John Hilsey
|
The Right Reverend John Hilsey |
|
|---|---|
| Bishop of Rochester | |
| Church | Church of England |
| Diocese | Diocese of Rochester |
| Predecessor | John Fisher |
| Successor | Nicholas Heath |
| Other posts | Dominican prior |
| Orders | |
| Consecration | 18 September 1535 |
| Personal details | |
| Died | 4 August 1539 |
| Buried | Rochester Cathedral |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic and/or Anglican |
| Alma mater | Oxford University |
John Hilsey (a.k.a. Hildesley or Hildesleigh; died 4 August 1539) was an English Dominican, prior provincial of his order, then an agent of Henry VIII and his church reformation, and Bishop of Rochester.
According to Anthony Wood, Hilsey was a member of the Hildesley family of East Ilsley in Berkshire. He entered the Order of Preachers at Bristol, and then moved to the Dominican house at Oxford, where in May 1527, he graduated B.D., and proceeded D.D. in 1532; it is probable that he studied also at Cambridge. In May 1533 he was prior of the Dominican house at Bristol, and wrote a letter to Thomas Cromwell, whom he apparently regarded as his patron, and with whom he seems to have had earlier dealings. This was to explain and excuse his conduct in preaching against Hugh Latimer. He had come across Latimer as a preacher against pilgrimages and other religious traditions, but soon decided that Latimer was more concern with attacking the abuse of the traditions, rather than the traditions themselves.
In April 1534, Cromwell appointed him provincial of his order, and commissioner, along with George Browne, provincial of the Augustinians, to visit the friaries throughout England. The commissioners were to administer to the friars the oath of allegiance to Henry, Anne Boleyn and their issue, to obtain from them an acknowledgment of the King as head of the national church, and to make inventories of their property. The commissioners visited the London houses 17–20 April, went in May to the friaries within easy reach of London and then turned west. On 21 June, he reported to Cromwell from Exeter, and in July he reached Cardiff in pursuit of two Observantine friars who were trying to leave the kingdom.
In 1535, on the death of John Fisher, Hilsey succeeded him as Bishop of Rochester, consecrated on 18 September by Archbishop Thomas Cranmer at Winchester. He begged Cromwell for his predecessor's mitre, staff and seal, as being himself too poor to procure such things. In January 1536, Hilsey preached at Catherine of Aragon's funeral, alleging that, in the hour of death, she had acknowledged that she had never been Queen of England. In March, he obtained a faculty from Cromwell enabling him to remain prior of the London Dominicans and, when they were dispersed, he received a pension.
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