part in the discussion on transubstantiation at William Cecil's house. At this point he was positioned with the Cambridge-dominated evangelical faction at court, with John Cheke and others.

In 1552 Thomas Cranmer described him as "Mr. Whitehead of Hadley"; and on 25 August suggested him to Cecil as a candidate for the vacant Archbishop of Armagh. Whitehead, however, refused the appointment, and Hugh Goodacre became archbishop.

Soon after Queen Mary's accession Whitehead left for the continent; he was one of the 175 who sailed with Jan Łaski from Gravesend on 17 September 1553. Whitehead was in the smaller vessel which reached Copenhagen on 3 November; there the exiles were taken for Anabaptists, and soon expelled by order of the king on their refusing to subscribe to the Lutheran confession. They then made their way to , where Whitehead pleaded their cause before the magistrates, whose Lutheran requirements they failed to satisfy, and they were compelled to leave in January. A similar fate befell them at Wismar, Lübeck, and Hamburg, but they found a refuge at Emden in March 1554.

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