William Smyth

William Smyth
Bishop of Lincoln
Church	Catholic
Appointed	6 November 1496
Term ended	2 January 1514
Predecessor	John Russell
Successor	Thomas Wolsey
Orders
Consecration	3 February 1493 by John Morton
Personal details
Born	c. 1460 Farnworth, Widnes, Lancashire
Died	2 January 1514 Buckden Palace
Previous post	Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield

William Smyth (or Smith) (c. 1460 – 2 January 1514) was Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield from 1493 to 1496 and then Bishop of Lincoln until his death. He held political offices, the most important being Lord President of the Council of Wales and the Marches. He became very wealthy and was a benefactor of a number of institutions. He was a co-founder of Brasenose College, Oxford and endowed a grammar school in the village of his birth in Lancashire.

Smyth was born in the south Lancashire village of Farnworth in the parish of Prescot, which now falls within the town of Widnes in the Borough of Halton. Smyth was the fourth son of Robert Smyth of Peel Hall. He was allegedly brought up during his youth at nearby Knowsley Hall, the home of Thomas Stanley, 1st Earl of Derby. At this time Stanley was married to his second wife Lady Margaret, Countess of Richmond. Lady Margaret was the mother of the future Henry VII by her previous marriage to Edmund Tudor, 1st Earl of Richmond and she was to have an important influence in Smyth's life.

Smyth went to the University of Oxford. His college is uncertain, being either Oriel or Lincoln, or both in succession. In 1476 he gained the degree of bachelor of canon law and by 1492 he had received the degree of bachelor of civil law.

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